Customer service start-up launches to help consumers resolve situations with companies

After United Airlines broke musician Dave Carroll’s guitar, he turned a bad situation into a good one. He wrote a song. It went so viral that United couldn’t help but see it and respond. He’s now made a career out of consumer advocacy.

The incident inspired Carroll and his co-founders to create the website Gripevine. Even if you can’t write a song, this site will help you get a response from companies you feel have wronged you.

Once you sign up, you can plant public gripes and invite your Facebook friends and Twitter followers to support you. You can explain your situation, even upload pictures, documents and YouTube videos to back it up.

Then Gripevine will take it from there. They’ll make sure your complaint gets to the right people, those who have the power to resolve the situation.

And when a company gets back to you, you can rate them.

Everyone has a story like Carroll. Now there’s a designated social platform for consumers to be heard.

(From our friends at CW33 News – Erin Harris)

To read the full media article & corresponding video click here.

Copyright © 2012, KDAF-TV

Says Dave: “I’m very excited to be working with Hay House and have been a fan of several of their authors for some time. They appreciate the depth of the United Breaks Guitars story and are eager to share all of its many aspects with people around the world. The best part is that this book will be an innovative distribution vehicle for my music as I’m going to be including several downloadable songs as part of the package and introduce the story of ‘who I am’ as an artist. The book will allow me to give context to each song in a meaningful way.”

The book, “United Breaks Guitars: The Power of one Voice in the Age of Social Media,”  scheduled to be released in May 2012, will take readers through the events that lead Dave from an unfortunate baggage incident with United Airlines to a Capitol Hill hearing room in Washington and around the world as a highly sought after keynote speaker.

Hundreds of interviews later, and after millions of online references about this ground breaking video in the worlds of customer service, branding, social media and self-empowerment Dave’s book will be the only comprehensive examination of the story, told first hand. How the story continues to unfold will also be explored.

Hay House is one of the worlds most respected publishing houses, best known for New Thought and Self-Empowerment works. Dave is a first time author who will be writing the manuscript himself and spending the rest of the summer completing what has been in development for several months.

Visit www.davecarrollmusic.com and www.hayhouse.com for more information.

Media Contact: Dave Carroll Music: (902) 860-0080 (Office)

Being thrust into the Customer Service market as a ‘voice of the customer in the social media age’ (which is often the way I am introduced at speaking engagements), has also presented some opportunities to recognize people, another passion of mine. When I wrote the song Everyday Heroes to recognize First-Responders http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/911song, I was trying to use my Social Media following and background working in emergency response to recognize the sacrifices these heroes make on a daily basis. Look into the eyes of a First Responder and one thing reaches you, you see that they are real people… just like you and me. I’m so passionate about this that I would often include the song in my presentations about my United story and gratefully, my clients have been accommodating.

It was at Genesys’ G-Force Prague this summer that the Everyday Heroes song met Customer Service Heroes, and I was thrilled to have provided a spark for this very worthy tribute to another kind of hero: the Customer Service hero. Since my wife works as an Escalation Manager for a major telecommunications company, I hear their stories nightly at the dinner table. But also, I encounter them as I travel the speaking circuit, in hotels, restaurants and airports. At car rental counters, credit card companies and travel agencies. I have no regrets about making the “United Breaks Guitars’ video, but I do take issue with the challenge some have made to my acting out a personal vendetta against someone, especially front-line customer service staff – or that I have harmed someone personally in some way as a result. My issue has never been with a particular individual; simply the policies established by companies they represent and have the (sometimes unfortunate) responsibility to enforce. I felt that the Customer Service Heroes program gave me an opportunity to correct whatever misperceptions where out there about my true motivations once and for all — and was honored to be a judge of the program.

Customer Service Heroes in Prague was an American Idol-like take on a contest to find EMEA’s best performing customer service agent. The three finalists could not have been more worthy of the title. Daulet Kunenov, of Telecom Express in Russia, went so above and beyond helping a customer find an express train in a pinch that the customer later named their child after him. Nuria Jimenez Remacho, from Catsa in Spain, spent hours going beyond the call of duty to help a customer address a technical issue with an antenna to get internet service in a remote region of Spain. And Ahmed Shalaby, of Vodafone Egypt (the overall winner) made an incredible effort to re-unite a lost child with their parents during the Egyptian Revolutions last spring. His story brought a standing ovation from the crowd and there were few dry eyes in the crowd when the applause stopped.

