Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong..

John Taylor · 01-29-2009, 04:12 AM

How one complaint letter can have a huge impact
on how your brand is seen by your target audience.

This has had air time on BBC News, it's been reprinted
in national newspapers, it's been tweeted about and
now you've heard about it on the Warrior Forum:

How an unhappy Virgin customer won an apology from Richard Branson | The Sun |Features

The consumer has much more power today and word
(good or bad) spreads really quickly.

How would you deal with what's being described as
possibly "The Best Complaint Letter Yet"?

John

Thamisgith · 01-29-2009, 04:20 AM

This was pretty funny and it's had an amazing amount of exposure - here in the UK at least.

What I haven't seen yet is the response from Virgin. That would be interesting.

Kim Standerline · 01-29-2009, 05:08 AM

First time I've seen it

Really funny tho, the chap must be related to Victor Meldrew lol

Nathan Hangen · 01-29-2009, 05:09 AM

Dude can write a funny letter, that's for sure. I LOL'd.

Floyd Fisher · 01-29-2009, 07:00 AM

First time I ever read that one....I actually laughed at the way he described everything.

Crime scene cookies, bird processed potatoes, lol. This guy ought to be a food critic.

And where did he get the presence of mind to take pics of this stuff? And why didn't anyone else notice this on the plane?

I wonder how many jobs were lost over this one?

As to how to deal with it. I'd have given him double his money back, and offered him a job as well. He's obviously way smarter than anyone currently working for Mr Branson.

matthewc · 01-29-2009, 01:03 PM

Entrepreneuship is all about taking risk and giving it your best shot... however you do make mistakes sometimes.... actually unless you are willing to allow yourself to make mistakes you will never succeed in any of your ventures!

ExRat · 01-29-2009, 01:31 PM

Hi,

I have to say I prefer these two, the first one particularly.

WARNING!

Both pages linked to contain strong language...

complaint written on napkin

complaint from child

Talltom1 · 01-29-2009, 01:47 PM

OMG - that was absolutely hysterical. It's been getting exposure here in the US the past few days, but I hadn't read the letter til now. Absolutely awesome. That letter had to make even a guy like Richard wilt.

Talltom

alexshelton · 01-29-2009, 01:48 PM

Haha ExRat! They are funny.

I can imagine Branson having a good chuckle over it though, he's a cool bloke.

ExRat · 01-29-2009, 01:52 PM

Hi Alex,

I think it's my childish sense of humour but that napkin complaint is something that cheers me up even on my darkest days. It has some funny wording like 'stink-shield' and 'I am filled with a deep hatred for your plane designer' and the 1st picture is just so funny....

alexshelton · 01-29-2009, 01:55 PM

Haha Yeah!

I can just imagine him constructing the "Stench-shield" lol

Poor guy

ExRat · 01-29-2009, 01:58 PM

Hi Alex,

Sorry guys, I'll stop hi-jacking this thread after this -

I got it wrong, it was 'stink-shield'. I like the bit later on -

'...soon I will be able to tear down the stink-shield, but the scars will remain.' Lolol

Quote:

I can just imagine him constructing the "Stench-shield" lol

I don't know for sure, but I always get the impression the 'author' was a woman.

Asher · 01-29-2009, 02:08 PM

My gosh, the replies were so politically correct
politicians should be grovelling in dirt! Heh. The
email reply was simply brilliant.

I absolutely loved it =) I'm going to be writing my
complaint letters that way from now on.

Asher

Steven Wagenheim · 01-29-2009, 02:53 PM

John, that was brilliant. Very well written.

As for how I'd deal with a complaint letter like that?

I hope to high heaven that I never put out a product THAT bad that I have
to GET a complaint letter like that because if I do, I have no business being
IN business.

If those photos are real, that airline should be shut down.

That is just disgraceful.

01-29-2009, 04:12 AM	#1
John Taylor Recovering Millionaire War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Langholm, Scotland, United Kingdom. Posts: 9,718 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 534 Thanked 1,459 Times in 403 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. How one complaint letter can have a huge impact on how your brand is seen by your target audience. This has had air time on BBC News, it's been reprinted in national newspapers, it's been tweeted about and now you've heard about it on the Warrior Forum: How an unhappy Virgin customer won an apology from Richard Branson \| The Sun \|Features The consumer has much more power today and word (good or bad) spreads really quickly. How would you deal with what's being described as possibly "The Best Complaint Letter Yet"? John
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01-29-2009, 04:20 AM	#2
Thamisgith HyperActive Warrior Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edinburgh, UK Posts: 110 Thanks: 10 Thanked 8 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. This was pretty funny and it's had an amazing amount of exposure - here in the UK at least. What I haven't seen yet is the response from Virgin. That would be interesting.
	Best Regards, Hamish

