United Breaks Guitars
Have you ever flown an airline where the experience has been, um, less than satisfactory? Nah, never happens right? Of course it does. Things like lost luggage, missed connections, bad service, even frequent flier miles that don’t show up in your account. It’s all part of the challenge of flying across the state or around the world.
When it happens, what can you do about it? Complaining does not give you many options other than just getting the issue off your chest.
The airline business is a tough sector, almost like the cable business for folks like Comcast or Cox Communications. Arriving safe and on-time is expected. Anything less than a perfect experience is going to lead to complaints.
Social media however, provides the potential opportunity for consumer to speak directly with large corporations. ….and for companies to listen and respond to consumers. Some do it well. Others have videos made with the business as the target. Let’s take United Airlines as an example for today’s discussion.
As you can see by the video I have attached form above, Country Music singer Dave Carroll and his band were traveling when they saw, from their airline seats through the window, their luggage was being mistreated and in fact damaged as it was loaded on the airplane.
Carroll tried to have it fixed and in fact spoke with the flight attendants on the plane. Nothing was ever done by the airlines. So, the group made a video called United Breaks Guitars. It was a response to a large corporation that was not listening to their story or concerns. In a matter of days, the video generated more than a million hits, landed Carroll on the CBS morning show and now, according to his Twitter page, an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. The exposure they are receiving is not only helping their music career. But, because a corporation was not willing to listen to a consumer concern, is not paying the price with a lot of bad publicity.
Since the video generated so much attention from consumer and the media, United has “sprung into action.” — Much to late, but now in damage control communications. The wrong way to deal with consumers, for sure, in this business climate. Carroll’s YouTube video exposure also sent him back in front of the camera to give a Thank you to fans for their support.
Let’s hope that while United breaks guitars got their attention, future issues will be resolved in a better manner and their name will stay off You Tube videos targeting their work practices.
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