"United Breaks Guitars" Case Study jcom 2310

My first experience flying on a plane was last year.  I was going to Argentina.  I got to Los Angeles International Airport in California around two in the morning.  After checking my luggage I had several hours before my flight and I took the opportunity to explore the airport.  I found that all the airlines had some sort of advertisement telling customers what kind of service they provide and why you should travel with them.  Although all the airlines had a slightly different advertisement, all of them said basically the same thing.  My flight took me to the George Bush International Airport in Texas.  Then once again I bored to the Buenos Aires Argentina Airport.  At all three airports I saw advertisements and brochures.  They were basically telling people to “fly with us because we are the best.”  Almost all the ones I saw guaranteed safety and an enjoyable flight.

Dave Carroll knew he was getting a lower priced ticket when he purchased economy seating, but he probably still expected to receive an enjoyable and safe flight.  His enjoyable flight most likely ended when he heard another passenger yell that they are throwing guitars on the tarmac.  The safety all airline customers assume they will receive probably ended for him when the flight landed and he discovered that his Taylor guitar, valued at $3,500, had been broken.

I think that Dave Carroll was right to pursue compensation for his broken guitar.  He filled out paper work and talked to customer service representatives for almost a year before posting his first song on YouTube.  If Dave had made the song and posted it after the first negative response he got from United, then I believe he would have been way out of line.  However, he followed United’s policies and gave them a warning that he was going to write a song and post it online for thousands of people to see.  He never thought that over one million people would view his video within three days of posting it on YouTube. 

I think that United deserves some credit for not trying to deny what had happened.  They did not deny that their employees were not safe with customer’s luggage.  This might be an effort on their part to encourage customers to check their bags or buy insurance.  From the research I have done on this case, it does seem as if each customer service employee Dave spoke with just tried to pass him on to someone else. 

I feel that Dave Carroll did the right thing by writing “United Breaks Guitars” and posting it to YouTube.  Dave could have continued the process with United’s customer service representatives and eventually the only thing left for him to do was to sue united for compensation.  I feel that posting the song on YouTube was and would have been more effective.  If Dave had sued United it would have cost them money in lawyers and court fees, but the most Dave would have received was the $1,200 that it would have cost him to fix the guitar.  By placing his song where numerous people from all over the world could see it, united lost more money than a lawyer or court fees ever would have cost.  United also received some bad publicity which will most likely influence their policies in the future.  Dave Carroll helped his music career immensely by writing “United Breaks Guitars.”  Another benefit of this song was that other customers of United airlines that had felt they were treated unfairly was able to have their story told through Dave Carroll’s series of songs.