For Help, Hit “Send”

Twitter is getting deeper into the customer service game, and in so doing, seeking to combat Facebook Messenger. DigiDay reports:

Twitter is making it easier for brands to initiate a direct message when private information is needed, say a record locator or a credit card number, with a new button within a tweet that directly opens a direct message…The button has been slowly rolling out in the wild, with Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Hyatt and Starbucks among the first to trial it.

As I’ve written, Facebook is counting on Messenger to serve as the new customer service platform for businesses. This arena is, in a way, currently owned by Twitter, which provides brands and users an arena (the Twitter feed), and the means (Direct Mesaging) to resolve customer service issues. As I’ve written:

Twitter has undoubtedly proved to be the best way to interact with consumers. Within the past few months, I’ve interacted with US Airways, Barclays, Handy, and REI, all through Twitter DM, and all relatively painlessly. It truly heralds a new frontier in customer service. And anything to avoid hold music.

It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out. The social networking war may have already been won by Facebook, but the battle for control over the digital lines of communication between consumers and brands is still underway.

Disclosure: I hold shares of Facebook. But not any more than I did the last time I disclosed it.