Using Social Media to Enhance Customer Service and Improve Responsiveness: The Case of Indian Railways’ Citizen Engagement Mechanism

Abstract

As one of the largest railway systems in the world, Indian Railways (IR) has had to accommodate a wide variety of customer service demands from its 23 million annual users. In 2014, the railway launched an effort to improve passenger services using a social media–based citizen engagement system through which passengers and IR staff could communicate. The system did not itself revolutionize customer service, but by using this social media communication platform in conjunction with hands-on learning, IR made a number of strides forward. Through a multistage implementation process, IR improved the social media platform’s manual, haphazard work processes and automated them. As a result of trial and error and continuous adaptation, the new customer relations management system improved internal operations and accountability and enhanced public trust in the railway.