First, a warning… I am a bit edgy this morning and looking for a head to bite off and I figured it would be a good opportunity mix to my mood with a good story and a link or two to some related services (shameless but transparent!).
Let me start by saying that I hate the power big businesses often have over the consumer and airlines are often the biggest offenders. That’s why when I saw Andy Beal’s post this morning about the United Airlines complaint video by Dave Carroll I felt the same sense of jubilation I got when I first watched it on the news: Yay! Another corporate giant got handed their ass for completely brushing off a customer complaint… it totally appeals to my sense of justice and further drives home the need for good online reputation management.
Companies of any kind with a reputation to protect should be monitoring their brand vigilantly and responding to issues before they mushroom into a cloud of negativity. It drives me batty talking to potential reputation management clients and hearing them waffle over whether they can afford to monitor their online reputation or whether it is really worthwhile… OMG! Did they forget everything they learned about customer service and, heck, running a business? I think some corporate types just get too high up in the food chain and forget what it was like to be at the bottom. Thank you Dave Carroll for dropping United Airlines on their prim arses!! Now they are forced to start repairing their online reputation! (I am so subtle 😉
Ahh, that’s better. Sorry to anyone who hasn’t experienced me in this mood… normally I don’t write when I am like this – for good reason. 🙂
Here is the video from Dave Carroll. Enjoy!