Service-Ability: Create a Customer Centric Culture and Achieve Competitive Advantage

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CONNECTEDNESS

In July 2009, a musician, Dave Carroll, released ‘United Breaks Guitars’, a music video he had produced with his band, Sons of Maxwell, in which he stars. He did this in response to an all-too-common experience for many air travellers: irresponsible baggage handling followed by an almost unbelievable arrogance by the company concerned. The video rapidly became one of YouTube’s greatest hits and caused a media frenzy across the internet, which was picked up by major global networks including CNN, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Rolling Stone Magazine and even the BBC on the opposite side of the Atlantic. Here is Carroll’s story, slightly edited for simplicity:¹

‘On March 31, 2008 Sons of Maxwell began our week-long-tour of Nebraska by flying United Airlines from Halifax to Omaha, by way of Chicago. On that first leg of the flight we were seated at the rear of the aircraft and upon landing and waiting to deplane in order to make our connection a woman sitting behind me, not aware that we were musicians cried out: “My God they’re throwing guitars out there.” Our bass player Mike looked out the window in time to see his bass being heaved without regard by the United baggage handlers. My $3500 710 Taylor [guitar] had been thrown before his. I immediately tried to communicate this to the flight attendant who cut me off saying: “Don’t talk to me. Talk to the lead agent outside.” I found the person she pointed to and that lady was an ‘acting’ lead agent but ...