United Breaks Guitars: The Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media

by Dave Carroll

Songwriter Dave Carroll wasn’t the first person abused by an airline’s customer service. But he was the first to show how one person, armed with creativity, some friends, $150, and the Internet, could turn an entire industry upside down. United Airlines had broken Dave’s guitar in checked luggage. After eight months of pestering the company for compensation, he turned to his best tool—songwriting—and vowed to create a YouTube video about the incident that he hoped would garner a million views in one year. Four days after its launching, the first million people had watched “United Breaks Guitars.” United stock went down 10 percent, shedding $180 million in value; Dave appeared on outlets as diverse as CNN and The View. United relented. And throughout the business world, people began to realize that “efficient” but inhuman customer-service policies had an unseen cost—brand destruction by frustrated, creative, and socially connected customers. “United Breaks Guitars” has become a textbook example of the new relationship between companies and their customers, and has demonstrated the power of one voice in the age of social media. It has become a benchmark in the customer-service and music industries, as well as branding and social-media circles. Today, more than 150 million people are familiar with this story. In this book, you’ll hear about how Dave developed the “just do it” philosophy that made him the ideal man to take on a big corporation, what it felt like to be in the center of the media frenzy, and how he’s taken his talents and become a sought-after songwriter and public speaker. And businesspeople will learn how companies should change their policies and address social-media uprisings. Since “United Breaks Guitars” emerged, nothing is the same—for consumers, for musicians, or for business. Whether you are a guitarist, a baggage handler, or a boardroom executive, this book will entertain you and remind you that we are all connected, that each of us matters, and that we all have a voice worth hearing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ebooks

232 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Dave Carroll is an award winning singer-songwriter, professional speaker and social media innovator based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Reviews

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I am familiar with Dave Carroll and his United Breaks Guitars story, there were a lot of things I learned through reading his book United Breaks Guitars the Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media. The book provides the facts about what happened and shows how a guy born in a small town was able to leave an imprint on the world and challenge us to be better people, consumers and corporations.

What really hit home for me was about the power on person can have, or collective what many voices can do. The story has always been about more than the man and more than the broken guitar. His experience with United Airlines was a catalyst in evoking change for consumers and especially for musicians travelling with instruments. Change begins with one person, one experience.

This book will bring insight to how you approach problems in the future. It will make you laugh and feel like you are part of the adventure. Dave Carroll also includes 6 great songs with all versions of the book.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved that it was a true story and can appreciate the lack of customer service within the airline system, however, I found the book to be filled with too many unnecessary details, was disappointed at the outcome and it just didn’t hold my interest. Hats off to Dave though for persevering his mission!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sadly disappointed in this book.
I was hoping for more story about the actual incident of the United flight breaking his guitar, and the logistical aftermath. I was really hoping for a great read, but sadly, this let me down.
Thank goodness this book was less than 200 pages. It’s difficult to hear someone drone on about their 15 minutes of fame for that long. Unsure if he’s trying to be a motivational speaker, give business advice, lecture United (or any large business), analyze the music industry, or get philosophical. Either way, the author talks at you for far too long, often repeating himself. He spends too much time talking himself up, about places he’s performed and conferences he’s been to. Let your success speak for itself. I also tired of hearing about all the ways social media and his song was affecting people. Again, let that speak for itself.
I appreciated learning about the making of the three UBG songs and their videos. Loved that he included his Grandmother in the music video.
I understand that this book was written in 2012, and therefore a lot of the social media and technology information is very dated. This made the book drag though.
I appreciated that he didn’t lash out in anger at United, and reiterated that he wants to try to make the world a better place through his music and life. I can get behind that, but the book was unfortunately boring in my opinion.
I am not sure I would have my students read it, but a few sentences or paragraphs were relevant.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a TRUE STORY. I came across it when I was teaching marketing strategy this past year, and I LOVED it. First of all, the first video and the way this story evolved was fabulous. Even better, Dave Carroll goes on to develop the story from just an 'incident' to a detailed, well-developed story that goes into social media and way beyond. Dave gets into what I've come to believe as the pinnacle of consumer marketing, which is creating emotional connections with customers. Whether you are interested in business and/or marketing or not, there is a lot to love and learn from in this book, and don't miss the chance to watch the videos as well.

