Twitter, the microblogging social network, has revealed that it currently has 10 million active users in the United Kingdom. The revelation means that the UK is the fourth-largest country for Twitter users in the world, following the US, Brazil and Japan.

The news from the social network highlights its on-going proliferation within the United Kingdom, marking the platform’s growing importance. More significantly, the website also revealed that 80 per cent of the UK user base accessed the website via their mobile phone. Indeed, 8 million logged onto the site on the go during April, compared to the global average of 55 per cent.
Commenting on the news, Media Guardian stated:

“Twitter also points out that its users are particularly active in generating content: 60% have contributed to the network, either through tweeting or posting a picture or other content, compared to the world’s biggest video site YouTube, where sources say just 1% of users ever posts a video.

“Since [its launch] organisations including the British Heart Foundation, Cadbury and Absolute Radio have used Twitter to promote their services, while many others have taken advantage of the platform to build use.”

The statistics from Twitter highlights the growing importance of the social network, with more users turning to the service for conversations and customer service. Although, while more individuals are using the platform, a recent industry expert argued that many businesses were not adequately using the website for social media customer service.

Speaking about the extent of social CRM, Josh March commented:

“Unfortunately a lot of the companies that have taken the plunge on social media are getting customer issues sent to them but they are ignoring them. It’s publicly showing [their customers] that they are not helping.”

Mobile network 3 UK has invested £18 million into a comprehensive framework designed to improve the company’s customer experience system across a number of new channels. The new system will see the mobile provider operate a business intelligence service across the business’s campaign management and CRM systems. The framework will allow the mobile operator to provide a more comprehensive online customer experience for its customers.

The CRM system will offer 3 a better understanding of how its users interact with the brand, while also providing more insight into the customer experience management. The customer relationship management software is designed to aid 3 in doubling its customer base within the next few years.

The importance of a CRM system cannot be over-estimated. We’re frequently reported on how more consumers are choosing to interact with companies across a number of new channels, including email, social media and mobile. The ability to converge all these channels, through email management, e-services and social media business support, provides organisations with the opportunity to offer a unified customer experience across several different mediums.

numero have worked with dozens of international companies, helping organisations such as Cable and Wireless and Argos provide a complete customer relationship management service. Our e-services solution have ensured that businesses can offer a CRM system designed to handle customer volume, connecting new contact channels into one database and prioritising enquiries accordingly. You can read more about our customer management CRM systems here.

Retailers not using social media sites such as Twitter for online customer service are facing a negative backlash from their customers, according to a leading customer experience management expert.

Josh March, chief executive from a social CRM company, made the comment ahead of the 3rd Retail Bulletin Customer Loyalty Conference. March stated that many of the organisations currently using social media had yet to fully incorporate a social customer experience management CRM system; a decision, he said, that was devaluing brands.

“Unfortunately a lot of the companies that have taken the plunge on social media are getting customer issues sent to them but they are ignoring them. It’s publicly showing [their customers] that they are not helping.”

March highlighted the need for customer relationship management on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, arguing that more customers were now using these online platforms for customer service enquiries and queries.

“It’s the way they interact with retailers and you’ll find they [customers] tweet in-store. They are turning to it as it is easier.”

Addressing the online habits of the older consumer, March also stated that social media was the ‘last port of call’ and by ‘doing it publicly they hope they’ll get noticed.’

March’s comments come as a new study from Brandwatch has revealed that while more businesses were adopting Twitter profiles, only three percent of the companies using the platform were doing so with customer management in mind. Speaking at the time, Dominick Soark from Brandwatch stated:

“Whilst strategists and thought-leaders have done a lot to encourage businesses to think about social media as a new way to interact with their audience and not simply another marketing channel from which to broadcast, our analysis shows there is still the tendency to use Twitter as just that.”

