1. SanjayRema
SOCI3750
Dr. Finlay
Paper2 Prompt3
In 2008, Dave Carroll wasa little knownCanadianmusicianflyingfromChicagotoOmahaon a
flightwithUnitedAirlines.Alongthe way,his$3000 Taylorguitarwas damaged.UnitedAirlines, instead
of issuinganapologyandreimbursementforhisinstrument,providedCarroll withindifference anda
longlegal battle inaneffortnotto pay him.Carroll respondedinthe formof a musicvideotitled
“UnitedBreaksGuitars,”whichdepictedhisside of the eventsthattranspiredbetweenhimandthe
airline,anditsubsequentlywentviral.The situationturnedintoapublicrelationsandcustomerservice
disasterforUnitedAirlines.Inthe weeksfollowingthe release of the video,United'sstockprice fell ten
percent,andit cost stockholdersatotal of $180 millioninvalue.WhatUnitedAirlinesfailedtorealize is
that the mannerinwhicha companydealswithcustomers,especiallyinthiseraof social mediaand
virality,caneithercarryor kill yourbusiness.Twocompaniesthatrealizedthisfactearlyandhasmade it
a focus of theirbusinessmodelare AmazonandChickfila.
The businessmediaoutlet"24/7 Wall Street"recentlyinterviewedcustomerrelationsexpert
ShepHyken,whohasconductedextensive customerserviceandcustomerexperience research
throughouthiscareer.Theycollaboratedwithhiminanefforttorank the bestcustomerrelations
departmentsbycompany.The numberone rankedcompany,receivingaratingof "excellent"from59.4
percentof customers,wasAmazon.The secondrankedcompany,andthe onlyrestauranton the entire
listof 25, was Chickfila,withacustomerratingof “excellent”from47 percentof theirconsumers.These

2. twobusinessesunderstandthathavingacostumer’sgoodwill andtrustisjustas, if not more important
than the servicesthateachof these companiesprovide.
“24/7 Wall Street’s”articlessaysof Amazon,“Forthe sixthconsecutiveyear,Amazon.comhas
toppedthe customerservice Hall of Fame.Lessthan2% of surveyrespondentsreportedapoor
experience, and59.4%reportedexcellentcustomerservice,byfarthe highestpercentage amongall
companiesreviewed.”Havingexcellentcustomerservice isimportanttoAmazonbecause fielding
complaintsfromcustomers,evenatacost to the company,can endup payingoff and benefittingthe
business.IknowthisfirsthandwithAmazon.A yearago I purchaseda shirtfromthe webretail giant
and determinedthatthe colorof the shirtI receiveddidnotexactly matchthe coloronthe website.In
the processof returningthe shirtImentionedthe reasonforthe return,atwhichpointI receiveda
message of apologyanda notificationthatIwouldgeta full refundandcouldkeepthe shirt.The shirt
was about$20, minusthe cost of Amazonhavingtotake it back,the multi-billiondollarcompanylost
around$15. That isnot enoughmoneytoevenbe consideredpocketchange inthe grandscheme of
Amazon’sbusiness,butthe gesture leftahuge impressiononme nonetheless.Amazonhashadmy trust
and mybusinesseversince thattransaction.Amazon’smore thanmade that$15 back fromthe
affectionandbusinessIhave giventhem,andIhave no issue withthatbecause inmymindthe feelingis
mutual.Takinga costumer’smoneyfora goodor service isthe heartof everybusiness,butitisalsoan
archaic conceptthat Neanderthalsmastered.If abusinesswantstotranscendthisbasicbusinessmodel
and getaheadof theircompetition,businesseshave tobuildastrongrelationshipwithconsumersand
earntheirdevotion.
In orderfor restaurantstoreceive thissortof affectionfromconsumerstheyhave todo
everythingright,evenonamicro level.Thisistrue because anyaverage restaurantwilltake a
customer’sorderback if itcomesout wrong,butthe attitude andmannerinwhichtheydoit
determineshowthe customerfeels.Chickfiladoesthisimmaculately,displayingapositive attitude

