“I am gonna fire that idiot right now.” I heard my boss yelling. I could hear Joe talking across the room to an angry parent whose teenager had reported that our bus driver had never dropped below 80 mph on the trip from the East coast to Colorado.
This was troubling because the “idiot” was…. me.
In the olden days, you see, GM dashboards mounted air pressure gauges next the their identically-sized cousin, the speedometer. The kid had been behind me most of the trip, and he diligently watched… the air pressure gauge … and then ratted me out to his Momma.
Joe didn’t fire me, but we were very lucky that we didn’t live in the current age of social media, or we’d have had some serious explaining to do.
Years ago a bus operator put a manufacturer in a similar situation. He picked up his brand new Eagle and headed home. A month later, he diligently did an oil change and cross-threaded the plug before topping it off with 40 weight. A couple of miles down the road, the 8V71 spit out the plug, rolled on for a mile or so (idiot light flashing).. and seized. The owner called Eagle’s service line and demanded a new engine, muttering something scatological about “warranty”. He climbed the telephonic food chain, eventually getting to the President. He wasn’t happy when Tom explained to him that Eagle hadn’t botched screwing in the plug, and couldn’t pay for his shop’s sins.
The operator indicated he’d never buy another Eagle, and would tell all his friends. Fortunately for Eagle, he had few. But imagine this happening in the age of Facebook, Yelp and Twitter.
Coaches operate in a complex environment. In addition to self-inflicted injuries like late departures or botched maintenance, we’re at the mercy of outside forces like weather and traffic. We’re going to have unhappy customers now and then. Some have legitimate complaints, some blame us for things beyond our control, and a few refuse to be pleased due to irrational expectations.
All—the good and the bad—shows up on social media. While it’s worthwhile to have someone monitor what the internet has to say about you, it’s just as important to plan for how you are going to react.
If the reference is just plain nuts, ignoring it may be wise. The public recognizes a fruitcake. It’s unwise to wrestle with pigs… you both get dirty, and the pig loves it. A wrestling match just draws more attention.
When the customer has a legitimate complaint, acknowledging and correcting it ends the public discussion, and it makes clear your commitment to your clientele. If the issue is something you couldn’t control, a measured explanation is likely the best method. Help the party that feels wronged, and their audience, to understand that you wanted to accommodate them, but couldn’t for reasons beyond your control. It’s not fair to expect them to understand the complexities of our business.
Whatever the issue, the approach you take should be thought out… and done dispassionately. Diamonds, and the internet, are forever.
A local gentleman once took issue with scuba divers cluttering Folly Cove (a scenic beach on a Massachusetts north shore). The divers were in the way of the man and fellow sun-bathers, and he wanted them banned. His letter to the editor was a bit snarky, since according to him, “there was nothing to see underwater.”
Rather than respond with a nastygram, or a tome about civil rights, a diver ended the discussion for good by writing a glowing letter about the cove’s spectacular marine life and underwater scenery. The sunbather knew that further debate would bring more divers, and it ended there. His complaint had been killed with kindness.
—Dave Millhouser
