This is an oldie, but an invaluable “goodie” lesson about the potential impact of social media.
When the iPhone first came out, AT&T billing system gave customers detailed report that itemized each time they went onto the internet. Since the iPhone allowed such easy access to the internet, this meant a very bulky monthly bill for many people. One person decided to show her 300-page bill on YouTube. It got substantial play and has been viewed more than 2,000,000 times now.
The embarrassment forced AT&T to change its billing system quickly, which is not an easy task. The expedient fix of the problem was in the end a good result for not only the customers, but also for the company itself.
The missed opportunity may have been to applaud the young woman in the video for making the problem so obvious, and then launching a social media campaign that explained how the company listened and reacted appropriately.