How to compound bad business with bad social media: @Progressive's crummy job explaining the company's legal defense of a policy-holder's killer


Last night, Mark wrote about Matt Fisher's experience with Progressive Insurance, the insurer for his late sister, who was killed in a traffic accident. Progressive tried to deny Fisher's claim (the other driver was underinsured, but Fisher's Progressive policy included coverage for underinsured third parties) In order to collect full benefits, Fisher's family has had to sue the other driver, and, incredibly, Progressive paid its lawyers to defend the driver that killed its policy holder.

Understandably, the Progressive Twitter account has attracted a lot of negative attention. But whomever is running the social media strategy at Progressive has gotten stuck in a loop. No matter what you tweet @Progressive, you get the same bland PR-speak non-answer assuring you that Progressive has looked into it and everything is just fine, nothing to see here.

Wil Wheaton's got an audio interpretation of what the @Progressive account sounds like to him:

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Dear Progressive Insurance PR Bot