VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN, FUMBLE, RECOVERY - "UNITED BREAKS GUITARS"

This is a brilliant case study for all in the service sector. Last year, Halifax-based musician Dave Carroll and his band (“Sons of Maxwell”) were connecting through Chicago on United Airlines where, Carroll says, he watched in horror as baggage handlers tossed around his guitar case, shattering his beloved Taylor acoustic. In July, after months of frustration in trying to get United to pay for the damages, he made good on his threat to write a song about it and post a video on YouTube. “United Breaks Guitars” has clocked more than 6.7 million views since then, and made Carroll and his story a news item in countless outlets, including even CNN. A massive Touchdown to Carroll, for harnessing the viral power of internet communications in a clever, can’t-help-but-forward-it way (the song’s pretty good, by the way – Lighthouse’s 70s classic “Broken Guitar Blues” nothwithstanding), and a Fumble to United for letting it get to that point (Carroll had warned them of his plans). But somewhat of a Fumble Recovery to the airline as well, in that they promptly got in touch with Carroll shortly after the video caught fire, and are pledging to “make it right” with him – and, even better, they are commending his video as an important learning tool which they plan to use internally in their customer service training. Smart. Oh, and a sidebar: Taylor Guitars, collateral beneficiaries of Carroll’s repeatedly-professed love for his trashed acoustic, also got in touch with Carroll and hooked him up with a sweet new axe.