3. towardsconsumerswhethertheyare takingfoodback,takinganorder,or simplygreetingpeople atthe
door.“24/7 Wall Street”illustratesthe benefitsof Chickfila’scustomerrelationsintermsof their
revenue:“Anoverall positive customerexperience isgoodforbusiness — andChick-fil-A isproof.The
companyboastson itswebsite 47 consecutive yearsof salesgrowth,culminatingwithnearly$6 billion
insalesin2014.” Many customershave personal anecdotesaboutthe positive treatmenttheyreceive
fromChickfilaemployees.If the warmgreetingandsmileatthe orderingcounterwere notenoughfor
Chickfilatowinovermyaffection,theycertainlydidsowhentheyaccidentallygave me anincorrect
breakfastorderand,withoutquestion,rectifiedthe situationbycorrectingthe orderalongwithgiving
me a giftcard. Actslike these winovercustomer’ssupport,andtheypayhuge dividendsforChickfila
whenthe businessrunsintoabitof controversy.
In June of 2012, Chickfila'sChief OperatingOfficerDanCathymade publiccommentsonbehalf
of Chickfilaopposingsame-sex marriage on the basisof theirChristianfounding.Commentsasdivisive
as thiswouldspell doomformostcompanies.Whilethe commentsdidleadtosome protestsand
boycotts,mediaoutletsandindividualsfounditveryhardto vilifysuchapositive businessthatmost
people have growntolove.Infactmany loyalist,whomChickfilahadearnedoverthe years,rushedto
the company'sdefense.The HuffingtonPostreportedthatChickfila'ssalesgrew by12 percentfollowing
the incident.Clearlythe protestsandboycotts didnotwork.Angreat example of the failuretodisparage
ChickfilacomesfromaformerlysuccessfulbusinessmannamedAdamMarkSmith.Smithvideotaped
himself denouncinganemployee ataChickfiladrive throughandpostedthe videoonhisFacebook
page.The employee remainedcalmandgraceful throughoutthe ordeal while Smithberatedherfor
workingfora hateful enterprise.Smithreceivedinstantbacklashfromthe publicandevenlosthisjobas
a resultof the video.Once the videowentviral Smithwasunable tofindemploymentandnow livesin
infamyasa resultof hisactions.ClearlyChickfila'sstrongcustomerrelationshelpedthe companythrive
duringa time inwhichit couldhave faltered.

4. What Amazonand Chickfilahave proventhroughtheirbusinessmodel isthathavinga
consumer’sbusinessisonlyworthhowmuchtheyare willingtospend,buthavingaconsumer’strust
can be priceless.Eatingsmall costs,suchasthe cost of returninga shirtor givingawaya free breakfast
and giftcard, has paidmajordividendsforeachcompanyona personal,anda global level.Major
companies,suchasUnitedAirlines,shouldfollow the blueprintthatAmazonandChickfilahave laidout
inorder to avoidmajorPR disasters,earnthe consumer'strustandultimatelybecome amore successful
business.
Bibliography
2015's Customer Service Hall of Fame
Michael B. Sauter,ThomasC. Frohlich-SamSt. -
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/07/24/24-7-wall-st-customer-service-hall-
fame/30599943/
Chick-Fil-A SalesSoarIn2012 Despite BadPR.
The HuffingtonPost.SatranJ.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/31/chick-fil-a-sales-2012_n_2590612.html. Accessed
November29,2016.
A Free Glass of Water at Chick-fil-A Cost Him a Million Dollars... and You Probably Think He Deserved
It - Friendly Atheist
https://www.facebook.com/friendlyatheist-
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/03/25/a-free-glass-of-water-at-chick-fil-a-cost-
him-a-million-dollars-and-you-probably-think-he-deserved-it/