01-29-2009, 05:08 AM	#3
Kim Standerline Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 4,220 Thanks: 483 Thanked 452 Times in 201 Posts Social Networking	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. First time I've seen it Really funny tho, the chap must be related to Victor Meldrew lol
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01-29-2009, 05:09 AM	#4
Nathan Hangen Webrepreneur Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NC Posts: 950 Thanks: 233 Thanked 91 Times in 75 Posts Social Networking	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. Dude can write a funny letter, that's for sure. I LOL'd.
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01-29-2009, 07:00 AM	#5
Floyd Fisher Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: , , . Posts: 5,061 Thanks: 213 Thanked 94 Times in 76 Posts	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. First time I ever read that one....I actually laughed at the way he described everything. Crime scene cookies, bird processed potatoes, lol. This guy ought to be a food critic. And where did he get the presence of mind to take pics of this stuff? And why didn't anyone else notice this on the plane? I wonder how many jobs were lost over this one? As to how to deal with it. I'd have given him double his money back, and offered him a job as well. He's obviously way smarter than anyone currently working for Mr Branson.
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01-29-2009, 01:03 PM	#6
matthewc Active Warrior Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 51 Thanks: 1 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. Entrepreneuship is all about taking risk and giving it your best shot... however you do make mistakes sometimes.... actually unless you are willing to allow yourself to make mistakes you will never succeed in any of your ventures!

01-29-2009, 01:31 PM	#7
ExRat Dare To Be Different War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: U.K. Posts: 7,778 Thanks: 601 Thanked 1,465 Times in 522 Posts	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. Hi, I have to say I prefer these two, the first one particularly. WARNING! Both pages linked to contain strong language... complaint written on napkin complaint from child
	Roger D 'There are no more prizes for predicting rain. There are only prizes for building arks.' Lou Gerstner 'Money can't buy you happiness but it will buy you a yacht big enough to pull up alongside it.' David Lee Roth 'Most people are walking around, umbilical cord in hand, looking for a new place to plug it in.' Cavett Robert

01-29-2009, 01:47 PM	#8
Talltom1 HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 313 Thanks: 30 Thanked 46 Times in 21 Posts	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. OMG - that was absolutely hysterical. It's been getting exposure here in the US the past few days, but I hadn't read the letter til now. Absolutely awesome. That letter had to make even a guy like Richard wilt. Talltom
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01-29-2009, 01:48 PM	#9
alexshelton www.JVWire.com War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: The World (Travelling) Posts: 954 Thanks: 100 Thanked 32 Times in 20 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. Haha ExRat! They are funny. I can imagine Branson having a good chuckle over it though, he's a cool bloke.
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01-29-2009, 01:52 PM	#10
ExRat Dare To Be Different War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: U.K. Posts: 7,778 Thanks: 601 Thanked 1,465 Times in 522 Posts	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. Hi Alex, I think it's my childish sense of humour but that napkin complaint is something that cheers me up even on my darkest days. It has some funny wording like 'stink-shield' and 'I am filled with a deep hatred for your plane designer' and the 1st picture is just so funny....
	Roger D 'There are no more prizes for predicting rain. There are only prizes for building arks.' Lou Gerstner 'Money can't buy you happiness but it will buy you a yacht big enough to pull up alongside it.' David Lee Roth 'Most people are walking around, umbilical cord in hand, looking for a new place to plug it in.' Cavett Robert

01-29-2009, 01:55 PM	#11
alexshelton www.JVWire.com War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: The World (Travelling) Posts: 954 Thanks: 100 Thanked 32 Times in 20 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. Haha Yeah! I can just imagine him constructing the "Stench-shield" lol Poor guy
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01-29-2009, 02:08 PM	#13
Asher Wanted by Success War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Singapore. Posts: 1,577 Blog Entries: 62 Thanks: 354 Thanked 218 Times in 135 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. My gosh, the replies were so politically correct politicians should be grovelling in dirt! Heh. The email reply was simply brilliant. I absolutely loved it =) I'm going to be writing my complaint letters that way from now on. Asher
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01-29-2009, 02:53 PM	#14
Steven Wagenheim Content & Copywriting Wiz War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Roselle, NJ, USA Posts: 14,129 Blog Entries: 11 Thanks: 698 Thanked 3,519 Times in 1,205 Posts Social Networking	Re: Even Richard Branson Can Get It Wrong.. John, that was brilliant. Very well written. As for how I'd deal with a complaint letter like that? I hope to high heaven that I never put out a product THAT bad that I have to GET a complaint letter like that because if I do, I have no business being IN business. If those photos are real, that airline should be shut down. That is just disgraceful.
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