Fly Me!
More and more travel businesses are using social networks to communicate with their clients. Different communication mediums require a different tone and delivery. There are subtle differences in the etiquette of snail mail vs website vs blog vs Txt vs Twitter etc.
The casualness and familiarity of social networks can be a trap for businesses that can sometimes cross the line and expose inappropriate human frailties.
I have enjoyed reading about a recent exchange between an Irish freelance web designer/developer, Jason Roe and low cost airline, Ryanair.
Ryanair is well known for innovative, quirky marketing and have embraced all aspects of digital media. The company keeps close tabs on any commentary about itself and doesn't hesitate to engage with their detractors.
Roe wrote a blog post about how he'd supposedly discovered a usability error in the ryanair.com booking process and some people at Ryanair HQ decided to respond to Roe's post on his blog's comments section.
The comments are not what one would expect of a large company that has decided to engage with social media, to say the least.
This is just one of many from a succession of comments from Ryanair staff:
Ryanair Staff #1 Says:Go Ryanair! Maybe this was added after a heady staff drinks session.
February 19th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
jason!
you’re an idiot and a liar!! fact is!
you’ve opened one session then another and requested a page meant for a different session, you are so stupid you dont even know how you did it! you dont get a free flight, there is no dynamic data to render which is prob why you got 0.00. what self respecting developer uses a crappy CMS such as word press anyway AND puts they’re mobile ph number online, i suppose even a prank call is better than nothing on a lonely sat evening!!
Read the full exchange HERE. It's worth a reading all the comments ...
