And that makes some companies nervous. For instance, American Airlines spokesman, Al Becker, expressed concern that Griffin may have inadvertently posted some erroneous information and that she was beginning to discuss subjects that American didn't want made public, though he declined to specify. We wouldn't want her sharing information with them. Although most airlines have yet to develop a formal policy regarding online communication by employees, some industry watchers believe it is in the company's interest to take a proactive approach. This is what customer service looks like in the 21st century.
Some companies deal with the issue by formally appointing someone to monitor online chats.
Since June 1999, Hilton Hotels has had a corporate representative assigned to the FlyerTalk bulletin board, a locale where business travelers gather to discuss the finepoints of fre quent-flier programs. It's clearly in our interest to get information to customers and from customers as quickly as possible. A spokesman for Delta says that while the airline follows online discussions on a variety of message boards, it doesn't have an employee designated to respond. Becker at American says the airline never specifically told Griffin not to post online. E-mail this story to a friend.