As readers of this blog might recall, and my small following on Twitter surely knows, I?m a regular customer of our customer, United Airlines. In fact, I?m a million mile flyer with United and generally surpass 100,000 qualifying air miles a year with them, which means that I spend a great deal of my life on United flights and interacting with the United brand. United is a very big company, the largest airline in the world according to CEO Jeff Smisek, who recently told CNBC ?We Made Some Mistakes,? but believes the airline is moving forward and making real progress following the merger with Continental. I would have to agree.
I?m also a regular Southwest customer, about whom I?ve blogged on as well. But you know, when I?m on a 14 hour long haul business trip, I?m not always looking for ?comedy and elvis impersonators.? Nothing wrong with that; just best suited to a 1 hour flight.
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Back to United ? Sometimes, when I?m sitting in my Economy Plus seat, about to take off on another 4 hour domestic journey, I, like my fellow passengers, don?t always connect with the pre-flight video, where Jeff announces how United has invested in the new state-of-the-art 787 Dreamliner aircraft and explains all the benefits of the new-millenial climate control and lighting managed interior. We look around at our trusty 737 and can?t help thinking the interior was last to be considered state-of-the-art in the 1970?s. Still, most times United gets me where I need to be on time and with my bags. Most times.
Anyway, I?ve talked to United in the past about engaging in the social world, and for sure they?ve had social listening in place for some years now. But, and as KANA goes to great lengths to help businesses understand, social listening without active response is not the level of engagement (particularly in the customer service world) that customers want or need.
As a long term United customer, my loyalty, just as it is with other brands is often tested. That?s life. But it?s how the company reacts,
how they engage with the voice of their customer that often makes the differnce between continuity or curtailment of the relationship. My favorite customer service channel at United is proably their most expensive ? the call center, for which as a 1K flyer I have a special phone number. Full disclosure, even when I wasn?t 1K I got the same great service when I called. However, and United should be pleased to hear this, I only call that number when I really can?t get done what I need via their evolving website; and believe me I know that site well.
Anyway, I digress. I was talking about the voice of the customer, social and the importance of listen and respond in the realm of customer service.
Well imagine my surprise when last week I noticed that United has upped the ante in terms of social engagement, and are now in my view properly interacting in the social realm, on Twitter no less. They?re responding to negative, positive and even neutral sentiment expressed about their brand by their customers. They?re offering up interesting facts about their brand, useful tips about their service (or as Jeff Smisek calls ?our product?), links where appropriate to on-line knowledge, proactive information about service continuity, and even guidence and escalation to other channels. Great!
Did the skies just get a bit more friendly? What?s your point of view?
Related posts:
- Changes and customer experience
- Is Social Media Monitoring really social listening?
- How to Leverage Social Media Feedback
- Just get started ? with social media
- Getting started with Social Media pt2
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