Case
Teaching Notes
Abstract
Sophie is a new senior customer communication specialist at Lincoln Gas, a regulated natural gas utility company with more than 1.5 million customers in three U.S. states. For almost six months, Lincoln Gas has faced continuous ridicule on social media and in the press for being unavailable to customers online or via phone for basic requests like starting and stopping service, as well as more urgent matters like reporting billing errors and gas leaks. Lincoln Gas has been working to fix its website and call center woes, but progress is slow, and the social media firestorm rages on. This case encourages students to appraise the communication-related aspects of Lincoln Gas’s customer service meltdown. It then asks students to take on Sophie’s role in first empathizing with customers and then drafting an apology letter on behalf of the company’s CEO that will eventually be sent to all 1.5 million Lincoln Gas customers.
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