Subscribe to this BlogMusician's damaged-luggage complaint is smash YouTube hit
Has a big company done you wrong? Trying to get it to address your problem isn't always easy. Sure, you can email a complaint to the customer service department, or you can beg for mercy over the phone. But that doesn't mean you'll get the results you want.
Well, one disgruntled United Airlines customer found a creative way to get the company's attention.
When Canadian musician Dave Carroll was flying from Halifax to Nebraska on March 31, 2008, he changed planes at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. There, another passenger noticed some rough handling of luggage out on the tarmac, exclaiming, "My God, they're throwing guitars out there." Carroll says he looked out the window to witness baggage handlers throwing a bass guitar. And when he got to Omaha, he discovered that, sure enough, his $3,500 Taylor guitar was "severely damaged." It would cost him $1,200 to get it repaired.
Carroll filed a complaint with United and spent the next nine months haggling with United reps for compensation, to no avail. Exasperated, Carroll "promised the last person to finally say no to compensation … that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world," he wrote on his web page.
Carroll unveiled the first of those videos this week. "United Breaks Guitars" is a catchy, twangy ditty about the musician's experience, and with more than 520,000 views in just a few days, it's become a viral video success.
So much, in fact, that United Airlines itself is taking note. A United spokeswoman told the Chicago Tribune: "This struck a chord with us. We are in conversation with one another to make what happened right." The company has gone so far as to praise Carroll and wants to use the video "to help change its culture." Meanwhile, Carroll is working on the next two songs and videos.
Sometimes drastic situations call for drastic measures. How have you gotten your complaint noticed by a company that won't recognize its wrongs?
Good job, Dave.
Good for you. . . .don't let them seduce you with flattery to get you to drop your compaint. Settle with them first, then consider selling your bits of video story to them
I flew United with my son and his cello to music camp several summers ago connecting through O'Hare. So they would not break the cello, I paid for a ticket for the cello to bring it on the plane. Each flight attendant we met was surly, rude and unhelpful. We did arrive together in one piece, but I vowed that I would not fly United again, and haven't.
Southwest & Sun Country for me, I haven't had these issues (UPS is another story) but this is a great little video and obviously what it takes to get their attention. Perhaps this is a whole new avenue for your musical talents ~ video complaints posted on YouTube and directed to companies who screw things up for us? A whole new line of work that will make corporate America pay attention…
United stole my suitcase on the pretext of repairing damage they caused. As a result I have boycotted this airline permanently. No one in my family will use this airline again.
George Romney,
Correct. This race to the bottom has got to end. Consumers are going to have to be reeducated or their expectations managed before the situation gets any better with the airlines.
Question: Why can an airline like Cathay Pacific deliver a quality product, relatively inexpensively, whereas the legacy carriers cannot.
Answer: Because they are subsidized by their government who sees the airline in terms of national pride.
This doesn't surprise me. Despite being a Chicago native and at one time dedicated United flyer with several hundred thousand miles, I gave up on the company a number of years ago. A recent bad experience with customer service (an oxymoron at this company?) has reminded me why I don't fly United. Give me American, Southwest – anyone but United.
I always get contact info for a regional or district manager, and try to work directly with the company. This usually works, but if it doesn't, I go to the Better Business Bureau. This has always worked for me.
No, American won't break it… they'll just lose it, be completely rude and unhelpful and then reimburse you for 1/4 of its value not to mention the sentimental value of things you just were not able to carry on. Oh and then there are the little ones like Bahamas Air who don't return phone calls and give you a nice international number to call and get a long run-around…
If you think United is bad wait till you try Northwest/Delta. They are complete con artists/fraud specially with their WorldPerks program. In the United's case at least they tell you they won't pay for the damages where as with Northwest they give you fake promises untill you give up.
My experience with United in the past 8 flights has been so poor, I lodged a formal complaint. 50% of those 8 flights were delayed because of broken planes. I've missed meetings, slept in airports and lost business because of those clowns.
As compensation, I received an apology email stating "we understand we're not doing as well as we could be…" Even they know they're no good. Thanks, guitar guy.
United Airlines symbolizes the absolute worst in customer service in the U.S. The just outcome here would have this video viewed anotheqr 500 BILLION times and have the United clowns forced out of business.
Great song about United. This is what it has come to , you have to produce a song to get heard. How pitiful!!! Goodbye United. My family and I will look for another airline in the future. Good Luck.
The problem is that most flyers see airlines as a commodity business and base their flight decision solely on price. The industry has been and continues to be basket case with too many "enablers" allowing too much unprofitable capacity.
People will continue to book solely on price and then get on My Space, Facebook, or Twitter and go on and on about their "terrible" experience.
United breaks fly rods too. They ran over mine with a luggage cart in Denver and crushed the fly rod case and all my fly boxes. I got a huge run-around and was stunned by how unhelpful and unsympathetic they were. I finally settled for a mere $50 after weeks of wrangling. Wish I would have written a song about it now. . .
