United Airlines Overbooking Crisis In At Least Two Briefs

The United Airlines Overbooking Crisis In At Least Two Brief Paragrap

The United Airlines overbooking crisis demonstrated significant organizational failure in managing customer relations and crisis communication. The airline's initial responses appeared defensive and dismissive, which worsened public outrage and diminished trust, highlighting ineffective crisis management and poor empathy toward affected passengers.

Similarly, Delta Airlines faced a crisis when it accidentally overbooked flights, but its transparent communication and prompt compensation efforts helped mitigate negative perceptions. These instances influence my opinions; United's handling originally seemed egocentric, but after observing their subsequent efforts, I view them more critically but also cautiously, recognizing the importance of effective crisis communication.

Paper For Above instruction

The United Airlines overbooking crisis, which erupted publicly in 2017, serves as a pivotal example of how poor crisis management and communication can severely damage an organization's reputation. The incident involved the forcible removal of passenger Dr. David Dao from a flight due to overbooking, which was captured on videos that swiftly went viral. United’s initial response, characterized by defensiveness and dismissiveness, failed to demonstrate empathy or accountability, which intensified public outrage. According to Coombs’ Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), such denial or dismissive responses typically exacerbate reputational damage when an organization is perceived as responsible (Coombs, 2012). The airline's failure to acknowledge the severity of the incident and to offer meaningful apologies was widely criticized, illustrating the importance of compassionate and transparent communication during crises.

In contrast, Delta Airlines’ management during the overbooking crisis in 2017 exemplified more effective conversation strategies. Delta adopted a proactive stance with clear, honest communication and swift compensation, which helped to restore some customer trust. They issued public apologies and offered compensation promptly, aligning with best practices recommended in crisis communication literature such as Benoit’s Image Restoration Theory, which emphasizes the importance of expressing regret and taking responsibility (Benoit, 1997). This approach mitigated some damage and demonstrated an understanding of stakeholder needs, contrasting with United’s more problematic handling.

Reflecting on these incidents, my perception of United Airlines was negatively impacted initially due to their handling of the crisis. The incident highlighted the critical role of empathetic communication and accountability, consistent with crisis communication research emphasizing the need for organizations to demonstrate genuine concern and transparency (Heath & O’Hair, 2010). Over time, United’s subsequent efforts to improve customer service and better crisis responses have somewhat rehabilitated their image, yet the incident remains a reminder of how critical effective communication is during crises for maintaining organizational reputation.

References

• Benoit, W. L. (1997). Image repair discourse and crisis communication. Public Relations Review, 23(2), 177-186.
• Coombs, W. T. (2012). Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding. Sage Publications.
• Heath, R. L., & O’Hair, H. D. (2010). Handbook of risk and crisis communication. Routledge.
• Heath, R. L. (2004). Explaining crisis communication: Culture, power, and messages. Routledge.
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