Date
10-2020
Department
Graduate School of Business
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Chair
Chris Huseman
Keywords
Social Media Customer Service, Social Media, Customer Service, Day Spa, Small Business
Disciplines
Business | Marketing
Recommended Citation
Fabrick, Krista, "Using Social Media to Enhance Customer Service: A Study of Independent Day Spas in Phoenix, Arizona" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2680.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2680
Abstract
Social media customer service is becoming increasingly crucial for businesses, and many small businesses struggle in this area. This qualitative study explored how independent day spas use Facebook and Instagram for customer service and their effectiveness on these platforms. The participants included ten small, independent days spas in the Phoenix, Arizona, areas with ten or fewer employees, have less than $1,500,000 in annual revenue, and have a presence on Facebook and Instagram. Four common themes arose from this research. First, day spa owners/managers generally have at least a basic knowledge of Facebook and Instagram. Second, owners/managers are typically the ones managing social media for their spa. Third, the age of the spa owner/manager can be a factor in the success of a spa’s social media presence. Finally, excellent customer service across all channels is a high priority for these small day spas. Common reasons for not successfully using Instagram and Facebook for customer service included a lack of knowledge or understanding of the platforms for business purposes, lack of time, or lack of resources. This study also uncovered three practical applications of the findings. First, small, independent day spas can have successful social media customer service regardless of the spa’s revenue, number of employees, or budget. Next, the research showed that providing effective customer service on Facebook and Instagram can positively impact revenue for small, independent day spas. Finally, the researcher found that based on the systems and methods in place at the participants who have excellent social media customer service, most small, independent days spas can make small changes in their business to improve their customer service on Facebook and Instagram hence their overall customer service.