A report from telecoms analyst Ovum has predicted that smartphones will rise at a compound annual growth rate of 24.9 per cent for the period 2011-2017. This acceleration in smartphone take up compares to a 6.3 per cent increase in the overall market for mobile handsets over the same period. There are expected to be 1.7 billion smartphones worldwide by 2017.

Essentially, the report highlights the increasing consumer demand for web-ready smartphones such as the iPhone, compared to the falling popularity in ‘standard’ feature models.

The research from the company also shed some light into the popularity of specific operating systems; Android will make up 48 per cent of the market by 2017, while iOS, the platform for Apple handsets, will hold 27 per cent. In the same year, Windows Phone will hold 13 per cent, while Blackberry will account for 10 per cent.

But, while it’s always fascinating to see which platform will triumph in the race for the smartphone market, our interest in this study from Ovum is focused on the increase in smartphone ownership and its impact on customer management CRM systems. Here at numero, we’re keen to examine the future of the customer service experience – Facebook, Twitter and mobile – and how companies can begin to future-proof their customer relationship channels.

We’re already beginning to see strides made by businesses in mCommerce; steps to take advantage of the growing smartphone market. And, just as email customer service became a priority for customer management teams over the last decade, we predict more businesses will take steps to incorporate the mobile contact channel into their customer relationship platforms.

But why is this necessary?

The mobile platform blurs the boundaries of customer service. Internet-enabled smartphones allow consumers to contact businesses on the go, tweet companies from their mobile and email an enquiry as soon as the inclination strikes them. As we continue to see the smartphone market grow, we predict that companies that meet these opportunities head on will be in the best position to take advantage of this developing trend and evolve their complaint and customer management crm systems accordingly.

A new study by IBM has revealed that mobile commerce is capturing an ever-increasing share of the online retailer sector in the United States. The investigation discovered that, during the first quarter of 2012, sales via mobile phone accounted for 13.3 per cent of all online sales.

What’s more, the research found that mobile devices were responsible for 17.1 per cent of all visits to retail sites. This is compared to the 6.1 per cent visits from the same study in 2011.

Commenting on the growth in mobile commerce, Craig Hayman, general manager at IBM Industry Solutions, said:

“Over the first quarter, the digitally empowered consumer continued to demonstrate the momentum of the online channel and specifically mobile commerce, which has established itself as a legitimate channel for shopping. Moving ahead, we will help retailers synchronize the demand and supply chains to address issues of product availability and connect to the mobile buyer.”

The increasing popularity of mCommerce is a result of the increased market penetration of smartphones such as the iPhone. Indeed, over 50 per cent of the UK now own a mobile handset of the smartphone variety. But, while companies need to be aware of the growing opportunity in the mCommerce industry, there are other considerations to take into account when discussing the increasing popularity of handsets like the iPhone.

The increased market share of smartphones over feature phones presents both challenges and opportunities for companies. Smartphones give consumers the opportunity to update their social network profiles on the move and email around the clock. Essentially, a smartphone offers the customer the chance to contact a business via a range of new channels at any time.

Companies need to be able to offer their customers the ability to answer messages on sites like Twitter and businesses need a comprehensive social CRM system in place in order to meet the opportunities from this new contact channel. You can find more about customer management systems through Twitter here. Alternatively, contact one of our team to learn more about our social CRM systems.

A fascinating report from Brandwatch has revealed a number of interesting trends regarding the business use of Twitter.

The report, which analysed 258 major brands over a year period, found that 91 per cent of the brands monitored in the study were now using Twitter (compared to 84 per cent in 2011).

However, while the report found that more businesses were using the social network, the investigation also discovered that a proportion of companies were still using the channel as a broadcast tool (as opposed to using utilising the platform for social CRM). Indeed, the study found that 75 per cent of brands were using Twitter for both broadcast and engagement, while 13 per cent of accounts solely broadcasted information and promotion. Only three per cent elected to use a Twitter presence for engagement only.

Writing about the report, Dominick Soar from Brandwatch commented:

“Businesses have been trying to incorporate social media into their communication strategies for several years now, but there is still much discussion about brands not “getting it”.

