I recently came across some data indicating Twitter’s user base has decreased by as much as 19% over the second half of 2009.

While many contradicting findings have been reported—and Twitter says usage is at its highest levels yet and expected to grow—if it isn’t already happening, user base consolidation likely will occur soon as growth cannot continue indefinitely.  

Given that service and support organizations are using Twitter for two main purposes:

• Listening to customers (i.e., VOC collection)
• Engaging customers (i.e., service recovery/proactive outreach)

The question remains what the best purpose of the channel will be for the function in the future.

Data suggests 72% of individuals accessing Twitter today are “passers-by,” 1% of the population are “addicts” and 23% are “regulars.”  These latter two groups make up the majority of the site’s tweet volume.

Many companies believe customers on Twitter are among the more loyal segments and often can provide insight into new customer service and market opportunities.  Some research indicates that 20% of all tweets relates to product and service experiences and for that reason alone it is worth tracking.  Yet can 24% (the “addict” and “regular” population combined) of Twitter users represent a universal customer need, no matter how vocal, no matter what demographic, and even if we can assess their level of influence?

While market researchers would have a fit about 24% of any sample representing the buying public, there still is a belief among service and support organizations that emerging product and service issues can be identified before public outcry begins.  This can allow companies time to rectify product issues, or at least plan for, added service volume.

Yet given the incompleteness and imperfect nature of information contained in tweets, I believe that service and support organizations should deemphasize their use of Twitter as a VOC channel relative to other sources.  Rather, understanding the customer engagement  potential of the channel should be the primary focus, using Twitter to get after known customer issues and reach out to those customers while reducing negative word of mouth along the way.

What are your thoughts?  Is there hope of Twitter serving as a useful listening tool for the service and support function or is it best suited for service recovery and outreach?

CCC Members, review our podcast series on Social Media and Customer Service, featuring responses from Comcast, Best Buy, and Bank of America.  Also, to track who is tweeting about your company, check out CCC-24/7 Tweetview.

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