ANGRY MAN BITES DOG

CAREFUL HOW YOU HANDLE CUSTOMERS

Web 2.0 has radically changed the ad-hoc art of word-of-mouth advertising

Now, an unhappy customer can become an atomic bomb of nuclear publicity.

It used to be that a simple bad review on a website like epinions could hang around a lot longer than a business deserved--but could possibly be balanced by scores of good reviews.

Once upon a time, I was writing advertising for a So Cal car dealer and was being told how fabulous their service was. A quick internet search revealed that they had an awful reputation for lousy service.

When I offered this up to the account rep, she said that yes, that used to be true. Things had changed and they had turned that around.

Unfortunately, those lousy reviews remained out in the ether, damaging the car dealer's reputation undeservedly--and all because unhappy customers had been angry enough to act.

But now, in the YouTube age, all that seems like child's play.


A REAL-LIFE DAVID TAKES ON A GLOBAL GOLIATH

Halifax musician Dave Carroll is flying with his band to a gig in Nebraska. They layover in Chicago.

As they're waiting to exit the plane, a woman in the row ahead of them exclaims, "Oh my God, they're throwing guitars out there!"

Dave Carroll and his bandmates look out the window just in time to see Dave's $3500 Taylor guitar being launched into the air by a baggage handler.

Here now, the radically condensed version of the story: Dave's guitar was smashed inside the case. After 9 months of getting the runaround, he could obtain no satisfaction from United.

So, he told the last United Airlines employee he dealt with, the one who delivered the ultimate and final, "No," that he would be writing three songs about the experience.

He told her the videos for which would be available on YouTube.

You don't need to be a PR genius to know that a threat like this could develop into a major pain in the patootie.

Unfortunately, the woman from United didn't consider that--and now she's a player on the international stage as the villain personified in a battle the airline Goliath can ill afford.


UNITED AIRLINES' GLOBAL BLACK EYE

Dave's first song is called, "United breaks Guitars."

The song tells the story of his travails, and the video features cartoonish re-enactments of the dirty deed.

The video was launched on July 6.

In the first couple of days, a quarter million people had seen it.

In the first week, over 2.5 million.

It has been the focus of countless news stories, including national broadcasts.


HOW HAS UNITED RESPONDED?

The initial public statement was exactly the kind of absurd corporate speak you'd expect.

They were amused by the video, thought the song was very good, and the entire episode was going to make for a very valuable lesson in customer service training.

Subsequently, they've offered Dave Carroll compensation.

Dave Carroll has declined.

He says he appreciates their generous offer, but the time for compensation is past.

He asked them to donate the money to a charity of their choice. ($3,000 has since been donated to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Chicago.)


TAYLOR GUITARS: NOT STUPID

The Taylor Guitar company, spotting an excellent PR opportunity when they see one, released a video as well.

They expressed their condolences to Dave, explained how the Taylor case should protect the guitar under normal circumstances, offered to repair Dave's guitar for free, and also explained how they can repair all kinds of guitars under most conditions--no matter how dire it all seems.


DAVE'S BAND: NOW WORLD FAMOUS

At Dave's last performance with his band, The Sons of Maxwell, 1500 delirious, screaming fans demanded the song as soon as the band took the stage.

And Dave has released a second, public-statement video, explaining United's offer and his response. And oh, by the way everyone, please stop harassing the customer service manager who ultimately declined his request.

Because of a ridiculous, bloated and labyrinthine system of customer service and unwillingness to accept responsibility, United Airlines has a public relations disaster on their hands.

Dave Carroll and The Sons of Maxwell also have more international attention than they ever could have dreamed possible.

Taylor Guitars has capitalized on a fleeting national PR opportunity they never could have expected.

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz has a nifty little windfall.

And...


ANYONE IN BUSINESS HAS A BRIGHT, SHINY EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU SCREW CUSTOMERS IN 2009

Don't think for a second this kind of business nightmare can happen only to a national company.

On the contrary, handled properly, the right confluence of Web 2.0 complaints can bring regional and even national attention to a small local business.

No business is safe.

And if a business is egregious enough in its handling of a customer, and the customer is pissed off enough, anything is possible.

The bad publicity effort might result in only 15 minutes of fame, BUT...


IT COULD BE THE 15 MINUTES PEOPLE TALK ABOUT FOR YEARS

No business needs that.

In the new economy (i.e., this lousy, stinking one), businesses need to raise the bar.

And no amount of good, creative, strategic advertising we can create will compensate for the kind of stupidity perpetrated by unaccountable customer service.

Indeed, right here, in the pages of this wretched weekly screed, you've seen praise of the United Airlines Advertising executed in the wake of 9/11.

Fallon Worldwide helped resurrect that airline with some incredibly creative and effective advertising focusing exclusively on business travelers.

That seems like ages ago.

Things have changed precipitously.

And in a time when any airline could ill afford such bad press, United is mired in such a swamp of muddy, sucking stupidity that there's almost no hope that they can come out looking like heroes without doing something extraordinarily expensive.

The democratization of marketing via Web 2.0 and the profusion of social media is rapidly changing the dynamic of doing business.

We now live in an age where the story is man bites dog--and the dog is really going to pay for it.

To see the video, click "United Breaks Guitars," or copy and paste http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo into your browser.

As Always,

Blaine Parker
Your Short, Fat Creative Director in
Parl City