Customer service is going social. A recent study revealed that 80 percent of companies plan to use social media for customer service by the end of 2012, and 71 percent of users who receive positive customer support through a brand on a social channel go on to recommend them to their friends.

More than 23 million people discovered new brands through social media this year – up from 18 million in 2010 – and 15.1 million refer to social media before making purchase decisions.

This infographic takes a closer look at the role of customer service in social media.

(Source: ClickSoftware. Customer service image via Shutterstock.)