I’m currently trying to get DSL service from AT&T, and it hasn’t been the World’s Smoothest Experience. The activation date was supposed to be Nov. 24th, but it still isn’t working. I called the tech support telephone number on Monday, and they told me they would put in a ticket. Which would take about 72 hours to process, so try calling back Thursday, thanks, have a swell day.

I’m not all that patient, so yesterday after I got a little twitchy about the whole thing, I decided to see if AT&T had a customer service presence on Twitter. And lo and behold: They do. I sent a message to @ATTCustomerCare, and a few hours later a poor AT&T guy came out in the deluge to check things out. It kind of felt like instant gratification, which isn’t something I experience very often in the world of customer service. The problem still isn’t fixed, but I just got a call from them telling me what they’re currently doing with the issue. It’s nice to be kept in the loop, at the very least.

So Twitter didn’t solve my problem altogether, but it did open another line of communication and get a few extra people involved in solving my service issue. AT&T isn’t the only company using Twitter to field service issues, either. The really savvy ones are keeping an eye out for mentions of their company, and they’re reaching out to people who’ve had a problem.

A few companies that are actively engaged on Twitter:

Delta Airlines, @DeltaAssist.

AllState Insurance, @Allstate.

DirecTV, @DirecTV.

Maytag, @MaytagCare.

Marriott Hotels, @MarriottIntl.

From here on out, I’ll check to see whether a company has a Twitter presence before I call the customer service phone line. The Twitter teams seem to be pretty small, which leads to a more personal experience. It might not mean your issue gets solved any faster, but at least it feels a little less corporate.

Have you had a great customer service experience via social media? Let’s hear about it.