Here’s a great piece over at Inc.:
The cliff notes version:
- Guy heads to Waffle House late at night after an evening of drinking
- Waffle House staff has fallen asleep
- Guy who’s lacking in sobriety heads to the kitchen and cooks up his own meal
From my time in Corporate PR, I’m well aware of the reflective desire for retaliation. Mr. Warner, the PR Director at Waffle House, however, opted for a bright and pithy response.
“We’re glad Alex was able to enjoy his Texas Bacon Cheesesteak. We’ve apologized to Alex and have invited him back to eat with us. We also promised him we’d do the cooking the next time.”
For me, this was perfect. Humble, accepting of the company’s failure in this, and working to engage a committed customer. I expect they brought in many to the fold.
And, most important, they got right back to business.
Nicely played Waffle House. Nicely played indeed.
