FedEx delivery video: Package thrown. FedEx apologizes on YouTube.
When just about everything is caught on tape these days, bad employees have no place to hide. After a security camera caught a FedEx driver delivering a computer monitor by throwing it over a six-foot fence rather than ringing the doorbell, the video got posted to YouTube this week, caught the attention of more than 800,000 viewers and several local TV stations, and put FedEx Corp. in the hot seat. So what should a company do when an embarrassing video goes viral?
FedEx cut a YouTube apology of its own, entitled "Absolutely, Positively Unacceptable" – a play on its old slogan "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight." (See the video below.)
"Along with many of you, I've seen the video of our courier," says Matthew Thornton, senior vice president of the company's US operations, in the 1:43 minute video. "I am upset and embarrassed for our customer's poor experience. This goes directly against all FedEx values."
Fed Ex not only replaced the customer's computer monitor free of charge, it has shared the video internally with employees.
"We are already using it as a learning opportunity," Mr. Thornton says in the video.
FedEx also confronted the employee and is "working within our disciplinary policy, and the employee is not working with customers," he adds.
The company's response garnered more than 100 comments on the company's website, which is a fairly strong response, says company spokeswoman Shea Leordeanu.
While some customers point out that the mishandling of the package is not an isolated incident, most of the responses are positive.
"It is refreshing to see a major corporation step forward and publicly resolve the issue and not try to hide from it," wrote Erik H. on the company's website. "Well done."
"FedEx has clearly stepped up to the plate and handled this issue promptly and professionally," Mike Warrak wrote.
Even employees weighed in.
"That video was quite disheartening," wrote Alicia. "But the fact that the executives of our company saw the importance of making a public statement concerning the same, makes me even MORE proud to work here."
What do you think? Did FexEx handle this in the right way? See the video below and judge for yourself.