“Whilst strategists and thought-leaders have done a lot to encourage businesses to think about social media as a new way to interact with their audience and not simply another marketing channel from which to broadcast, our analysis shows there is still the tendency to use Twitter as just that.”

Here at numero, we’re frequently advocating the use of social media sites like Twitter as a customer management service; utilising the platform to provide a comprehensive CRM experience. You can find out more about our customer experience management solutions here.

It is, however, his prowess off the golf course that often provides inspiration for numero – most recently with his adept use of social media. Simon is a regular on Twitter, with over 3,000 followers exposed to frequent updates on the site and 1,256 Tweets on the profile already. The way Simon engages his followers is really impressive, with eight per cent of all Tweets dedicated to personally answering questions from his fans and followers on social networks.

This commitment from a sport’s professional should be a lesson to the thousands of big brands looking to use social media for commercial gain. As we continually advocate, Twitter and Facebook are critically important channels for customer service management; not simply vehicles for the overt promotion of products and services. Consumers recognise social media as a vehicle for one-to-one dialogue, so expect the same from their chosen brands.

Since the earliest days of Twitter, users have been drawn by the ease at which they can interact. At the start of Twitter’s growth, celebrities such as comedian Stephen Fry and sports stars like David Beckham were a huge draw for users. Especially as they were often treated to personal insights and individual interaction – even within profiles with vast followings such as Lady GaGa (23 million followers), Tiger Woods (2 million followers), Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter.

Six years after its launch, Twitter has evolved from a place for casual conversation to a viable contact channel for customers. Indeed, as the platform develops, more users are expecting businesses to use the site as an integral part of their overall CRM strategy (or at a more simple level as a conduit for their complaint management software) to ensure that customers who Tweet are afforded the same importance as customers who choose to communicate by email, phone or in writing.

At numero, we’re proud to offer a flexible and cutting-edge solution to customer relationship management. Our services have helped our clients provide a comprehensive social CRM system, ensuring that questions or enquiries from Twitter and Facebook are given the same priority as queries originating from other channels of communication.

The simple fact is, social media sites such as Twitter are developing into established channels for customers. So, the sooner businesses have the capabilities in place to deal with the concerns of their customers online, the sooner they can start offering a future-proof customer management system.

Against this background, it was an honour to meet Joe Hallett and Paul Davies over the weekend. These inspirational individuals have devoted their lives to combatting the social causes of violent crime through Always a Chance, a charity they founded after the tragic deaths of their close friends last year. Joe and Paul have set up the charity in memory of James Cooper and James Kouzaris, two well-loved men murdered at gunpoint while on holiday in Florida.

Among its many noble objectives, the charity aims to help prevent violent crime amongst the nation’s youth by working with young people aged 16-25. Always a Chance is aiming to address the social causes of violent crime and provide a network of support to victims and their families. In pursuit of these critically important social goals, and to achieve something positive from such a personal tragedy, Joe and Paul have side-lined their careers to establish and promote the charity.

We met these two stoic young men while they were in Manchester this weekend, raising awareness for the charity via a nationwide relay across all 92 Football League grounds in the United Kingdom. We were delighted to support Joe and Paul as they completed the Manchester leg of their stadium tour, running between the Manchester City Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford, home of Manchester United. In the process, we were honoured to meet Pete and Hazel Kouzaris, parents of James, who watched the United/Everton game as the guests of numero.

The pictures below (taken over the weekend) give a flavour for the personalities and inspiration behind Always a Chance. However, they cannot capture the outstanding determination, commitment and vision shown by those involved in response to the loss of two young men who offered so much promise.

numero believes in ‘doing the right thing‘ and, in this instance, we can’t think a finer way to demonstrate that philosophy than helping Joe and Paul in their endeavours to reduce violent crime in the country. Over the coming weeks we are going to do our bit to help raise awareness of the charity, starting with a promotional video for their website which will be based on some incredible footage captured as the boys ran between these two Manchester landmarks. We will also be hosting further Always a Chance content on the numero website and encourage any of our partners, associates and clients who have been touched by the efforts of Joe and Paul and loss of the Cooper and Kouzaris families to find out more here.

