Customer Service via Twitter

Comcast is a company with a brand problem. It has a reputation, like many service providers, for having poor service. If you have a quick question, it’s best not to answer because you won’t get to talk to a person. Or you will and they won’t have any idea how to respond. It’s futile.

When your customers feel like it’s futile, you are having a brand problem.

So I was thrilled when I heard that Comcast has a Twitter account. Not just for dumping press releases and self-promotion, but for honest-to-goodness customer service. Ask questions and get answers. From a Comcast employee. Someone with a personality and a sense of humor and patience enough to handle your frustration.

So tonight I decided to try it out. I’ve had a Comcast problem for about six months now, with my local channels not coming through in HD (they say “should be available soon”). I sent a direct message to ComcastCares and got a response a short time later. It was a lot more helpful than the email (which said I need to call them) or the phone support (who tells me I don’t have an account).

JetBlue also does customer service via Twitter. In a taxi rushing to the airport, Twitter can be a really convenient vector for serving customers.

And to me, this isn’t about the technology. It’s about offering an alternate route – one that matches up with how I live my life (which doesn’t involve 45 minute wait times or mis-routed calls).

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