No matter what we do, who we are, everyone I have ever met needs and wants to be recognized for what they do. To be told ‘thank you’, to be recognized for the work they do, to feel a sense of pride in their work.

Whether you are leading a Customer Service organization or simply on the receiving end of great customer service, I encourage you to recognize people on the front line delivering service in every way you can. With supervisors, with managers, with executives. By writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls. It’s an easy thing to do, and it has an incredible impact on the morale of customer service staff. There’s no website or machine that can offer you an apology or correct a company’s mistake with a customer. At the end of the day it comes down to front-line people, Customer Service Heroes, who make the difference between a lost customer and a happy one.

Thanks for taking the time to honor them!

In response to your recent blog: Wait a minute, Guitar Man, CRM Advocate

Your view that I was somehow unjustified to resort to social media without undeniable proof that my guitar was damaged during my flight with United Airlines is myopic and it reflects a much wider issue.  By implying that the primary concern of big companies must be to protect themselves from the fraudulent activities of their thieving customers, you invigorate a corporate culture of distrust and deepen the chasm between consumer and corporation.  Not taking responsibility for undeniably poor service today is precisely how big corporations are putting their brands at risk in age of social media. The fear and suspicion you are spreading in  “your take” on my story is potentially very expensive to big companies. Just ask United Airlines.

You are welcome to your opinion that my story and those like them are not having a lasting effect in the customer service field but in my experience and in the opinion of respected authors, bloggers, professors, learning institutions, and thousands of consumers who have reached out to me to tell me so, you would be wrong. The fact that huge corporations are now investing in social media can often be traced back to my video and other individual consumers.

Just two weeks ago a major airline lost our band’s instruments on the way to Russia.  Using Twitter, I let them know and within minutes they began a search for our instruments and were able to get them to us an hour before we needed them…in Siberia.  Before social media I believe they would have arrived late, if at all.  The result was a customer service recovery for the airline instead of a nightmare for them and our band.

I now travel the world speaking to corporate audiences about the need to remove the silos within their own operations and to embrace social media as a way to better connect with customers. It is through relationship building with customers that companies will prosper in the age of social media.  What you seem to be selling (distrust and resentment towards one’s customers who refuse to accept poor experiences) puts a brand on the fast track to irrelevance.

I assume, Mr. Lemke, that by the tone of your posting that you make at least part of your living advising corporate clients. So do I and you should know that I’m passionate about this new aspect of my career that attempts to undo what you teach with the profound belief that this will benefit both consumers and corporations.

It’s also worth pointing out that in your attempt to inform your readers about the backstory you were wrong on the facts in a few places. I can give you a point-by-point breakdown in a separate email if you’d find it useful but your readers should know that even United Airlines doesn’t question whether the facts occurred as they did. The airline chose to avoid compensating me by defaulting to their policy of requiring a claim to be opened within 24 hours of an incident  (something I couldn’t do for good reason). They have since apologized for that and have even paid me a license fee.  Why?  To pay for their right to show my video as a training tool to improve customer service with their airline and to improve the profitability of their operations.  Again, it would appear that even United would disagree with you about the power of one person to make a change in the age of social media. The fact that you have used me and my story for three consecutive blogs to raise the attention of your own work implies that perhaps even you don’t believe what you are saying.

I maintain that differences of opinion make for healthy debate but I would appreciate it if your facts were accurate with regards to me and my story and that, when speaking of me, you use my name and not the impersonal avatar-like moniker you created.  Dave or Dave Carroll, or even Mr. Carroll,if you’d prefer, are fine.  “Guitar Man” disguises the reality that there is a real individual behind my video; a man who values the integrity behind his family name much more than a $3500 Taylor guitar, and that’s saying something!

Yours truly, Dave Carroll
United Breaks Guitars

The tour will take place between October 1^st & 10^th, including stops in Norilsk and Moscow.

