Guitarist and United dickering, video viewers snickering [Updated]
This just in on the case of United Airlines, a busted guitar and a wicked YouTube song: While Dave Carroll, aggrieved customer and wicked songwriter, was playing a gig Tuesday night in Picou, Nova Scotia, his July 6 video, “United Breaks Guitars,” was passing 100,000 views and United airlines was laying plans to make nice. But there’s no happy ending just yet.
“They have made contact with him,” said Carroll’s wife, Jill, on Wednesday morning. “We’re expecting to receive further details by the end of business today.” By 11 a.m. Pacific time, the video had racked up more than 137,000 YouTube views and prompted 1,265 comments, few of which are likely to end up in the airline’s next report to stockholders.
Dave Carroll, buried in interview requests, was unavailable, but Jill Carroll described the conversation with United as “amicable” yet inconclusive. As for the public response to her husband’s video, “we’re speechless.”
Carroll posted his video — which features a country-western arrangement, layered harmonies and, for unclear reasons, three sombreros — after he couldn’t get United to take responsibility for damage to his guitar allegedly inflicted during a flight last year. After months of getting nowhere in efforts to get compensated, Carroll crafted a retribution campaign featuring a sequential release of three songs.
Beyond the first song, which went up on the Web on July 6, Carroll has written and recorded a second song, but hasn’t made a video yet. As for the third song, Jill Carroll quoted her husband:
“They have a golden opportunity to influence the outcome.”
On Tuesday night, United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski declared that “this has struck a chord with us, and we’ve contacted him directly to make it right.”
[Updated, at 1 p.m. July 8: On Wednesday, Urbanski added that "his video is excellent, and we plan to use it internally as a unique learning and training opportunity to ensure that all our customers receive better service....This should have been fixed much sooner."]
— Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times staff writer
35 Comments on “Guitarist and United dickering, video viewers snickering [Updated]”
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July 8th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
So is United going to fire, or at least reprimand, the uncaring baggage handlers?
July 8th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
GREAT SONG & VIDEO. I THINK ITS THAT GOOD & WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IT ON THE RADIO SOON.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I work for United. The average person can’t make a video which is the only reason he is now being helped. Their cost cuts, lack of staffing and obsession with contracting out cheap labor to replace higher paid and TRAINED people is finally coming back on them. But they don’t learn because it’s all about the bottom line. Trust me, I know………….
July 8th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
make sure you”re paid the royalties everytime they view it in their training classes. I have seen this go on first hand and have felt disgusted by it. A retired NWA agent
July 8th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
And the uncaring flight attendants, and the uncaring gate agents, and the uncaring baggage claim agents, and the uncaring telephone customer service agents, and the….
Whole lotta firing to be done there.
July 8th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I would not really blame the handlers as it is more often than not the company policies that stops staffs from acting humanely.
Years since I flew United.
July 8th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
This Robin spokeswoman drone for United is so full of it. But then she’s one top notch cheery faced PR hack for her employer. Basically this happens all the time and they basically told this guy to go screw himself thinking he’d never follow up on his threat. Can you imagine if there were no YouTube, etc? These United people didn’t give a damn then, and they don’t now… but they’re being forced to because of bad publicity. United, you suck, and by the way, I’m just one more American tired of calling a company and speaking to someone in India who tells me with his Indian accent that his name is “Doug.” I hope United takes a hit from this. I blame the baggage handlers less than I blame the middle management people that get paid to stonewall after something like this happens.
July 9th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Hey, on my last trip I got a great big friendly smile and a, “How are you doing today?” from a baggage handler–as he threw my suitcase marked “FRAGILE” about six feet onto the conveyer belt!
July 9th, 2009 at 4:13 am
Greatest company in the world to work for until deregulation. i started proud in 1967 and left disgusted in 1999. Good work boys, i hope you get your due!! their present motto is “Save a buck, make a buck!!!
July 9th, 2009 at 6:04 am
That’s nothing. My neighbor is a professional musician and recently had his $5,000 bass trombone (in a hard case) completely smashed by United personnel. He couldn’t even get an apology out of them. In my case they didn’t lose or break any “thing”, they just lost my 12 year old son for 3 hours at Dulles airport two years ago. I wrote scathing letters to United multiple times and I’m still waiting for an apology. They are useless and my family will NEVER uses that airline again!
July 9th, 2009 at 6:04 am
Customer service resolution is not about the customer being right any more; it is about how tenacious the customer is, how creative they are. Companies know that most customers will blow off on a rant on a blog somewhere, run out of steam and give up. Getting resolution nowadays is a full-time job.
Thank you, Mr. Carroll for writing the jingle that will be in the heads of every United passenger all over the world. :-)
PS I’m with @john maximuk get the royalties if UA uses this as a training tool.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:43 am
I had to rebook a United flight at the last minute because my baby was throwing up on the way to the airport. Was told there’d be a charge for rebooking. When I rebooked I lost all but $35 of my original ticket cost. In hindsight, if I’d known then what I know now, I’d have let the baby throw up all over their plane.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Way to go Dave! Your brilliant! And btw Anonymous, the average person can make a video. It is why YouTube is such a success!
