Did you know that nine in ten U.S. companies of 100 employees or more are using social media for marketing?

Impressive number, right? So why is it that so many of them are terrible at using these channels for customer support? While 86 percent of people who complained to a brand on Twitter would have been happy just to get a response – and 75 percent are somewhat or very satisfied when they do – only one third (33 percent) actually hear from the company. And it doesn’t get much better on Facebook, where 25 percent of top retailers never respond to questions from customers, and two in five deleted them completely.

Relatively, social media is still in its infancy, and when it comes to customer care brands don’t seem to get the picture. Still, four in five consumers think social media will ultimately become the main outlet for customer service, possibly replacing all other methods. Until then, it might just be a bumpy ride.

This infographic takes a closer look at why, right now, social might may not be the best place for customer complaints.

(Source: PeopleClaim. Customer support image via Shutterstock.)