Terry Massey, general manager of Ken Stoepel Ford-Lincoln in Kerrville, Texas, can remember the incident like it was yesterday.
The nightmare started with a miscommunication between his staff and a customer over which month her first $460 payment for her new vehicle was due. Instead of complaining directly, the customer posted a message on Google accusing the dealership of misleading her.
"We had a slight misunderstanding between a business manager and a salesman. The lady thought we had lied to her about her car payment. It went viral within a matter of days. She's got our reputation right in the palm of her hand," Massey recalls. "Here we are a President's Award winner."
Ken Stoepel Ford-Lincoln tried to settle the issue by giving the customer a free payment, but the scars endured. The incident helped lead the dealership to seek outside help managing its social media reputation.