July 9th, 2009 at 8:27 am
SWEEET….N I THINK U GOT THEM GOOD & LONG OVERDUE….A WAKEUP
CALL 4 SURE …U HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS DAVE….HOPEFULLY NOT BELOW THEIR BELT BUT THEIR POCKET BOOKS
DON,T SETTLE 4 JUST A NEW GUITAR
U LOST SOMETHING SPECIAL REMEMBER
EVEN WITH THE REPAIRING…NOW PERHAPS THEY NEED TO LOSE A LIL SOMETHING SPECIAL..THEIR DIGNITY
AS AN AIRLINES SERVING THE PUBLIC
GOOD ON YA MAN…
July 9th, 2009 at 8:37 am
To anonymous… what about those ‘higher paid and TRAINED’ flight attendants, baggage claim reps, and especially the baggage handlers? The whole airline is staffed with overpaid mopes with bad attitudes who can’t do a professional job. The airline should go under, except they would probably be bailed out by the Messiah.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:48 am
What makes Dave Carroll’s story especially disgraceful is that guitars, even in their cases, are conspicuous by their shapes. No great training should be needed to explain to THE DENSEST baggage handler that guitars should NEVER be (1) thrown, (2) placed under heavy luggage, or (3) subjected to impact. It might be harder to provide training for accordions or other delicate cargo — but specially colored and shaped labels ought to take up the slack.
July 9th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
In no other industry can paying customers be treated like cattle and get away with it. Remember Jet Blue on the tarmac for 9 hours? Nothing stings an indifferent, faceless, bureaucratic machine worse than telling the truth to everyone.
July 9th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
“it is more often than not the company policies that stops staffs from acting humanely.”
Are you kidding me???
What a great excuse that is. Um, I mean, lame!
July 9th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
I work for a major airline , and we don’t call them “baggage smashers ” for nothin.
No way would I trust any of them
with anything of value.
July 9th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
YouTube and the Internet have become the great equalizers. Some folks still dont get it! If they choose to ignore that fact, then let then get what they deserve.
Its so nice to see someone finally nail Goliath right between the eyes….and make some damn good music in the process !
July 9th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
One problem with airlines (and I believe it was United who backed the luggage cart over my suitcase and squished it)is that they simply don’t care. According to travel writer Chuck Thompson, airlines know that most travelers they lose because they provided crappy service will be replaced by passengers who got screwed by another airline. “Customer service” is truly an oxymoron.
July 9th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Hey Joe, are you kidding about them all being overpaid???? Their salaries were cut by 50% and they lost their pensions when they went through bankruptcy. Overpaid, that’s a joke!!!! When is the last time you could fly a 747??? It’s no wonder they have bad attitudes. It’s all about a crappy management.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
United had their chance and they blew it BIG TIME. I hope he rides this out (no settlement) now to wherever it ends. This is not only about him but for all the guitars that were not allowed to be checked and then destroyed by uncaring, inconsiderate handlers. Let the games begin. Guitarist United Against Ever Flying United Again (GUAFUA)
July 10th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
It is the way of the future, apparently, that large businesses are less about service and more about bottom line costs and profits. Think hard on this, young people. You can affect change on this if you have the stamina. I’m too old and tired to take any more hits by battling with my employer. They are not listening to the “little people”.
July 10th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Way to go, Dave. Love the music. Bought one of your CD’s. United never saw this one coming but I am betting it won’t be the last time they see themselves on You Tube. Thanks for taking them on and best of luck to you.
July 10th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Will United fire the negligent workers responsible for the damage? Of course not. They’re union goons with guaranteed jobs for life. They can NEVER get fired.
July 11th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Should be interesting when we the public stick this in the baggage handlers unions’ faces the next time they plan to go on strike and attempt to lobby our (the public) support…
July 11th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Spirit Airlines is not any better, in fact they practice the same kind of “I don’t care about you” attitude. Let’s all take trains and enjoy the countryside!!!
July 11th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Not only does United break guitars; Northwest breaks mountain dulcimers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x50pJe_QvQQ
July 20th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I’m a United GS member and fly 250k per year with them. Their customer service is terrible in every capacity. I find myself wanting to compliment any representative that isn’t rude - just tolerable - because they seem like shining stars amidst the rest of the disgruntled misfits in United employ.
Question: Does Dave have a fund that one can contribute to to help with the damaged guitar? Can we buy his music someplace? It would be great to help make him whole without him having to take money from United because United will not doubt force a gag order on him as a requirement for accepting payment. It would be shame for his tirade to end due to lack of funding.
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Dave Carroll Rocks. I haven’t had any airline trouble since I can remember. Of course I usually fly WestJet, British Airways, or Continental. I can think of many instances of poor customer service where I wish I had the talent that Dave has. I,de have let loose on restaurants long ago with liberal splashings for the telephone and cable companies. I look forward to #2 and #3.
August 1st, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Way to go Dave.. A “little” guy from the maritimes has been a flea in the ear of United.. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when corporate United viewed your video… Major damage control in place I think!!!Proud to be a maritimer!!
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:58 am
Want a copy of the video. Where can I get it?
January 6th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
As a UAL retireee, just want everyone to know that in spite of unbearably rude phone customers, our pensions taken, jobs and salaries lost largely so you all could fly for busfare (well, ya, bad management helped)…many of us never quit caring about our customers…I’d chip in for a new Taylor guitar! Great music Dave.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Great song, I think it should become a record. Way to go Dave! Sounds like you tried everything you could giving United a chance to make good for employees breaking your guitar. Because they did nothing, now it’s cost them much more.