[Carol McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great story! And a Canadian story! I was not in Canada when this happened in 2009. The videos are fantastic, tho I am not a big YouTube user, these are wonderful. The book highlights the background of Dave Carroll and the terrible experience when his guitar is broken when he checks it as luggage with United Airlines! Talk about taking a bad situation into a learning experience!
Apparently this is being used as a case study in customer care and marketing - what a great outcome.

[Mark Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up used. Captures a moment in time, dawning of the social media era and declining of mainstream tv, music industry based on cd sales.
Events of the decade since this youtube phenom have shrunk insight of the tale.
Book tells the tale, but then has trouble with the meaning of it all. Neither deep nor hip, not passing it on to others, in the pile for donation.

[Tyler Betts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave gives an honest and inside view into the events that lead him to become an internet sensation over a decade ago. This book had been on my "to read" list for a while, and while it didn't amaze and blow me away, it was well done and offered great insights and reminders - for business and for life

[Vera Steine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half is the backstory to how things came about, and that was an interesting read, but the second part, about why brands should care about marketing read so pedantic and narrow minded that I could not get through it.

[Pat Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this non-violent, non-aggressive "gotcha."

[Janet Sketchley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting behind-the-scenes look at everything around Dave Carroll's iconic "United Breaks Guitars" song trilogy and the new direction it took his career. Good thoughts for customer relations.

[Peggy Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally read this and loved it - interesting to see if Dave gets elected where his journey will take him!

[Leah K · Rating 3 out of 5]

United Breaks Guitars: The Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media by Dave Carroll 197 pages

★★★

Dave Carroll is a musician who depends greatly on his guitar. So in 2008 when United Airline wouldn’t let him take his guitar as a carry-on items and later saw (along with many other people on the plane) the carriers being less than gentle with it, he wasn’t pleased, he was even less pleased when he got it and found his well packed guitar was broken, costing over $1,200 in damages. The problem? Not the damage but the fact that United refused to even work with him…at all. So He made a song and posted a music video on his displeasure. He expected some views but never in his wildest dreams did he expect it to have the impact it did. Over 13 million people have viewed it, siding with him that bad customer service is just the worst. United Airlines stocks even took a major plummet after this video was posted. The point being that in today’s time, the “unimportant unhappy customer” (as they are statistically called) can make a huge difference. Studies show that before social media, an unhappy customer could rant and rave to his friends and reach about 14 people on average but obviously that has changed drastically with the use of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other sites.

I’ve worked in customer service and I’ve also been the customer so I’ve been on both sides. You can’t please everyone; it’s just not going to happen. And as an employee to larger companies, there’s only so much you can do – you don’t make the rules, you just follow them. Luckily, Carroll realizes that – it’s corporate. Corporate looks at people as money and a few unhappy people is of little difference to them and that’s where the problem often lies. This book is divided into three sections, one being his experience with United Airlines, the second being his making of the music and his rise in popularity, and third how social media impacts today’s businesses. I thought Dave Carroll did a good job in this book. He doesn’t take potshots, he just tells it as it is. There is no sense of vindictiveness or anger and his video is quite funny (it can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4...). The author is a very positive person.

Stars are taken off for product placement…mostly of his own stuff. Of course, they guy is writing his own book (no ghost writer) and it only makes sense that he is going to push his talents – check out my music and stuff! But still annoying at times. I don’t know if it was really necessary for this book to be written after the videos, but hey, “why not” seems to be his way of thinking of it. So there you go. Interesting but annoying at times. Nothing groundbreaking.

[Lynne Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up United Breaks Guitars: The Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media because I was a big fan of the three music videos that Dave Carroll came up with. I’m also a fan of Canadians and Canadian musicians, especially those labelled under folk genre. So I put it on hold at the library and when it came in I eagerly picked it up and started reading.

This book has got to be one of the most positive books I have ever read. At the end of the book, I turned to a friend and indicated that you couldn’t get much more Canadian than Dave Carroll in his book.

