Airline Customer Service Social Media?

Whatever the reason for a passenger to be "volunteered" to leave a flight they've actually boarded, and regardless of how that customer reacted (let's not forget passengers are actually customers), the manner in which they are treated must be without blemish..

That such a violent ejection, as recently evidenced on a United Express flight, was carried in front of other seated passengers was bad enough. It got worse when it was recorded on their mobile phones, but turned into a commercial disaster when it went globally viral, courtesy of global media.

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The rights and wrong of this particularly distressing incident are still being debated - however, whatever the findings, all companies can learn lessons from it.

1. The prime one is that instant social media channels exist all around you - learn to know about them, and understand the impacts they can have.

2. It's not all negative either, with individual staff as well as companies, enjoying positive exposure when something really good happens. The following may jerk a few memories.

"World's greatest airline employee? Alaska Airlines worker pays fare for stranded woman."

This was the actual headline in a major UK newspaper concerning a great act of selflessness that took place thousands of miles away in California.

3. Social Media is so instant that it's now normal for external sources to have more information than the company that is in the limelight e.g. passengers actually broadcasting during aircraft evacuations.

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4. Whether you like it or not, many people have a gripe and will get their views in first - fair or otherwise.

5. A company's reputation is easily tarnished (or destroyed), dramatically affecting sales, revenue, staffs morale and working relationships with industry partners.

6. Incorporate the handling and management of social media into company contingency plans AND train your staff and any external agencies handling communications for you..

Guest Authored By Mike Carrivick. Mike joined the airline industry in the 1965, since when he worked in the sales and marketing arena for small/medium and long haul carriers. He also has experience of heading up the UK operations of travel management company owned by a multi-national organization. In more recent times, he was Chief Executive of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, representing the aero-political interests of most of the home-based and overseas scheduled airlines with UK operations. Consequently, he was involved behind the scenes with urgent developments concerning aviation security, the ash cloud crisis in 2010, border control matters as well as government policy issues such UK airport capacity, aviation taxation and EU consumer regulations. Follow Mike on Twitter.

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"Remember the old adage, true as it ever was..

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.."

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

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