‘United Breaks Guitars’: Hot on YouTube
EmailABC’s Jared Wiener, Zach Fannin and Kristi Berner report:
Canadian musician and songwriter Dave Carroll took his year-long battle with United Airlines to YouTube this week. Now his video riff ‘United Breaks Guitars’ is not only a YouTube sensation, but United has apologized for baggage handlers crushing his guitar at O’Hare airport in Chicago last year. The airline announced on Twitter today that the video “struck a chord w/ us and we’ve contacted him directly to make it right.” United also tweeted that the video is “excellent” and that they plan use it for training purposes, “so everyone receives better service from us.”
Meanwhile, a Canadian newspaper reports, that after watching the video, Taylor Guitars in California called Carroll to say they’d be happy to repair the damaged instrument, and they promised a deep discount on his next purchase.
‘United Breaks Guitars’ has now been viewed more than half a million times – and counting — on YouTube. The World News webcast caught up with Dave Carroll on Skype today and here’s what he had to say about the incident and all the hoopla surrounding his video.
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Southwest was always pretty cool about letting us take our guitars as carry-on. Maybe now all the other airlines will appropriately treat musicial instruments.
Posted by: Nancy | July 9, 2009, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
This guy is a rookie or an idiot or both. First rule of the travelling guitarist, travel with a guitar that you won’t cry about if it gets lost, stolen or damaged. In other words, don’t take your $3,500 Taylor genius. Second rule, never ever check your guitar unless it is in a Anvil Case and I would never check an acoustic or a hollow body guitar EVER. He should write a new song titled “Im not smart enough to own a $3,500 Taylor guitar”.
Posted by: joeyjojo456789 | July 9, 2009, 6:04 pm 6:04 pm
sounds like joeyjojo didn’t read past the first paragraph of this story. he’s a gigging musician. musicians constantly travel with $4000 or more in equipment, and this was no exception. it’s not his fault he needs to travel for his job or that he has a $3500 guitar, it’s united’s fault that they can’t safely transport the goods their paying customers are traveling with. simple as that.
Posted by: jayswear | July 9, 2009, 8:24 pm 8:24 pm
It’s not only the baggage mishandlers in Chicago who beat up on luggage, I have observed the same nonsense from our local carrier.
I hope he charges a hefty fee for United’s use of the “training” video.
Customer service is an oxymoron in the airline industry.
Posted by: Yukontina | July 9, 2009, 9:57 pm 9:57 pm
It’s sad that is takes an individual to post a video on the internet in order for a company to acknowledge a mistake and correct it. With all the cost cutting measures these days it seems companies are cutting customer service too, then again the airline industry has no customer service to begin with anyways. Thanks Dave for the awesome video and thank you United for showing your true colors. Hopefully you can incorporate customer service someday as it goes along way in business.
Posted by: Marc | July 9, 2009, 11:30 pm 11:30 pm
Typical United. They will ‘fix’ something when they absolutely have been humiliated into doing so. I am proud to be United free since 1986 .
Posted by: Stu_Pidasso | July 10, 2009, 12:20 am 12:20 am
United contacted him AFTER NINE MONTHS of him contacting them. He should write 10 more songs about them, and never answer their calls.
Customer Service from United? Service was gone a long time ago, soon the customers will follow.
Posted by: Charlie X | July 10, 2009, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm
it was about time that someone faced and defeated corporate america
Posted by: Jose | July 10, 2009, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
I always travel with my handmade guitar in a hardshell travel guitar case. Some airlines will not insure a guitar if its not in a hardshell case.
Posted by: marschemistry | July 10, 2009, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
it used to be you could buy a seat for your guitar. a cool trick i used on a trip to europe: hook up the guitar in a carry on garment bag with a hanger. the stew hung it up for me in the onboard clothes closet.
Posted by: bob guthrie | July 10, 2009, 7:18 pm 7:18 pm