Uber CEO Responds to Culture Questions (February 2017)

After a female engineer blasted Uber for its failure to address sexual harassment incidents, CEO Travis Kalanick wrote a message to employees. He has a big job in repairing the company's image at this point: a New York Times article called the culture "aggressive" and "unrestrained."

Wells Fargo's Failed Response (October 2106)

By most counts, Wells Fargo handled the scandal about opening accounts for people without their permission badly. One big problem is how management ignored employee complaints about sales pressure and reports of wrongdoing. This email to customers lacks any real promise of change, and the TV commercial isn't much better.

 

Listening in Social Media (August 2016)

What a great example of humor and listening online: Skyscanner travel app suggested a 47-year itinerary for a customer. He jokingly asked what he could do during the layover. Jen, the customer service rep didn't miss a beat: she's quick and fun, and includes her promise in the P.S. The post vent viral and Skyscanner won big points.

 

 

 

 

---

Older Examples

PowerPoint presentation showing the timeline of Kenneth Cole's Twitter gaffe. Adapted from Advertising Age. Useful to demonstrate listening through social media.

Transcript of a phone call between Wisconsin Governor and someone he believes is a donor. Read more about the prank call here.