Category: Blog

Meatball Marketing

Meatball Marketing

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I’ll admit it. I have not yet read Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin. Frankly, I haven’t read a whole book with a title other than some variation of “How not to screw up your kid” for quite a while. I know I will read Meatball Sundae, however, because I am so sold on the concept of the book, Seth’s easily digested writing style, and by the fantastic marketing that has surrounded it.

For “something completely different”, check out Jackie Huba’s Meatball Sundae video review/demonstration live from Amy’s Ice Cream in Austin Texas, John Moore from Brand Autopsy’s Seth Godin-Action Figure pull quote art slides and the piece de resistance, Seth’s very own Will it Blend? video.

United – Monday Night Update

United – Monday Night Update

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81 hours have elapsed since United denied me a seat on the Austin-bound flight (on a confirmed ticket purchased weeks in advance).

After more than 10 calls to United Customer Service and the threat of legal action, we finally got some follow up and a return phone call – actually 4 of them – this afternoon. The callers assured both my husband and me that my bag would be delivered between 5 – 9 this evening.

It is now 8:57. Commence holding breath <******>

EDIT: 9:03 BAG ARRIVES!  OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER!  I feel like I won the lottery!  We’ll have to file this under “Brands that Stole a Weekend” instead of Worthy of a Weekend

The UAL Saga Continues

The UAL Saga Continues

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69 hours with no bag and counting.

On my final call to United yesterday (9:45 last night), I was finally forwarded to a supervisor and got her name.  Kelly Fox was, like her colleagues, very nice and professional, yet wholly inneffective and untrue to her word.  When I refused to get off the phone without some degree of accountability from someone, she told me she would call back within the hour after she got through to the baggage team in Dulles.

You know where this is going – I received no call, no email, once again no accountability and now I am getting ready to go to work with no makeup.  Good times.

Dear United Airlines

Dear United Airlines

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Dear United Airlines,

You win. You have reduced me to hysteria on the phone with (a very nice) person in your call center after going through your call bank for the 7th time in 48 hours trying to get back my bag. I don’t like to talk on the phone but the information on the web portal is erroneous, so I had no choice. In short:

  • You denied me boarding an aircraft on which I held a confirmed ticket
  • You made ma wait in 3 different customer service lines at the airport to rectify my “new” travel plans of not being able to travel at all
  • You lost track of my bag (that went to Austin without me) for 12 hours
  • You found the bag, sent it back here, and told me to be here between 7 – 11 last night for the delivery that DID NOT COME until I was dead asleep at 1am.
  • You misinformed me in my morning call today that the bag was with the delivery service and to call them to request it (it had actually been returned to you)
  • Only now, after yet another call from me, have I been informed that it is back at Dulles and I needed to request it be delivered again.
  • I might get it in the next 4-6 hours. If you deign to allow it.

I have been told over and over again that everything above is totally allowable in your fine print. If you think everything that has happened to me is an acceptable business practice and not worth so much as an apology, I will spend the rest of my business travel days trying to avoid being subject to your whimsy as to whether or not I can go to my booked destination, deserve my bag, etc.

I hope to hear from you. If not, I wish you a brighter future than the customer experience you have offered me. Goodbye,

Virginia Miracle

United Airlines Ineptitude, Cont.

United Airlines Ineptitude, Cont.

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I am a very nice lady. I will often apologize out of sheer reflex when I have done nothing wrong. Right up until I have been pushed over the edge.

After my bag was not delivered to my house at 11pm as promised last night, I checked the United Airlines bagtrack website and found the following super-helpful display. Yay technology.

United Baggage

Needless to say “N/A” is not an acceptable answer to my bag’s whereabouts, so I called United and spent a good 15+ minutes on the phone with them. Turns out, they can’t even confirm the bag is in Austin now – they think the barcode may have been ripped off. So, they asked for descriptions of a few unique items in contents. I suggested that identifying it by the bright yellow leather luggage tag might be easier, but I played along. Here’s what I gave them:

  • Reproduction “RUN-DMC” vintage tee shirt, with label from Anonymous tees on Venice Beach
  • Brown “Sports Racers” tee shirt (so that I would have been able to identify other Ze Frank fans at SXSW)
  • Limited Edition Ed Hardy low top Converse sneakers

None of the above is technically valuable, but as I was detailing my requested “unique items”, I started getting angrier and angrier. I love that stuff and, because I work in a business formal office, this was my shot of enjoying wearing it in someplace other than my living room.

Stevie & EdWhat I should have done is invited my colleague who made it to Austin to pick up the bag and take photos of a couple of the “unique items” in various places in Austin – Flat Stanley style. If I couldn’t go, at least my sneaks could have made it to Guero’s, the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue, and a few parties. Alas, next time.