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c h a p t e r 8 : ╇ E ngagement on the S ocial W eb╇ ■216

Figure€8.4╇â•R‰ equesting Exemptions from 3-Hour Rule
This is where social business fits: Suppose the airlines and regulators had spent

(or do so in the future) more time with customers, explaining the entire process, and
seeking input? Rather than relying on a handful of anecdotes—“Next up on Breaking
World News, Meet 83-year-old Mildred W., who was trapped on a flight for 11 hours
when she tried to visit her great grandkids in Mt. Pleasant,” and the testimony of rep-
resentatives for airlines and passengers who may well have an agenda that is at odds
with those of actual passengers or actual airline employees—what if they connected
customers directly with employees and asked them to sort it out?

Consider that alternative: Would it not produce a better solution if a) the actual
participants in the process had a say in it, and b) those directly involved—including
passengers and employees—understood the entire process and why longer delays might
actually be in everyone’s best interest? For example, what if instead of fines (which do
not flow back to the customer as a benefit in any appreciable form) the airlines were
required to provide wholesome meals if the delay crossed a dinner hour? Or what if