Transport giants in online firing line
How transit, airlines cope with torrent of social media ‘feedback’ from customers
A union grievance over abusive tweets directed at some Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) employees has drawn attention to the way organizations handle hostility on social media.
As the Star reported exclusively last week, a provincial arbitrator ruled that the TTC had “failed to take all reasonable and practical measures” to protect its employees from derogatory comments tweeted to the @TTChelps handle.
The decision stemmed from a 2013 complaint by the Amalgamated Transit Unions Local 113 over tweets that included personal attacks, profane language and disparaging remarks about TTC employees, in- cluding racist and homophobic slurs.
TTC personnel who run the Twitter account usually reply to such tweets by acknowledging the customer’s frustration and asking them to refrain from making offensive comments.
But Robert Howe, the labour arbitrator, called that approach inadequate, and recommended that the TTC respond by indicating it does not condone offensive tweets, requesting that the tweeters immediately delete their offensive comments and then blocking tweeters who do not comply.
The TTC is far from the only transportation service provider beset by online vitriol, and it seems few take the approach Howe’s suggesting.
WestJet Airlines says it receives a “constant barrage” of inquiries and criticism on social media, some of which can include expletives or abuse.
But the company prefers not to de- lete posts or block users if it can be avoided.
“It’s our goal to be responsive and accept feedback and constructive criticism,” said WestJet spokeswoman Lauren Stewart.
Air Canada says it has a strict policy that posts on its Facebook page should be “based on mutual respect to encourage a healthy forum for sharing information of interest and relevance to our community.”
Posts that do not conform to that policy are deleted.
On Twitter, Air Canada does block some users, but it’s a rare occurrence, said spokeswoman Angela Mah.
“We find the vast majority of people understand the rules of social media engagement,” Mah said. “Only a small number of Twitter accounts have been banned due to inappropriate content such as solicitations (or) abusive comments.”
Metrolinx, the provincial agency that oversees transit systems in the greater Toronto and Hamilton area, says it trains its social media staff on when they should delete a Facebook comment or block a Twitter user.
It’s up to each employee to use that training in the way they see fit, said Metrolinx spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins.
“We do not expect our staff to accept any kind of harassment or any kind of behaviour that is hurtful.”
There is, however, only so much control a corporation can exert over what is said about it on social media.
As TTC official Sue Motahedin testified at the arbitration hearings, customers can make profane or abusive comments about transit staff with or without directing them to @TTChelps.
“(Twitter) is public,” she said. “People will say what they want about the TTC and any other person or product regardless of whether that person or organization has a Twitter account.”