Case Study

If your looking for the quickest way to get on the bad side of Country Star Dave Carroll just try breaking his 3000 dollar guitar. That’s exactly how United Airlines ended up on the wrong side of a public battle with this popular country artist. On March 31, 2008 at Chicago O’Hare airport, Carroll watched powerlessly from inside the plane as his $3,500 Taylor guitar was tossed around by United Airlines baggage handlers. Carroll contacted United after the incident in hopes of receiving compensation but soon discovered he would receive nothing but denial of responsibility and resistance. Carroll tried for several months to negotiate fair compensation with the airline but after several failed attempts he decided to teach United a lesson they’d never forget. Writing about the incident, Carroll collaborated with Curve Productions to record and release the first of three music videos designed to expose United for its lack of concern and customer service.

The first video, released July 6, 2009, “United Breaks Guitars” received 300,000 views in just two days. In just the next few days the video went from a few hundred thousand hits to several million. United could no longer ignore the incident and tried to offer Carroll compensation but only after the airline reportedly lost its stockholders over 180 million dollars. United had already lost this battle and I’m sure were regretting the decision for not responding earlier.

From a PR stand point United clearly dropped the ball on this issue. Aside from the fact that customer service should be more of a priority at the airline, United really ignored the potential negative outcomes from denying this seemingly famous customer his request. As a public relations profession it is your job to always consider every potential outcome of a companies decision. Failing to recognize the negative publicity this denial could potentially cause was a major oversight. After several request from Carroll for compensation United should have weighed its pros and cons more carefully. With such a large platform to speak from, United, should have anticipated the amount of exposure Carroll could give this issue. Not to mention the fact that it was reported Carroll informed the airlines of what he planned to do if he did not receive compensation, giving United yet again another opportunity to put a stop to the problem.

Carroll on the other hand handled the situation great. He addressed the situation without necessarily defaming or trashing the airline. He felt the need to inform the public of the problem he had with the airline in hopes of preventing others from enduring the same disaster. Also Carroll tried for several months to make other negotiations with the airline but was continually denied, leaving him no other choice but to take matters into his own hands. Given hindsight I guarantee United would address and resolved this customer complaint right from the start. Guess that’s just another lesson learned, Better luck next time United!