So, last Monday I go to Orlando to see Killswitch Engage at the House of Blues. One of the things I like about the House of Blues in Orlando is that, because it's on Disney property, the shows have to be cleared out by midnight, which is good for folks who have a 90-minute drive home.
So the second opener finishes up at about 9:25, which means the headliner would come on about 20 minutes later.
Except they didn't. Nor did they come on by 10:00, which then turned into 10:15, 10:20, and 10:30. By this time the audience was chanting epithets and getting visibly agitated.
Finally, around 10:40, the house lights come up and the curtain opens to reveal the members of the band, minus their lead singer, and without any instruments. They sheepishly reported that their lead singer had hurt his back, and after a cortisone shot did no good, he was transported to a local hospital, and that they would not be able to do a show that night.
Obviously, the audience was more than slightly miffed. But instead of hauling ass back to their tour bus, the band declared that they would be coming back the next day (which was their day off) to play a show with or without their singer. Furthermore, they stated that they would be coming into the auditorium to personally apologize, shake hands, sign autographs and take pictures with anyone who felt like hanging around. True to their word, they came out a few minutes later, and were apparently mingling with fans until the management of the venue asked them to pack it in sometime after 1am. A few of them even had polite conversations with parents on phones that were handed to them, explaining why junior hadn't called for his ride yet, and why he'd need another ride tomorrow night.
I hung out for a little bit and talked to a couple of the band members, and mentioned that I thought that that was one of the best displays of good customer service I had ever seen. Honestly, even if they hadn't come back the next night (which they did, with a fill-in singer who performed incredibly under the circumstances) I'd still have been satisfied with the evening. They promised the audience an experience for their ticket price, and when they were unable to provide the show they expected to provide, they were classy and flexible enough to provide some sort of memorable experience for the folks who had shelled out the bucks to attend.
No real point to my story I suppose. Other than it's a good example that treating customers well and doing business like a decent person can actually pay off. I went home and purchased the entirety of their catalog that I didn't already own, and I suppose I was compelled enough to actually post on an internet message board about it as well.
jg
