Technology is often maligned as the chief cause of decline in human interaction, but it has also proven to be a force for good. We can now connect with each other (and with institutions) with more ease than in any other time in history. This level of connectedness can, however, be a double-edged sword. Justine Sacco, infamous for her Twitter gaffe, found herself maligned on social media while on a flight. Her online musings resulted in a very real life outcome, with the former communications director sacked from her job.
Sacco is not the first casualty of bad publicity gone viral. The graveyard of internet infamy is littered with thousands, if not millions, of ill-advised, awkwardly-phrased campaigns by both brands and individuals.
Chinese customers on WeChat can now interact with KLM on the social networking app
This is not to say companies should avoid expressing themselves online entirely. I believe that conversations about and affecting brands happen online whether or not companies choose to engage in it. You can either proactively engage with your customers and steer the conversation or bury your head in the sand and pretend it doesn’t exist. But wouldn’t you rather engage in the conversation?
Recently, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced it has embraced WeChat with the launch of a new customer service channel on the Chinese social network. Powered by Nexmo, the cloud communications platform company, this initiative enables the airline to both process and handle user inquiries based on previous interactions. This holistic approach to managing and engaging with clients is one all travel brands should take note of.
KLM currently receives approximately 70,000 mentions per week from customers worldwide via social platforms. This makes integrating its various platforms vital to what the airline considers excellent customer engagement. Nexmo’s Chat App API allows KLM’s customer service team to engage WeChat users through their existing Salesforce Service Cloud portal.
By harnessing the power of Salesforce Service Cloud, this is the first time a non-Chinese company has been able to engage with customers on a social communication platform. WeChat users in China can already check in via the app on domestic flights. According to Nexmo, this is the next wave of how brands will interact with customers.
“We sincerely believe that we can service our customers best by being where they are,” said Karlijn Vogel-Meijer, Manager Social Media at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
“Apart from the one-to-many platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, we see enormous growth of social communication platforms like WeChat. Salesforce is the backbone of our social organization and Nexmo offers us a solution to add platforms like WeChat to our CRM system.”
Chris Moore, CRO of Nexmo said, “Customers are demanding more and better service, delivered through every conceivable channel, and our work with KLM and WeChat is the next big thing in cloud communications.”
“We are eager to continue lowering the barriers brands face when engaging consumers on chat apps, and accelerate how cloud communications change the way people communicate,” he added.
KLM and Nexmo are demonstrating that when it comes to good service, technology can unquestionably make customers’ lives easier.
