United Breaks Guitars Breaks United

In a world where consumers have the opportunity to use social media as an emotional outlet to express and share experiences and feelings, companies must maintain awareness and respond quickly, especially to comments of disgruntled customers. As the United case notes, people who have negative customer experiences are more likely to tell almost five times as many people then if they have a positive experience.

The use of social media by a dissatisfied customer, as depicted in the United case, has the ability to reach and influence millions of consumers. Platforms such as YouTube and Twitter have some of the largest social networks, a main attraction to advertisers, and thus, anything displayed affects a brand’s image. Therefore, it is in a company’s best interest to properly train employees, specifically customer service representatives, to quickly and respectfully address and rectify a disgruntled customer. This may be implemented in many ways, such as, offering free or discounted merchandise. Additionally, the company may wish to respond to all consumers through a media outlet, email, or its own webpage, addressing the situation and apologizing for what had occurred. United made the mistake of taking a long time to mend Dave Carroll’s loss, losing credibility and further angering consumers.

Companies, like United, should value the responses of customers on social media outlets, as it is not only a promotional tool, but also a way to increase the effectiveness of their product or service offering. Companies should have not one, but many individuals in charge of actively reviewing all consumer communications amongst all media outlets. Furthermore, customers should be addressed on the chosen media outlet to show readers that the company is being proactive in its efforts to resolve the situation. Companies will rapidly go out of business if consumers are largely unhappy. Therefore, firms must remember to appease customers, regaining and reaffirming their trust and loyalty, especially amidst an online platform where billions of eyes are watching.