The popularity of United Breaks Guitars was the foundation of this invitation and the band is thrilled to be making their first visit to Russia.

The band members on the tour will include Dave Carroll, Drummer Julian Marentette, Guitarist Chris Iannetti and Bassist Mike Hiltz.

In 2010 Carroll released a music video, ‘Everyday Heroes’ honouring First Responders at their best and demonstrating the promises made by these individuals to answer calls for help. He also created a website, 911Song.com, as place for First Responders, their friends and family and the people who may have benefited from the assistance of a First Responder, to join in community.

Individuals were invited to share their own ‘Everyday Hero’ stories on 911Song.com and in partnership with CAA and Transat Holidays, an award was created to recognize a deserving First Responder with a trip for two to Punta Cana. Kyle’s Mother, Georgine Stewart-Malone submitted the winning story titled ‘My Hero, My Son’ and was among many submissions to the site.

Says Dave: “Congratulations to Kyle for earning the trip with Sons of Maxwell to the Dominican Republic. Based on the moving submission made by his mother and my conversation with him on the phone, I’m convinced Kyle embodies the spirit and integrity behind the First Responder community. A nurse, a paramedic, and volunteer fire fighter; 911 is this guys home phone number!”

Georgine’s story about Kyle, ‘My Hero, My Son,’ can be read at: http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/2010/10/my-hero-my-son/

Individuals interested in joining Sons of Maxwell in Punta Cana this April, are welcome contact CAA for booking details at 1-800-561-8807.

Media Contact: Dave Carroll Music: (902) 860-0080 (Office)

Photo credit: Photos (c) Georgine Stewart-Malone

Each year the CCA acknowledges companies or individuals who show an outstanding commitment to customer service in cities across North America. This year will be Halifax’s inaugural CCA event. Past winners include Ted Turner (CNN), Daryl Sutter (Calgary Flames), Julie Payette (Astronaut), Jan Arden, George Stroumboulopoulos and Jim Balsillie (Blackberry).

Says Dave: “My main business concern has always been that the people who pay to see me perform or buy my music feel that they received more than they paid for. I believe that this is honour is a ‘win’ for the whole music industry because it shows that music fans also see themselves as customers, and if they see themselves as customers then, we as musicians, can win new fans with great customer service. This award proves, once again, that simply caring about  your fans is the foundation of a long career.”

The CONSUMERS’ CHOICE AWARD is an initiative of CONSUMERS’ CHOICE INSTITUTE (USA) and CONSUMERS’ CHOICE INSTITUTE (CANADA), which has retained a leading independent research firm to conduct a survey in major U.S. and Canadian cities. It is unique in North America, as the winners are determined by consumers and not by a panel of judges. It covers a broad range of categories of interest to the public and to the business community. Their purpose is to publicly identify those establishments which have been voted by consumers as being their choice for excellence.

Visit www.ccaward.com for more info.

Media Coverage:

Timmins Daily Press: “Dave Carroll’s career flies in new directions” Click Here

Halifax Chronicle Herald: Consumers love Carroll – United Breaks Guitars touched a chord and fans vote songwriter man of the year” Click Here

Says the Momentum Group: “This unrivaled line-up of speakers will take the stage at Casino New Brunswick. They walk the talk and have shattered traditional marketing strategies to create their own super-brands. From social media and visual marketing, to merchandising and self-branding, this one-night dinner event will be the most intense and educational three hours that Atlantic Canada’s brand community will ever see.”

In July of 2009, Dave released a music video relating his experience with United Airlines which went viral and became a simultaneous international news story reaching well over 100 million people. In the process he has developed a strong brand and a platform for his back catalogue of music and changed the way some of the world’s largest brands approach customer service.

Says Dave: “Gene Simmons is an undisputed master of branding and self promotion and so I’m really looking forward to meeting him and honoured to share his stage in Moncton. My story is, first and foremost, a “music story” so the fact that I will be able to add some performance to my presentation is an added bonus.”

