Travelers Don’t Use Social Media to Complain

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Travelers Don’t Use Social Media to Complain

Would you ever tell a Facebook friend that your stay at a hotel really “sucked,” or can you see yourself going public on Twitter with a rant about some resort’s horrible customer service or food?

It  seems, says Hotelmarketing.com that  although we’re big users of social media, and often inclined  to grouse to our friends about a bad trip or lousy airline service, in reality, only 2% of those surveyed said they express their specific, negative feedback about an airline or trip via social media, especially Facebook and Twitter.

Most, it seems, level their gripes at the customer service department, or through a hotel’s web site or an email and even by phone.

Why?

Partly, says emarketer, the feeling is that the social network-driven complains are “undirected, so they often go unanswered.” And only one out of four consumers who complained, says the web site, actually got a response back, specifically from an airline.


While directly complaints to a brand directly is still the preferred way to give feedback (most always negative), that is no reason for the brands to relax their vigilance and stop listening to their customers.

For now, Social Network users, says emarketer,  are  primarily discussing and comparing prices.

After that?

• The users talk about sales and special deals (54%), give advice ( 50%) and provide feedback to a brand or retailer, 53%

Interestingly, only 36% of social network users polled said they use social media tools to connect with customer service.

The tendency to contact a retailer (hotel, airline, resort, ) may be small, but only in travel.

Respondents say that they are more likely to use social media to direct negative comments about household products, healthcare and pharma.

But the trend is decidedly toward looping travel into the social media-complaint broadcast.

This gives travel providers and suppliers a chance now, in the early stages, to connect with customers and develop a loyal following.

But will they?

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Could anyone doubt that, Ed! :)

 

 

[Ed Wetschler]

Quite right, Kaleel. We and, I like to think, most of the Tripatini crowd are a lot more assertive in our use of the virtual complaint box.

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

I think there is a vocal and dareni say aggressive cohort that has no hesitation to comment in this space, other spaces and use social media to express their feelings :)

I suspect the article is referring to the more modest majority!

Cheers, Ed!

[Ed Wetschler]

A year or so I issued a complaint on Tripatini and Twitter about Boingo. It took, at most, five minutes for me to get a response from Boingo.

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Yes, Sam, we do too, and others have written in with astonishing stories of where their social media-oriented complaints have gotten them.
So we think the practice may be more widespread than the article implies. Then again, those that do complain are those most likely to be vocal about many things. Are they a minority?
Cheers and good to hear from you

[Sam Scribe]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I am willing to complain about travel businesses, and I've done so on twitter and tripatini. It works.