Social media, new crisis management tool

There is no simple set of rules that will manage to solve every crisis. The worst thing for the public during a crisis is not knowing. That is why social media is becoming a more popular tool in order to keep people informed during a crisis. Social media allows issues to be identified and managed extremely quickly online, as well as allowing for quick and direct interaction with all stakeholders providing information about the current situation.

During the Icelandic volcano eruption in April 2010 two brands within the same company (SkyTeam) Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines showed radically different approaches to using social media during this travel industry crisis. 

KLM showed an effort to keep its customers updated. The information pages were constantly modified, with clear information on the options available to stranded passengers. There were some problems with changing the booking but in a crisis of that scale it is forgivable. The most impressive thing was KLM’s outreach through social media, primarily Twitter and a Facebook. 

On the 20^th of April 2010 KLM published on its facebook profile a video from KLM’s CEO & President Peter Hartman with a message to customers.

Here you can watch the message (source Youtube):

 

The company did not stop at that. The wall on facebook was constantly updated with the latest news and even opportunities to rebook flights through facebook. 

The company added a Question & Answer tab to the Facebook page in order to take more inquiries and make the communication process quicker.

KLM was highly involved on Twitted by posting news about the situation, re-booking trips, information and links as to where passengers could get more detailed information. As a result KLM’s response was favourable. There were lots of comments appreciating the company’s efforts. The reputation of the company had risen and people got to know that in a crisis they are not alone. 

Air France completely ignored the social media communication channels, which surprised its customers. The company posted a few notes on its facebook profile but the information was very poor and general.

There were no posts being Twitted and the company did not reply to any comments. It was very clear that The Air France was not interested in using social media. What was even worse, the official Air France web site was rarely updated and contained very little information about how to rebook or get a refund. No information and poor communication resulted in call centres becoming over run with the amount of telephone inquiries.  The company lost its good reputation and many clients were disappointment with the poor performance while dealing with the crisis, especially comparing it with KLM’s effort.

When a crisis hits it is important to have a plan in place and a way to deal with complaints. A well established presence in social media as shown in the example above can make it easier to handle the crisis and talk to stakeholders. Without social media presence it is more difficult to take part in dialogue. In order to provide customers with the best possible service during a crisis, it is essential to engage them through social media platforms beforehand, that way they know that this is the place to go when they need information about the situation.

Social media is a powerful platform and can be a great tool to approach customers while facing a crisis. Many corporations and government bodies have found social media tools to be a great way to communicate quickly and regularly with the audience.