We have all heard the expression, "A happy customer tells one friend, an unhappy customer tells everybody they know." I've heard this expression my entire life, especially while working in the hospitality industry as a Bartender while in University. Since I started a career in Marketing I've heard and read about this principal more times than I can remember, but it wasn't until this past week that I really took the time to appreciate just how true the statement is, and how big of an impact it can have.
It all started on Tuesday, or "game day" as the Vancouver Canucks were playing that evening. The buzz in the city was more evident than usual, as the Canucks were to pay tribute to the late Rick Rypien, who had died unexpectedly in the off season. For those of you who don't follow hockey or the Canucks, Rick Rypien was a fan favorite in Vancouver, and although he signed with a different team in the off season, his loss was felt by many.
TSN was to broadcast the Canucks vs Rangers game as their second part of a double header. As it got closer to 7:00pm, it became clear the early game was not going to finish on time. 7:00pm came and passed, and TSN opted to stay with the early game instead of switching for the pre-game ceremony and video tribute to honor Rick.
In frustration, I went to Twitter to announce my displeasure. After I scolded them, I clicked the #tsn hashtag I had put in my post. Keep in mind this was 7:02pm, so I thought I would be the first and perhaps only person complaining as it would take a while for people to realize what was happening; I was wrong. Thousands of posts had beaten mine to the punch, scolding #tsn for their disrespect to Vancouver, and to Mr. Rypien.
I would say that TSN has done a great job in utilizing social communication to its advantage, as virtually all of their broadcasters have very active twitter accounts, and I always look to them for the latest news. Because of this, I usually always tune in to TSN programming to watch these same broadcasters. By all accounts, a social media success story, right? Maybe, but in the years I have watched TSN with no complaint, not once have I ever praised or recommended them. This backlash is just one small example of how that old saying, "an angry customer tells everybody" is amplified in the age of social communication.
For those of you who missed it, here is the tribute to Rick.
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