Why Facebook Users are Joining Together To Find Better Customer Service

As one of the most used social media sites in the world, Facebook has become a mainstay in people’s daily routines. With 1.9 billion daily active users, the social media platform attracts a steady following of dedicated and loyal individuals seeking an outlet to share and interact with family and friends.

However, because of its ubiquitous presence, Facebook has quickly become a target for hackers looking to scam users and steal verified personal information. Making matters worse, users are having immense difficulty actually recovering their accounts once a hacker is able to gain access to their profile.

In a recent NPR All Things Considered episode, Tech correspondent Shannon Bond reports on a few of these Facebook hackings and interviews users who are now going to extreme lengths to receive support from the social media site.

The story often starts out the same; the user receives an email stating that someone is trying to gain access to their account — but is reminded that Facebook is still keeping it safe. However, not a minute later users get a notification alerting them that their password has been changed, or a new two-factor authentication has been set up, and instantly, they are locked out.

Although this seems highly distressing, the worst part is that users ultimately have nowhere to turn once they are denied access to their own accounts. Bond states, “Good luck trying to call up Facebook to try and fix it.” When attempting to reach its user operations line, customers are greeted with a message stating they do not offer phone support at this time.

The one option users do have to verify their identity is by uploading a picture of their drivers’ license or passport — but even this highly personal measure doesn’t result in an instant solution. Facebook now states that they have fewer people to confirm IDs, and the process is taking longer than usual.

However, what’s most interesting about this case is that users found a loophole to receive near-instant care. After many failed attempts at recovering his account, one creative user shared his story on Reddit identifying a back-door strategy to get in touch with Facebook’s support team. The user notes that he realized he had a free account, deeming him almost “worthless to Facebook.” With this, he knew he needed another way to gain attention, so he purchased an Oculus gaming platform. The gaming console, owned by Facebook, has a live chat support service, where he notes that agents begin to notice you — if you have a serial number and proof of purchase. After engaging with an Oculus agent, he finally received an email back from Facebook support and almost immediately received a link to recover his account. Afterward, unfortunately for Facebook, he returned the device upon solving his account issue.

To give some perspective on the impact this post actually had, it received over 300 comments with Reddit users excitedly sharing their success with the same Oculus method. While most commenters are utilizing the same, purchase and return strategy, one Reddit user actually went so far as to say, “I kind of wish VR was my thing because I want to support this company any way I can for how great they were with their customer support.” This solidifies the idea that exceptional customer service actually means something to customers, and when contrasted with Facebook’s user support, customers actually hailed Oculus for simply offering accessible customer support.

This case is unique because many customers are not actually seeking assistance with a physical item or purchased service, however, when it comes down to it, Facebook’s user base is its entire bottom line. By refusing to offer customer support options, the company is literally turning customers away. While Facebook representatives stated that its online help center is available at all times, its reduced ability to verify claims keeps customers from achieving any level of instant support.

Additionally, what’s more troubling about this lack of support, is the intimate nature of the Facebook account itself. When users cannot access their account, they’re not just losing access to a messaging service, they’re losing personal photos, information, and an entire network of people. This makes the presence of customer support and security features even more critical — because losing access to this kind of information is almost like losing a piece of your own identity.

Ultimately, Facebook admits that they are working to improve their customer service offerings, but this loophole is almost disrespectful to users who willingly share their personal information and have actively built a relationship with the company for years. By prioritizing ‘paid’ customers, the brand is neglecting some of its most loyal users, and unintentionally instilling an impression that these customers are not valued or important.