On a final note for now, we would like to extend our thanks to Arighi Bianchi (who donated two match day tickets to the group) and Manchester United for their help with the arrangements over the weekend.

Stars sitting in front of Peter were Rafael, Vidic, Pogba, Cleverley with an Peter Schmeichel making a surprise appearance.

Pete Kouzaris taking in the atmosphere at Old Trafford

The Always a Chance relay runners outside of the Manchester City stadium.

Simon Khan, the numero-sponsored golf professional, has a full tournament schedule in the coming months. After a top-20 finish in the Maybank Malaysian Open and an 11th place in the Open de Andalucia Costa del Sol in March, attention turns to Simon’s upcoming appearances in April and May.

Over the coming months, the former PGA champion will play in a number of prestigious tournaments, including the Volvo China Open, the Reale Seguros Open de Espana, the BMW PGA Championship and the ISPS Handa Wales Open. Simon is also looking to qualify for the US Open during June.

However, first our eyes turn to the Volvo China Open, the next tournament on Simon’s schedule. Held in Tianjin, first round play commences on April 19th. The tournament has been held annually since 1995, with notable winners including Belgian Nicolas Colsarts, Scott Strange and Englishman Simon Dyson in 2000.

Following the Volvo China Open, Simon travels to Spain for the Reale Seguros Open de Espana. Founded in 1912, this prestigious tournament has been won by Colin Montgomerie, Seve Ballesteros and Thomas Bjorn. Golfing legend Angel de la Torre holds the record for the most wins at the tournament, having won five times between 1916 and 1925.

Then, towards the end of May, Simon makes his return to the BMW PGA Championship in Surrey, having won the tournament in 2010 by a single stroke. Everyone at numero is confident about his return to familiar territory and we wish him the best of luck at one of the biggest events on the European Tour.

Finally, Simon travels to Celtic Manor for the ISPS Handa Wales Open. The venue for the 2012 Ryder cup, Simon was also victorious here in 2004, winning the tournament with a score of 21 under par, the second best four round total at the course.

Subject to qualifying, Simon then has the chance to travel America for the U.S. Open. We’ll keep the numero blog updated on Simon’s progress as we get closer to the next major on the calendar, along with latest developments in social media CRM customer management. You can view our previous posts on customer service experience and CRM systems here.

Last week, we reported that a number of large American firms were failing to respond the 69 per cent of the customer complaints they received via Twitter. It seems that this is not a problem shared with the financial sector though, with a new report claiming that the majority of financial services are harnessing social media tools like Twitter and Facebook for customer service management.

The report, by US firm Corporate Insight, found that 92 per cent of the annuity and insurance providers surveyed used social media in some form. Facebook was the most popular channel for the industry, while all but three of the organisations had a presence on Twitter. The research, which has taken place annually since 2009, found that the number of firms using Facebook and Twitter for a social customer service experience had risen from 57 per cent and 51 per cent to 88 per cent and 92 per cent respectively.

Speaking to The Financial Times, Alan Maginn, senior analyst and social media expert at Corporate Insight commented:

“Over the past few years, the use of social media by financial services firms has increased exponentially.

“Engagement is truly what sets social media apart from more traditional business-to-consumer communications, and this direct interaction with current and prospective clients is a major benefit of a well-executed social media offering.”

Over the previous few months, the staff at numero have seen more and more organisations, particularly those in the financial district, adopt new channels like Facebook and Twitter. Indeed, First Direct and Barclays Bank have been examples of financial institutions cited for their competent customer service on Twitter. Still, there are still more improvements possible and many financial organisations could do better with their social crm systems. Customer relationships are vital for these businesses and until customer management software effectively covers social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, the customer service experience will still be uneven.