Ticket and table info can be obtained through Carolyn Collier at the Momentum Group
Email: Carolyn@gainmomentum.com
Phone: 1-506-854-8759

Media Coverage:

Times & Transcript: “Songwriter to speak at brand event – Dave Carroll hits it big with United Breaks Guitars”  Click Here

Times & Transcript: “KISS rocker to headline brand event – Gene Simmons to speak on branding yourself and branding your business”   Click Here

Times & Transcript: “Major event revealed today – Atlantic Brand Confabulation highlighted by reality TV star; details to be announced this afternoon”  Click Here

Everyday Heroes Filming - Photo (c) 2010 Brent McCombs

First of all “Everyday Heroes” is a song that honours all First Responders.  As a songwriter, the challenge with every song is to capture the listener’s attention in a way that allows them to paint their own picture while sharing a central message to which we can all relate.  The message of this song is not that we should honour only two branches of the First Responder community.  If that’s what you take away, then watch it again and listen closely.  The message is found in the chorus and the bridge of most songs, where the melody and energy are most dynamic. It’s in the chorus where you say: “ok folks if you’ve been listening so far, pay close attention now cause this is what I’m really talking about”.   In “Everyday Heroes” the Chorus says:

“Cause they made a promise and here they come
Someone hurtin’ called 9-1-1
And the siren’s sayin’ hope is on the way
There’s a hero racing to help a stranger today”

The Bridge says:

“When People in the world need saving the saviors who answer the call
Don’t get paid anymore for danger or get to pick the one’s they want
They just go to where the few will go and maybe lay it all on the line
As they do their job, and do it one more time.”

That’s what this song and project is about: First Responders answering the call. In songwriting you support the message in a chorus using ‘verses’ to show examples of what you’re trying to say.  With “Everyday Heroes” I chose two possible examples with a Fire and Police scenario but they are only two possible illustrations. I might have written a whole verse about Paramedics and the good work they do but that would have made the song 6.5 minutes long and not have made it better or any more clear. It was my artistic decision that the song was done and I had accomplished the goal as it stands today. I have found that every time I hear a song that tries to be politically correct and be all things to all people in equal measure it fails, and for me to be fair to everyone I would have to have written two more verses, one for Dispatch and one for Paramedics. The song would have been 8.5 minutes long, the video double the cost and few would have watched it. For those who did, none would have enjoyed it.

The strength of the “Everyday Heroes” lies in the fact that anyone who has been touched by the work of any First Responder branch will identify with that arm when they hear those lyrics.  If you’ve watched Paramedics come to your house and save your baby, regardless of what images are in the video you will think of EMT’s with the gratitude they deserve.  The same could be said if Fire Fighters saved your home, if Police captured a violent criminal in your neighbourhood or if Dispatch talked you through a stressful situation waiting for help.

I understood going into this that some tensions exist between branches of the First Responder community but my song and its intent is about showing gratitude to all and I refuse to let politics get in the way of my intent and ambition with this project.  911Song.com is meant to be a meeting place to share stories and show gratitude for all First Responders. I invite anyone to share an outstanding first responder story for others to read in the hopes of giving more context to my message. If some EMT’s are feeling left out of this project or concerned that they are viewed as less important than their 9-1-1 partners the answer is not to boycott the video. The answer is to support it! The answer is to participate and share a variety of great stories that show others all the important contributions you make. 911Song.com can be an outlet to educate others about what you do. In my experience though, the EMS contribution is highly respected and valued by the average person and the comments I receive from people who see the video support that. With the little explicit attention to EMT’s in “Everyday Heroes,” most people who write-in mention EMT’s explicitly in their message of gratitude demonstrating that the song does what it’s supposed to do. I’m happy to announce as well that CAA and Transat Holidays have offered a free trip that we will award to a deserving First Responder to join Sons of Maxwell in Punta Cana this April.  Nominate that person by sharing their story on www.911Song.com.  It’s open to EMT’s and all other First Responders. Click here to share your “Everyday Hero story.”

“Everyday Heroes” came about through a challenge from a friend to write a song that captures the essence of the 9-1-1 system and the people who work it. I liked what I wrote and recorded it. After performing it live the response was so strong that someone with the ability to fund a video offered to finance it completely because he felt the message was important enough to share with others. I believe that too so I have paid for the creation of a website to support it and devoted much of my time and energy to the cause. There are enough negative, angry messages in music these days and I’m trying to offer a worthy alternative to those songs. My hope is that people will hear the song, watch the video and focus on what the song accomplishes and less on what it may not but 911Song.com remains a place where all reasonable comments are welcome.

