Don't @ me
Tesla is hiring people to defend CEO Elon Musk on Twitter
The company is notorious for poor customer service and communications, with many complaints directed at the CEO's Twitter account.
Tesla appears to be staffing up with new customer support employees who can "address social media escalations directed at the CEO [Elon Musk]." The company dropped its PR department last year, meaning that Musk's Twitter account is the main channel through which Tesla communicates with the public — and as such, many customers direct their complaints to him.
The role, titled, "Energy Customer Support Specialist," is remote and requires experience in a call center or equivalent environment. A quiet workspace is required, meaning if you have a pet or child this gig might not be for you.
Bad customer service — Though Tesla is unique in the intense loyalty it engenders among customers, the company's fast-paced culture means that owners have to tolerate a lot of its growing pains. Cars regularly arrive at customer's doorsteps with production defects, and irregularities like a roof flying off are not unheard of.
Tesla fans are unusual in their willingness to put up with these issues, but at the end of the day, they are paying tens of thousands of dollars for luxury vehicles and expect support when things go wrong. The company struggles to provide that, however, as owners frequently complain about long wait times for service appointments, among other issues.
Support is a team sport — Because Musk often engages with fans on Twitter, he is inundated by messages from owners hoping he'll see their complaints and act upon them. Unlike other brands like T-Mobile or Chase, which have full teams dedicated to fielding complaints on Twitter, the account for Tesla does not respond to customers.
As legacy automakers race to roll out their electrified lineups, Tesla risks eroding its position if it's not able to keep up with customer support issues.
Loyalists stand ready — When Tesla decided to disband its PR department last year, critics said the company was effectively putting its hands over its ears, unwilling to respond to legitimate concerns or criticisms of the company. Musk doesn't exactly help, starting needless fights even as Tesla has become the most valuable automaker in the world. The new job listing seems to suggest that these customer service reps wouldn't address general criticisms of Tesla or Musk but rather attempt to help customers resolve specific issues they're facing with their vehicles.
But who knows, maybe some of Musk's ardent defenders will take up the position and fight naysayers with gusto. At least they'd be getting paid for it, instead of doing it for free.
