Revenge on consumers’ minds as outspoken Ryanair boss reaches out on Twitter (Storify)
Michael O’Leary, Chief Executive Officer of Irish airline Ryanair, is pictured during a press conference at the Scandic Grand Central Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden on August 29, 2013.
Ryanair's outspoken boss Michael O'Leary took to Twitter on Tuesday to speak directly with customers as a part of an effort to change the company's brusque image.
Europe's largest discount airline has been heavily criticized for its treatment of customers and hidden fees.
O'Leary, who had already expressed disdain for Twitter followers, took to the social media platform using the hashtag #GrillMOL.
Now it was the turn of unhappy customers to make their voices heard.
The session started 50 minutes early due to a scheduling error. O'Leary began with a compliment to a female tweeter that many found innappropriate.
The nasty replies didn't seem to bother him much, with O'Leary replying:
“Just found out what hashtags are. Learning on da job! Always compliment ladies pics”.
Tweeters were fierce (see below for more).
“What type of people do you enjoy mistreating most? I’m guessing elderly and disabled?”
“Were you born an arsehole or has it progressed throughout your life?”
“Is it company policy for your staff to be rude and unhelpful as possible?”
O'Leary has conceded that Ryanair does need to change its image, even if it remains popular due to exceptionally low prices.
He said that the company needs to make an effort not to "unnecessarily piss people off".
As for him, he plans to continue doing that.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!