Traveling can be a stressful time for just about everyone. Just about every type of travel from car trips to flights require everyone to interact with folks from all over the country and the world. Everyone from travel industry employees and other vacationers can be encountered in a small window of time.
Usually, things go fairly smoothly, but sometimes situations arrive that just don't scream "customer service." Sure travelers can talk to airline or hotel staff, but travelers with time constraints are often left with dealing with issues the best they can. However, now airlines have begun to embrace social media services, namely Twitter, to deliver enhanced customer service options.
While many airlines, and travel agencies for that matter, use social media like Facebook and Twitter to deliver all sorts of travel and deal related information, airlines have also started to use Twitter to respond directly to customer service issues that may crop up. Travelers can even use the service in the air, as long as they have paid the in-flight Wi-Fi fee that is.
The process is as simple as sending an @reply via Twitter and following the customer service account for a particular airline. Issues can then be resolved via direct messages. Instead of having complaints and problems eat into vacation time, travelers can now get results almost instantly.
Even the recent case of a Miami photographer taking a picture of an airline employee ID tag for being rude to customers, which resulted in the photographer being kicked off the flight, could have been avoided with a simple Twitter message. While there may be more to that story than meets the eye, travelers can handle all sorts of problems with Twitter communication.
Embracing social media is a great way for airlines to stay on top of problems and even recognize frequent issues. The instant nature of Twitter allows for simple and immediate corrections, instead of waiting until the flight is over. Customers can use the service for all sorts of problems including: lost bags, cancelled flights, or even ticket fees.
While dealing with people can almost always be an adventure, using social media to report problems removes the waiting lines for contacting customer service representatives, which can deliver a variety of results. While this type of complaint handling system is still relatively new, it can provide all sorts of value to passengers during all phases of the flight process.
Jason Gallagher is a former travel professional and long time Pennsylvania resident. These experiences give him a first-hand look at developing situations in the state and everything included in the travel industry from technology to trends.
1 comment