Hydro-Québec doesn't let snide remarks go unchecked. The Crown corporation's social media pages become an outlet for customer frustration during severe weather-induced mass power outages, like the one that has plagued the province since December 22. As Narcity Québec reports, hundreds of people have taken to the comments sections under the company's update posts. Many have offered messages of thanks and encouragement. Others are less supportive.
While most of Hydro-Québec's replies are helpful and sympathetic, its social media team doesn't hesitate to counter snarky insults with equally snarky retorts. The result is often hilarious.
Some commenters are ready to pounce on what they perceive as even the slightest inaccuracy. That eagerness can lead them astray, however, if they jump to conclusions without closely reading a text.
Such was the case with this commenter, who Hydro had to instruct to "read more carefully."
Facebook comments on Hydro-Québec's page.Hydro-Québec | Facebook
Others took aim at Hydro-Québec's price rates, accusing the company of poor service despite its high profits. This commenter expected Hydro to increase prices to maintain profits following the storm, unaware that electricity rates are strictly controlled.
Facebook comments on Hydro-Québec's page.Hydro-Québec | Facebook
Some charged that Hydro-Québec was unprepared for the storm despite forecasts. One commenter suggested that the electricity provider wasn't able to cope with a single night of snowfall because of poor management of its network.
Hydro, in turn, implied the commenter was being myopic. "Did you look at the situation around Quebec before writing this comment?" a social media manager wrote. "It's easy to focus on one part of the event to support your argument, but you have to look at the totality of the circumstances, not just one part. And the truth is, we prepared for this storm."
"Rotten infrastructure. 20 years ago we had extreme temperatures and we didn't lose electricity. These days, a sudden change of temperature and here we are losing electricity," another commenter wrote.
In response, Hydro recalled the infamous ice storm of 1998.
Facebook comments on Hydro-Québec's page.Hydro-Québec | Facebook
And then there was this conspiracy theorist, who accused Hydro of manufacturing the weather crisis.
"You've got it all figured out, we're unmasked," Hydro responded ironically. "We are cancelling our vacations at Hydro-Québec just to feed a conspiracy theory. We predicted this ice storm five years ago."
Facebook comments on Hydro-Québec's page.Hydro-Québec | Facebook
Some, like this Twitter user, wondered why Hydro's infrastructure couldn't withstand a little wind.
The company reminded them that "although [its] equipment is robust and resistant to most weather conditions, the vegetation near the network is less tolerant of the vagaries of the weather."
Twitter comments on Hydro-Québec's page.hydroquebec | Twitter
Overall, Hydro-Québec's social media managers are just really good at matching commenters' tones.
Twitter comments on Hydro-Québec's page.hydroquebec | Twitter
Over 18,000 Hydro-Québec customers were without power as of 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.