You can ask KLM where your lost suitcase is via Twitter and Facebook, but you can also win trips. The Dutch national airline took its first cautious steps towards social media in 2009 via the corporate communication and e-commerce departments. A volcanic eruption turned out to be an accelerating factor. An interview with manager reputation & content social media, Catharine van Dijk and manager social media, Anna Ketting.
A volcanic eruption under the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland in March and April 2010 led to disruptions in European air traffic. The eruption resulted in a large volcanic ash cloud. Such ash particles are disastrous for aircraft engines. Anna explains: “Because it was uncertain for a long time how the situation would develop, large parts of the airspace were closed for a period of five days as a precaution.” Catharine: “That meant that thousands of travelers were stranded somewhere in the world. Those passengers all called their airlines, but no organization is equipped for a disruption of that magnitude. So lines were overloaded. Waiting times became very long japan phone number list Passengers also started to contact us via Twitter and Facebook. And we were able to help them well via those channels.”
KLM rolled out a crisis team to provide people with information 24/7. You could also rebook via social media. With great success. From that moment on, the board no longer had to plead for expanding the use of social media. “It sounds ironic, but you couldn’t wish for a better business case.”