I figured this book would be about Carroll’s experience with United and a reason to promote his music. And while it definitely was both of those things, it was so much more. He spoke about what happened to him after his United Breaks Guitars video went viral, and how he eventually became a voice for companies who wanted to reach out to customers through the social media.

Carroll went from someone who had never used PowerPoint to someone who understood the importance of social platforms like Facebook and Twitter. He promotes businesses to embrace this new age of social media, because he fears that those who don’t will inevitably go the way of the dinosaur.

I have to agree with him on this. Some of my favourite companies can be found on Twitter. Take ThinkGeek for example. If there is ever an issue with an order and I simply don’t want to call their hotline, I can just as easily send a tweet to their account and they always reply in a timely matter. Not only that, but if you follow them on Twitter, every now and then they give out promo codes. And I like promo codes. Sometimes a promo code is all I need to convince me I need to buy my brother’s birthday gift NOW instead of LATER.

So, in all, I rate this book a two thumbs up. He talks about everything from what happened to his guitar to how they filmed all three videos to the public speaking career he landed from his experience. Not only that, the entire time, he kept spinning a positive look to everything and kept assuring us that he didn’t actually hate United.

I suggest this book to anyone who wants to learn more about just how important social media is today, or just wants to read a feel good story about a man who went from giving up his music career to meeting Bob Taylor (and Gene Simmons).

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly wish I had only ever watched the "United Breaks Guitars" (UBG) video on YouTube, and never bothered with this book. I found the video to be charming and funny when I saw it several years ago. Not so after reading the book.

The book is a mix of telling the story in detail of making the UBG videos and why they were necessary, combined with his assertions about how social media has changed the customer service landscape. While the author references how his video has changed customer service several times throughout the book, he only provides references to others who have studied the issue, and doesn't clearly articulate their conclusions. I also found his assertion that he made the UBG videos without anger to be difficult to believe- if you are really just trying to illuminate how major corporations need to improve their customer-unfriendly policies, then why name names?

Finally, his central idea that anyone can have the type of revolutionary effect that UBG had is disproven by his careful accounting of how the UBG videos were made. The sheer number of people who volunteered their time and talents to make UBG illustrate that this isn't something that any person could pursue as a way to try to resolve their customer service issue. Further, the company may or may not respond to the attempt to go outside of the traditional dispute resolution process. And even the author demonstrates a certain amount of mystification about why something "goes viral"- if it really were as straightforward as he tries to paint, then why are the numbers for the UBG2 and UBG3 videos substantially lower?

On the plus side, if I ever take up playing the guitar, I would seriously consider a Taylor guitar. So I guess all is not lost.

[Mary BookHounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT


Dave Carrolll has endured every musician's nightmare: his guitar, his baby, was tossed and broken by the baggage handlers on a United flight. He honestly tried to get satisfaction from the company, but they pretty much ignored him. He wrote out a plan, which is really impressive, and followed through on each step that he thought out. He would be polite, try to resolve the issue and settle for a sum which would not even begin to cover the repair. So he did what any musician worth his salt, he wrote a song about it and put it on You Tube. His only goal was to get a million views on a trilogy of songs documenting his quest for satisfaction. It received more than that in just four days.


Carroll was thrown into a media whirlwind and knowing just enough, he bravely took it on and tried to get United to understand that the way they were treating their customers was wrong. His battle with them became a text book case of consumer affairs and what not do in public relations if you are a major corporation in this day of social media. I have to say that this book is exceptionally well written and very enjoyable. What made it very special is that it tells a story and makes his experiences very easy to relate to. I mean, who hasn't been abused by an airline, but the way Carroll responded should be a lesson for the consumer and the corporation. The smart ones pay attention and try to fix it, especially in this day of social media where every one really has a voice.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Dave Carroll's first book, "United Breaks Guitars". I have been a fan of Dave's music and enjoy his live perfromances. Dave's story of how United Airlines broke his Taylor guitar and the roadblocks that he encountered in having the company offer restitution and an apology resonates with many frustrated consumers. Instead of just being angry, Dave used his songwriting talents and channeled his frustrations in a positive manner by creating 3 songs and videos to get his message to the public and big business. With the attention that his songs and videos garnered on YouTube, Dave began to think about and do something about the positive ways that social media could be used to create a dialogue between consumers and business to help resolve conflicts. Sometimes all we want is to know that we have been listened to and that a company will treat us with respect and take our concerns into consideration. Dave is a natural born storyteller and the book is a fun but thought-provoking read with a big message. Great work, Dave!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

United Breaks Guitars delivers exactly what it promises: the story behind how one voice in the age of social media (via videos) can have immense power.

