So the theme of today is Brand Loyalty/Customer Service)

M and I rode the bikes down to the AOL pop-up show featuring Broken Bells.  The staff managing the line didn’t get the message on providing customer service.   The event staff was bitchy and told us that we weren’t going to get in.  We stayed in line for the official door count.  We made the cut off but our dudes from Gowalla were right behind us and didn’t make it in.  M and I took issue with this.  Gowalla was a sponsor of the interactive festival (and they did us a solid, letting us into their party), they should have been treated better.

M had words with the event staff and started posting on the twitter to the event sponsors about the incident.  After a few free beers we ran into Denise with AOL.  She happened to be interviewing attendees.  M and I told her what happened  with Gowalla and went on to mention (on camera) the importance of brand loyalty.  M and I have been attending the festival for a while and there are parties that we go to every year regardless.  Some sponsors know how to treat their guests and many of them stay on top of the music scene to provide both big name bands and up and coming bands.

Broken Bells put on a great show (we will post the pictures later).  A short time into the show, we found out that the sponsors made an attempt to correct the actions of the event staff.  Based on the twitter posts, it doesn’t look like Gowalla made it in.

Gowalla did not get in to Broken Bells

After the show, we walked to Creekside to check the schedule for the Big Texas Jumpstart (and to get a free beer).  Then we were off to ACC to stroll through the tradeshow (we spotted Erik Estrada from Chips promoting the Starkey Hearing Foundation) and use the computers (I needed to up my texting plan).  Then we were off to the Purevolume House to pick up laminates (which I have yet to use). We made a few friends in line, then headed over to Creekside to catch Ezra Furman and the Harpoons and Everybody was in the French Resistance…Now!.

Since it was St. Patty’s day, M and I decided to go off the grid for the night.  SXSW was put on pause and we headed back to the house to tidy up and chill out.

Cost for the day: tips for bartender

Free: 1 beer.  I phone case.