Today, KLM launched Meet & Seat ( #meetseat ). According to the organization itself, this makes it the first airline in the world to integrate social networks into the flight process. After KLM noticed during the ash cloud that social media was the only channel with which they were able to properly inform customers, the organization initiated a transformation.
Journeys of inspiration
Erik Varwijk (Managing Director) explained that KLM wants to remove the word media from the term social media business . The organization started with a number of experiments, of which the communication and organization around the ash cloud brother cell phone list was the first. The KLM surprise and KLM 24/7 customer service via Twitter followed. Now the airline really wants to make the transformation to a social business. This includes the objectives that every message that comes in via social media is answered within 1 hour and must be resolved within a maximum of 24 hours, no matter how complicated. KLM does not only want to become a 'social business', the company also wants to inspire people. KLM has called this 'Journeys of inspiration'; the possibility to connect with your fellow passengers via social media and to do more with it.
Transforming into a social business is quite a challenge. KLM receives 14,000 messages every week, of which 10,000 messages via Twitter and 4,000 via Facebook. And it is expected that these numbers will only grow. At the end of January, KLM reached its 1 millionth fan on Facebook. That is not only a great number – it is 3rd worldwide in the aviation industry -, it is especially special because the figures regarding engagement seem to show that KLM is indeed becoming social. 1 in 10 (10%) KLM fans have interacted with KLM, which is a very high percentage. It is therefore not surprising that KLM has set up a Social Media Hub, where 40 FTEs are continuously working on direction, production and service via social media. KLM announced today that it will also offer service in Spanish via social media. In addition, the company is considering service in Japanese due to the many questions in that language.