Most Travel Brands Fail at Customer Support Via Social Media
Jennifer Billock July 20, 2016
A new social media study shows that travel and hospitality brands are not meeting travelers’ needs.
Social media management company Lithium Technologies recently released findings from a study it conducted on travel and hospitality brands’ social media and found unfortunate results. The study, State of Social Engagement 2016, showed that 98 percent of brands neglect to respond to social media posts from customers — and when they do, they usually focus on just one social media channel and take a lengthy time to reply. Plus, travelers looking for support or help usually are given only sales information instead of solutions.
“As an avid traveler who’s always on-the-go, it’s a personal mission for me to help travel and hospitality brands hit the nail on the head when it comes to engaging with their customers,” Katy Keim, CMO of Lithium Technologies, said in a release. “The results of our study show that the brands using the right technology and a fully-integrated digital strategy to connect with customers are the most successful in driving customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
The study also showed that most brands focus on entertainment and education rather than customer support. Eight brands were rated in the survey — United, Expedia, Uber, Airbnb, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and JetBlue — across five social networks: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest. The study covered eight industries: Retail, Telecom, Consumer Products, Travel & Hospitality, FSI, Media, Technology and Pharmaceuticals.
Uber, Airbnb and Marriot came out on top for having the most customer engagement on their social networks. United was the most effective on Instagram, sharing the most images and videos.
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