How WestJet Earned My Loyalty

I’ve long held the belief that social media can be an effective tool in providing customer, if used properly. Used improperly, it can do irreparable damage to your brand, your reputation, and potentially result in lost revenue and hordes of angry users descending on you with the wrath of God. A social media “do’s and don’ts” policy is one of the first documents any brand should create if they’re at all interested in having a presence in social media.

Last week, I flew from Toronto to Calgary. As I was growing tired of Air Canada, I opted to fly WestJet to see if their service was as good as I had heard. Shortly before my flight, I sent out this tweet: 

Upon my arrival in Calgary, I pulled out my phone to check email and see what was happening on Twitter. I also noticed I had a new DM. What I saw blew me away:

“Hope you have a great flight! Thanks for investing :)”

Now, to be clear, I’m not an influential person on Twitter. In fact, I’m not an influential person anywhere. I don’t seek preferential treatment, nor do I want or expect it.

Seeing this made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. The effort needed to send a quick message to a customer is inconsequential. The potential for loyalty and appreciation, isn’t.

Marketing is about building and nurturing relationships. Each of your employees, from the janitor to the CEO, are your brand ambassadors. Each of your employees are the face of the company. This was how they made a difference to me.

It was a simple direct message from WestJet that earned my loyalty.