Watch the video below, then read the blurb and finally, tell me your thoughts.

Here’s the blurb from Dave Carroll’s website:
In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn’t deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say “no” to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) 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. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise.

You can read their side of the full account here.

Almost 5 million views later (not to mention views from embeds), I have to wonder if the folks at United are thinking they might benefit from some customer service/social media training. United, if you’re listening, I know a few people who could help. Just sayin’.

This goes beyond the need for a crisis communication plan, which, based on my experience, few companies have anyway.

The bigger question is what if it’s you? What if it’s your company, your business on the receiving end of a clever song that says less than favorable things about your product or how you treated a customer? How would you respond?

Will your company react to the use of social media, or take action and harness its power with a well-thought out strategy that includes social media?