Comcast goes into the digital deep

Being one of the largest providers of a nearly essential service (gotta have my 'Deadliest Catch') opens you up to some fairly vocal criticism, especially when your customer service can be less than stellar.

Former TVNewser blogger Brian Stelter has an interesting story tonight on the New York Times web site about Comcast's new digital media engagement strategy. Spearheaded by Comcast's digital care manager, Frank Eliason, the company is opening a new front in communicating with its customers when things go wrong. Stelter writes:

From a sparse desk dominated by two computer screens in the new Comcast Center here, Mr. Eliason uses readily available online tools to monitor public comments on blogs, message boards and social networks for any mention of Comcast, the nation’s largest cable company. When he sees a complaint...he contacts the source to try to defuse the problem.

Monitoring the blogosphere and rapidly responding to customer concerns is one thing, but Comcast takes the online dialogue a step further by providing another dimension of corporate personality via Twitter. Eliason provides a name and face for the company's customer care services by "tweeting" with customers as their issues and questions occur. Did your service tech not show up for his appointment? Is this the third time in 2 days your internet stopped working? Eliason is on the case with a friendly tweet and quick action. Together with improving Comcast's customer care, Eliason rounds out an effort to improve service and humanize a massive corporation.

Developing corporate personality (an extension of your brand) is one of the biggest benefits Twitter can bring to a company. Of course, Twitter can't really do much on its own to bolster personality. However, when coupled with the right social media tools to fit an organization's communications goals (check out Red Cross for another example), Twitter can be a highly effective medium. What does Twitter do when it has its own service issues? They blog, naturally.