When Every Customer Is Also A Journalist – Lessons From Delta Flight 6499

I have no feelings – either way – about Delta Airlines or their service (truthfully, I’ve flied Delta only a handful of times and it’s been as unremarkable as the other airlines).
What sparked me about this video is not how poor the service is, but rather the blatant lies that are being fed to the consumers. I’m starting to wonder if the airline industry is the only industry left that has a complete lack of respect and regard for their own consumers?
I think this video is funny because of how sad it is. I think the power in this video goes well beyond a lesson in customer service, but rather scratches at the very core of what Social Media is and how it will change how companies deal with their consumers.
This is only one video_ but everyone on this dreaded Delta flight does have a voice. Either through text, audio, images_ or video (this person’s media of choice). The bigger question becomes: how does a company stay relevant when more than one consumer leverages their individual ability, right and opportunity to speak their mind at the same volume and through a mass channel as the airline carrier?

(hat tip to C.C. Chapman for this).