A lesson from Eurostar

Image from the Sydney Morning Herald, who sourced it from AFP 

Last year I was badly delayed on my way to Christmas in France by the Eurostar trains debacle.  Due to travel on the Monday, we heard that weekend passengers were to travel on that day and we were to travel on the Wednesday, but getting hold of any information was like squeezing blood from a stone.  In outer space, while rubbing your tummy and patting your head for good measure.

Customer services were only open 9 'til 5, as if nothing had happened, and so were virtually uncontactable.  Eventually, it was the company's Facebook page that came to the rescue.  Hundreds of people had joined it - ironically making them 'fans' of Eurostar - and someone started to answer their queries.  As many of these were very similar, people could read previous answers and find useful information.  Users also helped each other by passing on information from staff at the main terminals (on both sides of the Channel).  Slowly confusions were cleared up and people helped.  A 15 year old girl alone in Brussels was successfully repatriated - with Eurostar's efforts in full view of hundreds of customers looking at the page.

It wasn't at all perfect (answers from Eurostar tended to come at 2 or 3 hour intervals), but a PR tool intended for no such thing had suddenly become the only responsive customer service channel available.

Ever since, I have offered this example to colleagues, employers and now potential employers in my interviews as an illustration that customer relations and corporate communications should be linked up.  Customers need to be considered part of the communications team's remit as intimate stakeholders of the organisation (I don't say 'key' stakeholders because the word is overused).

Customer relations teams may be unhappy about this and see it as a land-grab by Comms Directors.  I don't think this needs to be the case - Comms teams are well used to working in partnership with internal colleagues  and a great deal could be achieved simply by establishing relationships and working together.