Twitter has become an important tool for businesses as it enables you to help customers solve problems in real-time. But while many brands have taken to the platform for customer service, others appear reluctant to engage.

According to a study by Zendesk, only half of the top 10 retailers on Twitter respond to customer complaints. In fact, only 13 percent of all complaints actually received a response.

The customer service help desk found that response time among businesses is pretty disappointing. More than a third (37 percent) of the top 100 brands on Twitter didn’t respond to their customers until over 10 hours after the tweet was sent.

No one likes criticism, but ignoring negative feedback doesn’t make it disappear. By avoiding it, you’re also missing out on key engagement opportunities. Customers primarily turn to Twitter for direct assistance — 48 percent of tweets are questions about your company or product.

Thirty-three percent of tweets relate to a specific issue or problem. These are customers reaching out for help; they’re not being negative for the sake of being negative. In fact, negative comments (general complaints about your company) only make up nine percent of tweets.

And if you’re ignoring all of that, then you’re also missing out on the good stuff. Positive feedback makes up 10 percent of tweets, which is why it’s important to monitor your Twitter feed daily — even if you’re unable to provide fresh content each day.

When it comes to using Twitter for customer service, it’s important to remain consistent. Address questions and negative feedback, and be thankful when someone takes the time to tell you when you’re doing a good job.

[Via: AllTwitter, Image credit: Coletivo Mambembe]