An increasing number of consumers are turning to social media first to voice complaints, have complicated situations resolved, and even in the case of a crisis, according to a survey of 1,000 UK adults by customer contact outsourcer Echo Managed Services, which found that almost one in five people (18 percent) use social media as first preference to voice a complaint, rather than channels including phone, face to face, email and web chat.

In addition, a similar number (18 percent) people turn to social media before any other channel when a complicated problem arises, and 14 percent turn to it first in a crisis, such as when a flight is cancelled.

Social media would also be first preference for 13 percent of respondents who would use the channel to request information, and a further 14 percent to make a booking. And almost one in three (29 percent) consumers would move their custom elsewhere if they encountered poor service.

As a result, Echo is urging companies to reassess where the social media function sits within their organization. According to Chris Cullen, head of sales and marketing, "The findings of our research clearly demonstrate a consumer willingness to use social media in a variety of situations—perhaps most notably in complicated ones or when making a complaint. As issues raised through the channel can be unpredictable and played out in front of a potentially enormous public audience, it raises challenges in terms of who within an organisation manages social media.

"Due to the varied nature of enquiries being presented, we believe that it should be managed predominantly by the customer services function, who are experts in handling multi-channel customer enquiries day in day out, rather than the marketing department. But what's crucial is that customer services and marketing work closely together and not in isolation.”