Last week’s unusually snowy and freezing weather broke havoc in London and its transport systems. Millions were affected by mass transit transportation breaking down and most of us were left wondering what was working and what wasn’t. It is during such times of sudden unexpected crisis that the weaknesses and the strengths of organizations are revealed.

Transports For London decided to stick to their old fashioned written and verbal platform announcements, however their website is regularly updated with live travel news. However having updates posted on a website does lack instantaneity, much needed when one is standing on a platform wondering whether one’s train will be on time at a connection for later in the journey. Unfortunately for them, TFL being, well, TFL, they have been beaten to it and instant Tube updates are now available via Twitter thanks to a thoughtful man called Simon Whitaker who has found a way to post automated London Tube Twitter updates sourced directly from the BBC (@tubeupdates). To this date this Twitter feed only has 830 followers, which is surprising considering that there are 3 or 4 million users of the London Underground every day (this alone is a good reason to re-tweet this blog post). I remember being on a bus past Green Park station and reading one the Tube updates saying that there were delays due to fire at Green Park station. At this very moment I was seeing firemen making their way into the station. Not bad!

Which brings me to the use of Twitter that some savvy organizations use to communicate with their customers. So far we’ve seen Twitter being used for commercial purposes (vouchers and specials from Pizza Hut or Starbucks), but last week winter snowfalls highlighted in my house the very useful way Easyjet are using Twitter.

Easyjet managed their flight updates very well through the use of 2 web channels. Their website and Twitter. The website displayed a list of flights that were being cancelled for the day and the following one. It also clearly stated at the top when the list had been updated. Sometimes small details make a difference, and the simple fact that the “last update” info was displayed re-assured me, as a customer. It demonstrated to me that EasyJet actually cared about me, which is rare (as previously demonstrated in an earlier post). But to top it up, they advertised, on their website, a Twitter feed where a real human being was posting updates and personally responding to requests from customers. A real human being, in real time was posting updates and links to information areas on the Easyjet website! Simple, cheap and efficient way, in line with EasyJet’s brand image. As a result they have boosted my confidence in their brand and I am now even more likely to fly with them.

They showed that they cared and in my world empathy goes a long way, especially when the elements are against you.