Sometimes the timing of Internet launches is just right. And for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) the timing of the launch of it’s Facebook page could not have been better planned. It was launched on April 14, the day before the volcanic ash cloud paralyzed both European and much of global air traffic. Now SAS could fully utilize the power of social media to keep its passengers informed on the latest developments, and answer all sorts of questions from stranded travelers. In all the confusion about lack of information from airlines, maybe SAS will come out as a winner?
Volcanic Ash Cloud Day 7
As I was winding down my blog posts on the volcanic ash cloud and returning to normal posting again, I came across an interesting article in the Norwegian newspaper adressa.no: Scandinavian Airlines launched its Facebook just before the ash cloud hit…coincidence, luck or what? For what its worth, it must have helped a lot in handling passenger inquiries.
Marketing through social media
Many companies use social media actively to market their products or to create a fan base. Having a presence on social media such as Facebook creates a community and a critical mass of followers who have bought, who will buy or are likely to buy their products. It is also a way to communicate with your customers and some companies have taken it as far as answering customer questions and concerns on their Facebook page, an interactive FAQ, so to speak. However, social media can also be used in times of distress.
Crisis communication through social media
While using social media can be a great asset in communicating with customers when all is quiet, the full power of this tool comes perhaps best to light in times of disaster, when up-to-date and current information is crucial to get out to as many as possible as soon as possible.
Obviously, the SAS Facebook page caters to a Scandinavian audience, as most of the postings are in either Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, since all three languages are understood amongst the tree countries that make up Scandinavian Airlines (Wikipedia).
Here SAS is answering all sorts of questions, like
- Where can I get a refund?
- My flight SK226 from Milan was cancelled, when is the next?
There is also information from SAS on last-minute available seats like
- SAS flight SK6340 from Alicante to Oslo 11:00 still has some seats available!
Not all is well of course, as there are some occasional outbursts, like
The Facebook page also has a link to the latest update on flight departures, something that otherwise is hard to get by. Another way to reassure passengers of which flights are leaving and which ones do not.
All in all, considering the overload that has probably been on SAS’ customer help line the last couple of days, this facebook page has surely taken the edge of many issues. While I’m sure SAS did not expect this baptism by fire for their Facebook page, but in hindsight, I’m sure they are glad they launched it when they did.
Want to learn more?
If you’re eager to learn more about how companies can take full advantage of and harness the power social media I recommend visiting Groundswell by Forester Research, or take a look at their blog posting on how powerful social media can be.
Link
- facebook.com: Scandinavian Airlines
Related
- husdal.com: All posts on the volcanic ash cloud crisis
