A few weeks ago, AT&T stumbled into an #icmichat Tweet chat. It's a weekly Twitter chat that revolves around contact centers and customer service.
Someone mentioned a poor AT&T experience, which generated a series of automated Tweets from AT&T's @ATTCares account.
The got trolled for their efforts.
It was an ironic example of how not to practice social listening. Someone on AT&T's social care team evidently got the message because the automated automated Tweets have stopped happening.
Today, I get to point out a good example. Alaska Airlines provided a textbook example of social listening during this week's #icmichat.
We were discussing how airlines will sometimes match competitor's frequent flyer status in an effort to get them to defect. I mentioned that Alaska Airlines had recently done this for my wife. Another participant asked how to go about it.
Knowing Alaska Airlines is on top of social media, I sent this Tweet:
Within minutes, Alaska Airlines sent Nancy Jamison a direct message:
That was a great move since it established a personal connection and answered Jamison's question directly. Next, they followed up to let everyone else know how to do it too:
Their approach was fast, helpful, and friendly. Angel, the Alaska Airlines customer service rep, also took an extra moment to show a little non-automated personality:
This is the type of Twitter support that companies should strive for. I won't lie to you - getting here isn't easy. There's a lot of time, effort, and planning that goes into it.
Here are a few resources to help you explore how your company can nail Twitter like Alaska Airlines: