Responding to a social media crisis before it is too late

FedEx delivery person throwing a video monitor

There have been countless examples of businesses not understanding the power and speed that social media can turn something from minor irritation into full scale PR disaster.

Here’s an excellent example of the importance of responding to a social media crisis before it is too late.

A YouTube user uploaded a video of a FedEx delivery person throwing a video monitor into his/her yard.

Here is a video of my monitor being “delivered”. The sad part is that I was home at the time with the front door wide open. All he would have had to do was ring the bell on the gate. Now I have to return my monitor since it is broken

This YouTube video has created a social media storm of sorts and has been viewed over 9 million times for this one YouTube post alone.

Well, before it was too late – remember United breaks guitars – FedEx posted its own response to customer’s video with the following statement by Matthew Thornton III, Senior Vice President, US Operations, FedEx Express:

Along with many of you, we’ve seen the video showing one of our couriers carelessly and improperly delivering a package the other day. As the leader of our pickup and delivery operations across America, I want you to know that I was upset, embarrassed, and very sorry for our customer’s poor experience. This goes directly against everything we have always taught our people and expect of them. It was just very disappointing.

UPS delivery worker making a crude hand gesture

Just days after video of a FedEx employee went viral, a surveillance video from a Long Island home shows a UPS delivery worker making a crude hand gesture, then flinging a package onto the front porch of his customer.

An UPS representative told NBC New York the delivery man was a seasonal employee.

We don’t tolerate such conduct,” said UPS spokeswoman Natalie Godwin. “And yes, he was fired

These incidents of social media brand crisis underscores the importance of having a social media crisis management plan.

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Responding to a social media crisis before it is too late — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/bqz

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