Legal Marketer Sees Lessons in Alleged Near-Assault by Airline Employee
Legal marketer Larry Bodine usually uses his blog to deliver advice and news about how law firms can attract more clients through good communications strategies and effective use of technology.
After a clash with a United Airlines employee, Bodine was once again delivering marketing advice, although this time it was being delivered with a satirical punch.
Bodine, a former editor and publisher of the ABA Journal, claimed on his blog that a uniformed United Airlines employee at LaGuardia Airport threatened to punch him in a dispute over whether the airline should provide a free hotel room.
“He was ready to add injury to insult to a paying customer,” Bodine wrote. “The man came around the counter and stood two inches from my face and threatened to punch me.” Bodine also recounted his story in a YouTube video.
According to Bodine, the angry employee’s supervisor ordered him to back off then dragged him away. Later, Bodine says, he saw six military personnel and two police officers arrive on the scene.
Bodine saw four marketing lessons in the incident:
1) The customer is always right.
2) Do not try to physically attack your customers.
3) Don’t tell customers “it’s not our policy” to help them out.
4) Don’t tell a customer there is no federal law requiring them to help you.
United Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Friday, Bodine removed his blog post and the YouTube video.
Updated on Feb. 4 to report that Bodine had removed the blog post and video.