In early August of 2009, when United Breaks Guitars was really picking up steam I received a call from George Heinrichs, president of a Colorado company called Intrado.   George was impressed by how my trouble with the airline was handled in such a ‘Canadian’ fashion and thought he’d like to bring the band out for an event in the Fall. In the meantime he invited me to Colorado that month to meet in person and introduce me to the company and what they do; he and I became fast friends.

Intrado’s technology and services are part of virtually every 9-1-1 call in the United States and they now have a presence in Canada. George gave me a tour of the facility and directed me to a part of the building that was somewhat like and interpretive centre where one could stop and listen to a number of past 9-1-1 calls, highlighting the value of the service. I can still recall how moving some of those recordings were.

George knew that I am a volunteer Fire Fighter in my hometown of Waverly, Nova Scotia and that my brother Don is a full time Halifax Fire Fighter. When he asked if I had ever written a song honouring First Responders, I told him that I had considered writing about my experience as a Fire Fighter but hadn’t yet found an approach to my liking. As we continued on with the tour of Intrado, it was then that he suggested I take another shot at writing a song that honoured the people who answer all 9-1-1 calls

When I arrived home I decided to make some time to write that song and began thinking about what it is that makes First Responders and 9-1-1 worth writing about; what is the essence of the message I could should share in this song? When I asked that question, the answer came quickly. To me, the unique and special thing about it all is that the 9-1-1 system and First Responders exemplify the marriage of cutting edge technology to a simple promise made by people with integrity. When someone in desperate need requires help they pick up a phone and dial three numbers and those who can help them respond immediately to their aid, regardless of gender, age, colour, or income level and they do this, sometimes a great personal risk, because they promised that they would. The system requires technology but it hinges on a promise made between strangers. The amazing thing is that the system works!

In a world where broken promises are common place, when it counts most there are people willing to help strangers because they gave their word that they would and the essence of the message of Everyday Heroes quickly became one of ‘Promises Kept.’ The song practically wrote itself when I understood that.

When I shared the song with George he loved it so much that he wanted all his employees to have a copy, so he bought one for all one thousand of them and when I performed it live for those employees in October 2009 they gave a long and meaningful standing ovation to the song. Not long afterward George felt that the song should be experienced by a mass audience and offered to financially back a video if I wanted to produce one. Again he made no demands about content, look or feel. He simply believed in the message and offered the resources to help share it.

So on Mother’s Day weekend I reunited with Curve Productions and we completed a two-day video shoot in Halifax for Everyday Heroes. Halifax Fire and Emergency were a huge help donating Station 13, fire trucks and allowing real Halifax Fire Fighters to partake. The Police Officers were actors along with the rest of the cast and the police vehicles were rented props, as seen on the popular Canadian television show ‘Trailer Park Boys.’ To get as much out of our budget as possible, on Mother’s Day, my mom Sharon catered meals to a film crew and allowed us to use my parents house to film the police scenes… that’s a Mother’s love right there!

Many commercial music videos would portray the singer as the hero in a video of this kind with dramatic close-ups and dressed in the uniforms of First Responders. We agreed from the outset that the purpose of the video was to place the attention on the work of first responders and less on the singer. Although there is no question that Everyday Heroes is a Dave Carroll video, we chose to avoid those typical close-ups and portray me as more ‘the observer’ telling the story in the middle of the action and not necessarily in every scene. Lara Cassidy and Steve Richard did a great job in filming and editing the video with that goal in mind and I think the results speak for themselves.

I’m extremely proud of this video and grateful to everyone who had a hand in bringing it into existence. It’s rewarding to be a part of something that feels right from the outset and my hope is that this song and the message contained within it will be shared and enjoyed with anyone who might appreciate it.

Cheers, Dave

You can also check out my video blog about the story behind ‘Everyday Heroes.’

Please have a listen to my video blog about the purpose behind 911song.com.