I run a conference call with my actual job, and this happens. What? I strongly doubt that anyone who reads this piece will not have already taken in a post from Gary this morning. I’m sure many of you have read about Lucky’s Kickstarter campaign to fund a review of the awesome looking Etihad suites/apartments/whatever. I publicly admit to having donated $10 bucks to this little effort all in good fun, and in actually wanting to read Lucky’s review of the product. Believe me, I give far more to charity and my church every other week.
Well, it seems one of AA’s spokespeople took issue with this on her personal Twitter account. I won’t repeat the screenshots here as I do not wish to add any fuel to the fire, but the gist of the Tweet was something to the effect of “please don’t publicize this idiot….” Lucky, politely took issue with that, and the PR person again Tweeting from her private account apologized.
Comments on Gary’s post are rolling in, with some carrying sticks and rocks, others agreeing with the PR person, and still more asking can we all just move on? These kinds of things serve as a stark reminder to those of us around social media that words do matter. I wish the PR person had not used such strong language, but I am glad she apologized publicly. I hope she will pick up the phone and call Lucky personally too. Then, I hope we all just move on. Lucky isn’t holding a gun to anyone’s head insisting they contribute to his effort. On the other hand, people are entitled to their own opinions. Finally, we all slip up from time to time. When it happens, apologize sincerely, and move on. I hope that’s what happens here.
-MJ, May 8, 2014
Come on folks. She should not be fired. At worst, AA should just make her fly Spirit on domestic company business and Ryan when overseas. Who knows, she might start her own Kickstarter campaign after that.
Yikes! This is actually the first time I’ve been online today so it’s the first I’ve heard about what happened.
That was an unfortunate decision on her part. If she studied PR in college, this should have been a part of her education.
I get the need to vent about things. I also understand the need to do so in an appropriate way. There are a million other ways she could have handled her frustrations that wouldn’t have potentially landed her in hot water.
Unfortunately for her, this is something that could negatively impact her PR career for the rest of her life.
It’s a great reminder for all of us though to be our same self online as we would in person.
And BTW she has been in her job with AA for only 2 months. Great way to start and show her new company how good of a PR she is.
I tend to agree with Rasmussen. A PR professional should know better than to publicly admonish a well-known travel blogger, let alone an Executive Platinum customer. The corporate line can be “our personal comments are our own” but at the end of the day she could have potentially damaged the American brand with her comments. As her manager, I have to weigh the public perception of a company over the ‘personal’ opinions of an employee. Looking at it another way, If I was her manager I don’t see any positive reason to keep her on staff give whats happened.
Ok, maybe “fired” is too much. However, she is a PR for an airline so whatever she does in her personal life directly affect her role as a PR. I would not have a problem if she worked in finance, supply chain or any other role at AA but PR? She made a really bad judgment on using social media to vent. She looks young and young people were not educated the same way older people were. They still think they can vent their frustrations or do whatever they want and nobody will care. She has to learn that once online it is forever. This will follow her entire career and even if she apologizes it will be posted on internet forever.
Very reasonable advice, Rasmussen. Should serve as a reminder to all of us.
While I concur with the premise that one cannot do whatever they want in their personal life that might go against a company’s values/policy, etc, I can’t agree that “she should be fired.” I have a very hard time with fire them first and ask questions later, unless we’re talking about things like criminal acts, which this is not. I suspect that the hew and cry in social channels is punishment enough, a lesson learned, and that this was a mistake that will not be repeated.
She should be fired. You can say it is personal life but she chose a career where personal and professional walk together. If you ever worked for a big corporation you know what I am saying. As an executive of a multinational company I cannot do whatever I want in my personal life if that in some way will become public and go against my company’s values. Again, if you want to be totally free go have your own business and be your own boss. She made a mistake and AA should punish her. It is funny how people today vent whatever frustration they have on social media without thinking on the consequences but then when they see the big mistake they made they find it is easy to apologize. BS!!!! She is only apologizing because she knows her job is on the line for her comments. She still thinks the Kickstarter idea is idiot.