I just had the worst flying experience with United with a trip from Reno, to Denver, to Aspen. The only thing good I can say is that I am still alive to remember it.
For the Third time I had American Airlines cancel my flight without calling or giving at good reason why. My latest mishap was on 06-19-09 they canceeled my conecting flight no call or arrangements made I had to spent 8 hours waiting to get out of Dallas. I talked to customer serive who promised me I would hear from them. But as of this date not a single idividual with AA has contacted me to make it right.
Think United is bad, Mexicana out of L.A. will steal all your luggage. You arrive with clothes on your back.
United is THE WORST at baggage handling and service.
I flew them from DC to the midwest alot (always through O'Hara). EVERY SINGLE TIME time I fly through there, they ALWAYS lose my bag (4x).
Whats worse is that they charge $15 for this.
Whenever United loses my bag, I make them give me a nice voucher AND i call up my credit card company and make them remove the bag fee. If they say "the fee is mandatory", my response is "I know, but i didnt pay United to lose my bags for 2 days. It should have been there on time. Tough $hit for them".
From now on, Im going to Fedex all of my clothes to my location. Id rather them get my $ than United, even if it costs a few $$ more.
You guys are fooling yourself. You'll get on United Airlines again, as long as it saves you 1 cent over the other carrier. That is the problem with commercial aviation today. The customers want premium service but won't pay for it.
I hope my fellow Canadian will sink United's stock price. Why is it so hard to deal with airlines? Maybe this will change the way airlines look at passengers – instead of numbers and more like human beings.
This is great. I'm sure United will now make things right. But how many more such cases are there out there?
The talented Mr. Carroll should write his next songs as an indictment to the way all the airlines treat their customers.
Way to go , Dave………….
many companies are like this. I find the best way to handle them is to go into the store demand to talk to a manager, and shout out your problem. Don't be afraid to let the other customers know what they did to you. They will be alot more keaned to listening
Almost all airlines have issues with actual customer service and responsiblity. As long as they can make it excruciatingly difficult to track the people to talk to, and then deny liability, they figure 99% of complaints will go away. Kudos to Dave Carrol and his band. great tune, great inginuity. Bad United Bad, Bad, Bad
Outstanding! Good for him. I've traveling with UA quite a bit and they're not the best in that department. Negative publicity on companies would serve us consumers well. Now, onto Delta airlines!
This is great! the airline industry has really started to go down the drain and they don't seem to care about their travelers. Shame on them, especially when travel is already down. If they are going to charge you to check bags then they need to be held accountable.
Don't fly American through Denver. You can make your connection, but chances are near certain that you baggage won't! You pay their fees to handle your luggage. Is it too much to ask that you arrive with your checked baggage in good condition?
Persistence is really key. I recently got a partial refund from an airline (I won't say which) after they screwed me over and didn't fulfill their part of the bargain. If you really are in the right, I wouldn't stop until they cave in. I emailed every day, sometimes multiple times a day until finally they relented. Don't be afraid to be direct and speak your mind but do it in a way that is professional and courteous. Mincing your words and trying to be overly diplomatic will only "water-down" your anger and displeasure.
As a last resort, it never hurts to tell them that you'll take your story to the media or to some kind of social outlet. Businesses, especially airlines, need to be wary of scorning their customers. For years the airlines have gotten away with too much.
Kudos to Mr. Carroll for taking a stand!
It sometimes seems that when companies get older they get very hubris. It especially seems so when dealing with the legacy airlines these days.
I just watched the Dave Carrol music video about United Airlines indifference to his broken guitar. I had just hung up the phone from United's Customer Service toll free line with disgusted feelings. I tried to book a simple flight online with miles and found one cannot book the flights online into one airport and return from another in Hawaii. So, I asked: Will you charge me the extra $25 fee to book it over the phone? It's your site that is difficient not my online abilities? No…the fee applies. No wonder they're nearly bancrupt and despised by fliers. Kudos to Carrol! I'll buy his CD when it comes out.
David Cohen
I quitted booking on United Airlines since 1991 after encountering consistently poor inflight service and numerous rounds of bad baggage experience. Mind you, I am a business traveler….and a top tier status frequent flyer. There is absolutely nothing worse than traveling on a United Airlines flight.
The old say was "an happy customer will tell 3 friends, an unhappy customers will tell 20". Now, thanks to email, Facebook, Youtube and all, an unhappy customer can complain his heart out and the entire hearth will listen. Customer Service IS the only way companies can have a future!
Awesome! United has always had a history of poor luggage handling. Poor guy had to pay extra to have them ruin his stuff!! Fly American! they still charge but don't break guitars
I wish I had seen this before I booked my multiple destination flight on United. Going to Las Vegas for my granddaughters wedding 8/20. I pray for no problems. I would be terribly upset if I had to miss the wedding.