The tale behind the songs and videos, from the actual loss of Carroll's guitar to their production and release on social media, was interesting and well-written; it's also inspiring to know that any of us who has had a bad customer service experience can, potentially, make a difference not only in our situations but also have a much broader effect.

The book doesn't go much further than that, however, which made it a three-star book for me instead of four. Had it gone more in depth with an analysis of the power of social media, I would have found it much more informative, but still, I can't complain as that was never actually promised.

Overall, it's a solid book and worth a read or at least a skim (which I found myself doing) if you're interested in this subject matter.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having seen the UBG video when it first was released on YouTube in 2009, this book was a fun read. It was interesting to learn more about Dave's story as well as the lessons he learned from dealing with such a huge company as United Airlines.

There are a lot of points that Dave brings up that I agree with such as people buying into why you do things rather than what you're doing and why it's important to remain focused on the "one" individual who may be unhappy rather than the majority who is. However, toward the end of the book I found Dave to be a little preachy and even a bit boastful. Other than that, it was educational and overall an interesting, easy read.

[Libby Broadbent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book... its not my usual read, and it isn't a real page-turner, but Dave Carroll's experience is fascinating and I'm using his story to motivate my grade ten english students in a social media project. His writing is accessible and he makes lots of great points that aren't garbled in marketing-speak. He is such a likeable guy... he's humble and funny and it makes his writing very believable. An impressive story, one that speaks volumes to entrepreneurs in the new social media world.

[Josh McDevitt-Spall · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good read. Apparently I'm one of the few people on Earth who didn't know anything about this YouTube sensation from a few years back. I picked this up because it looked like it may have something to do with music, then I read the flap and was intrigued. Dave gets a little self-congratulatory, but isn't overly indulgent with it. I enjoyed his ideas about nonconfrontational conflict resolution.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to have seen Dave Carroll as a guest speaker at a recent conference. Everyone received his book as a gift at the end of his presentation. I was impressed with his warmth and honesty and his approach to customer excellence. I immediately read his book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Part of it is the re-telling of his story, but the 2nd 1/2 is really about his philosophy and approach to customer service. Great messages.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read! This was an entertaining, light-hearted and inspiring first hand account of the story behind the video that has had so much attention. It would appeal to all ages and interests. I especially loved the photos and the fact that the author gives away 6 song downloads in the book. A great reminder of what any one of us can do if we focus our energy and talents to bring about change.

[Chris Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't like self-help books--if one chooses to classify this volume as such--but this one was a real page-turner (or, in the case of the e-book edition, a real screen-tapper). It contains a lot of important lessons that can be learned by businesses, consumers, and...well, human beings in general. It's definitely worth reading, whether or not you are a fan of UBG.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts that did not overly interest
me, but over all, I'd recommend. I remember the media frenzy, but I did not remember that he was part of Sons of Maxwell! This book reminded me how much I enjoyed their music.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and plainly written tale of how one man can use social media to bring a large corporation to its knees (sort of). I recommend watching at least the first UBG video.

Here's a link to my full review:
http://balancethebooks.blogspot.com/2...

[Peter Astbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining, well written and interesting. Not so sure it would be useful to people trying to replicate the success of the United Breaks Guitars video series but certainly shows why customer service is becoming so important in the Information Age.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific. What started as a look at the events surrounding the song he wrote gradually turned into a philosophical look at the impact of both customer service and social media. Dave Carroll's inherent likeability adds to what turns out to be an inspirational look at life.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty, inspiring.

[Hendrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read, really goes to show the power of social media and how the public can now, more than ever, hold the big corporations accountable for their poor customer service actions!

[Anuradha Goyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must read social media case study : http://www.anureviews.com/united-brea...