According to a recent study, just over half (54%) of UK Fire and Rescue Services struggle to record their response times to inbound messages and enquiries across their social media channels. With inbound enquiries from residents and other stakeholders increasing overall and the number of social media accounts being managed by the services also on the rise, tracking KPIs such as response time is key to effectively serving stakeholder needs on social.
Social media is a vital channel to communicate with their key stakeholders. Of the organizations that responded to the recent FOI survey, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service were found to have the most social media accounts at 85, with 46% of other services reporting a rise in the number of accounts online.
Increase in the number of enquiries
One third of organizations (33%) reported an increase in the number of people who manage and respond to enquiriesIt must also be noted that 38% of organizations reported an increase in the number of enquiries they received year-on-year while just under half (46%) of respondents failed to provide trend information, due to not recording current or historical figures. One third of organizations (33%) reported an increase in the number of people who manage and respond to enquiries.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service was found to have the quickest response time averaging 2 hours 6 minutes, while managing a total of 16 social media accounts and an average of 760 enquiries at the start of 2019. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service also shared a similar response time across its 6 social media accounts. At the opposite end of the scale, estimated total response times were around 9 hours.
Essential to track and monitor social media data
Social media tools such as CrowdControlHQ can enhance the efficiency of the UK’s emergency service communicationsA staggering 62% of organizations were unable to report a change in response times over a period of a year which, in addition to the number of inbound enquiries, could have a negative impact on how effectively UK Fire and Rescue Services engage their communities on social media. Being able to track and monitor data across social media platforms is essential in regards to tracking how local residents and other stakeholders are kept informed.
Fortunately, social media tools such as CrowdControlHQ can help support the management of these accounts and enhance the efficiency of the UK’s emergency service communications. Not understanding the effectiveness of response time on social can often reflect the quality of service provided to stakeholders.
With inbound communications increasing overall and the number of accounts also on the rise, tracking KPIs is key to effectively serving stakeholders on social. By tracking performance rates, it will allow the UK’s Fire & Rescue organizations to easily identify the areas of improvement in their social customer service and essentially allocate the appropriate resources necessary.