Dave Carroll sat and watched his $3,500 Taylor guitar get damaged by United Airlines employee. United Airline refused to pay for the damage and ignored Dave’s request to have it fixed.
This traveling musician, Dave Carroll, didn’t want to fight over his damaged goods. He just wanted United Airlines to pay for that which they rightfully smashed, his Taylor Guitar. The songs he made about United Airlines and breaking his guitar, neither cusses, nor has any discriminating lyrics against United Airlines, it simply tells the story of what happened in a playful and droll way. The lyrics to the songs never say; don’t fly with or I hate, United. He merely sings that they are being unfair. Dave has now made three songs about United Airlines, on which he fairly told United Airlines he would be doing before he began the process, that have changed the way United Airlines deal with their customers.
United Airlines had a chance to give him $1,200 to repair his guitar and leave. Instead they chose to put him on a wild-goose chase; 1-800 numbers, phone calls to foreign places, no-reply emails and telling him he needs to “talk to someone else.” Dave Carroll said, “The system is designed to frustrate affected customers into giving up their claims and United is very good at it but I realized then that as a songwriter and traveling musician I wasn’t without options. “
Dave’s plan was genius. He didn’t pay for any advertising or celebrities to back him up this issue. He used the free mass media, YouTube, to expose his experience in a music video of what happened with United Airlines. YouTube viewers had the option to watch it or not, but, by them watching it has now made him an international celebrity. Millions of people have viewed that video and probably have changed their thought to fly with United Airline.
Dave said, “I wrote it with no expectations or obligations. The idea just spilled out. In the Bible and in mythology, it is a bird that can transcend heaven and earth.”
Dave did exactly that, he rose above the big-cats and used mass media to stand up for himself. He reached out to the public and showed them the lack of customer service skills that United Airlines had. This multibillion dollar company could have spared a couple thousand dollars to have Dave’s guitar fixed, but they chose not to.
Dave has a “new career as a public speaker. He spoke in Washington DC at a U.S. Congressional Passenger’s Bill of Rights hearing for leaders and lawmakers…” Dave Carroll biography says. Mass media has made his career explode. He may have spent under three grand making that music video and now he is speaking at the White house.
“Music is the only thing I’ve been doing to make a living for years,” said Dave. “I’ve never had a day job, so by that definition I’ve been successful. But as an indie artist it is tough to make your way – so this is my record deal, my chance of stepping up.” Dave not only put United Airlines in their place, but he also has contributed to relief funds and now does presentations on customer service for other companies.
Ethically, I think Dave dealt with this very well. He let the public decide to make him popular or not. He did not protest with pickets, or use crude, foul, language or behavior. The public helped him to reach his goal for what he wanted United Airlines to do, fix his broken guitar. Because of Dave, United Airlines “ made a donation to a charity that provides music education to underprivileged children…” They also decided, “To change their policy for the customers…” As read on the television show the “View.”
The public can lift you, or destroy you.
Your voice counts.
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