Recently, there has been an increasing need for big brands to have a presence across the web, especially with social networks. In a particular incident, an unhappy customer’s inability to reach an airline through traditional forms of communication forced her to turn to her only other alternative – social media – to make her frustrations and concerns heard. As an online marketing agency, we’ve been there, behind the scenes, trying to handle the situation the best way possible online while maintaining a positive reputation and steering the negative conversation offline to be handled accordingly. Here’s our take on the subject.
FSC’s Take: US Airways customer takes to social media to resolve an issue
Andy: First of all, yikes. This is terrifying and wildly unprofessional. I think it’s great that US Airways was monitoring Twitter and that they have acknowledged the problem and are handling it, but this isn’t just an issue with US Airways. In fact, it’s actually an issue with the third party baggage handling company. This company, whatever the name of it is, should also be online monitoring for mentions like this. Think of how much undue stress and how much bad PR could have been avoided by this company if they were monitoring and had handled themselves? To be fair, I don’t think the name of the company was ever mentioned on Twitter but they could certainly have set up a stream for “USAirways + Baggage + Delivery” or “USAirways + bags” or something relevant to what they do. It’s a shame, because I am willing to bet that the delivery guy (or gal) lost his (or her) job and that the contract between the company and US Airways was jeopardized.
Brooke: As a social media professional, I actually would’ve tried to go directly to the company by calling, emailing, etc. instead of blasting it on social media first – even though this definitely seemed to work for her. Naturally, I feel that way because of the sympathy I have for the guy(s) or gal(s) behind the @USairways handle. It’s hard to be that person behind the “Twitter wheel” when bad PR strikes. I haven’t heard much more about this story since it first surfaced, which is the trend online typically for stories like this – they peak that day, then mentions/PR stories drop off dramatically. With that, I would say US Airways handled this well. Typically, if they were a client of FSC’s, we would recommend they address online with a very professional/platonic reply so that others would see they are listening, but immediately try to take offline, as they have done: “We are looking into this and we have been in touch with Ms. Mossler directly,” a U.S. Airways spokesperson says. Good luck to them, savvy social media users are nothin’ to mess with. 😉
Lydia: First of all, the baggage handler’s behavior is unacceptable and terrifying. The last thing any woman wants is to deal with some angry stranger who was given her personal information by way of his job. Good on US Airways’ community manager for their quick action to solve the problem. This is a great example of how good customer service can be provided via social media. I recently read an article following a different US Airways Twitter fiasco in which the author claimed that airlines have no purpose being on social media. His argument was that with so many possible complaints happening all at once for a big airline, it is impossible for said airline to be able to react appropriately and helpfully in the immediate way that has come to be expected by social media users. I agree with him on the aspect that an airline’s Twitter account manager could not possibly help all the people with delayed or cancelled flights at a given moment. However, sometimes social media can be – and in this case, was – the only way a person can have their issue resolved. Recognizing the strengths and limitations of one’s presence on social media is the first step to running a successful online marketing campaign.
Kate: After hearing this story, it makes it really difficult to want to ever give out personal information to anyone. I’m usually pretty trusting, but this changes things a little.
On the other hand, it’s nice to know that US Airways has actual people “listening” to their customers. So often companies have automated messaging set up. But it doesn’t do the same as having someone, an actual person – not a robot, reach out to improve and fix the situation.
Valerie: This was/is a very scary situation. This is so much more than just a customer complaint. This woman tried to get in contact with US Airways through private channels and was ignored and put on a back burner, all while a man who had her work address and personal phone number threatened her safety. Being the savvy communications person that she is, she knew what a powerful tool Twitter is, and she used it to not only reach out to US Airways, but also to protect herself by making a huge audience aware of the issue. It is so important that brands have an active presence on Twitter; while US Airways could have done even more to get in contact with Mossler quickly, away from Twitter, to rectify the situation that they are responsible for (according to her Tweets it took them several days to get in touch with her by phone/email), this whole conversation could have been happening on Twitter without US Airways knowing — not something you would want to be blind to, as she had the ears, or eyes rather, of people around the country.
Margaux: I have mixed feelings about how US Airways handled this situation. On one hand, I think that this serves as a great example of how social media can be used to better a customer’s experience with a brand or company, and further emphasizes the importance of having an active and engaged social presence. On the other hand, I don’t think that US Airways’ response was appropriate, given the situation. They were dealing with a very upset customer who felt threatened – I would have liked to see much more of a personal response. They would have comforted their customer by conveying some concern and empathy, humanizing their brand as a result.
Mallory: This is a great example of how people are turning to Twitter more and more as a customer service hotline. If you’re in business today and have a presence on Twitter, you can’t escape the fact that people will use it this way, so it’s important to stay on top of how people are talking to and about your brand. Respond quickly and professionally, and use Twitter as a way to engage and help your customers.