What a Rogue Blimp Can Teach Us About Customer Experience

An old news story came across my desk recently and I realized that the lessons are as true today as they were when I wrote about them nearly 10 years ago. As it turns out, a runaway airship can teach CX leaders a thing or two.

In 2015, a $182 million airship, the JLENS (Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System), broke free from its tether at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

The airship’s journey across the Northeast—complete with military jets scrambling and power lines downed in its wake—made national news and became the subject of memes and parody Twitter accounts. Little did I know, it would also directly impact my day, knocking out power to over 30,000 homes, including mine.

As I sat in my now powerless home, I reflected on how such an event could occur. Despite all the precautions, something had gone wrong. And as I thought about this, five valuable customer experience lessons came to mind—lessons that remain just as relevant today.

1. Technology Matters, but So Do People and Processes

JLENS was equipped with sophisticated technology, but it still broke free. What happened to the people responsible for monitoring the airship and the processes in place to contain it? This is a powerful reminder that investing in technology is only part of the solution. As customer experience leaders, we often invest in new tech to enhance the customer experience. But if we don’t invest in the people who support that experience—employees, supervisors, and leaders—we miss out on maximizing our tools.

More importantly, technology alone can’t fix broken processes. We need to ensure that the right people are hired, trained, and equipped to handle unexpected situations. Technology works best when paired with clear, adaptable processes that empower employees to respond effectively to any challenge.

2. Control Is Limited—Expect the Unexpected

Despite all the efforts to tether JLENS securely, it still escaped. This serves as a lesson to CX leaders: no matter how carefully we prepare, things will go wrong. Some CX organizations try to control every customer interaction through strict scripts or automated processes. But we must remember that we’re dealing with human beings, and control is often an illusion.

The key is to empower frontline employees with the authority, resources, and flexibility to handle situations that fall outside the norm. Instead of clinging to rigid processes, we must give our teams the tools to adapt to each customer’s unique needs.

3. Negative Incidents Spread Quickly

Sensational stories dominate the news, and bad service experiences are no different. Before this incident, few people had heard of JLENS. After it broke free, suddenly everyone had an opinion. In the same way, negative customer experiences can snowball, gaining attention and damaging a brand’s reputation faster than we anticipate.

This is a reminder to always aim for great service—not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because one bad experience can spread like wildfire. Mitigating poor customer experiences before they escalate should be a key priority for any service organization.

4. Issue Recovery Is an Opportunity for Redemption

NORAD had a “whoopsie” moment when JLENS escaped, and all eyes were on how they would recover. For customer experience teams, the same principle applies: when things go wrong (and they will), how we respond is just as important as preventing the mistake in the first place.

Studies have shown that customers who experience an issue but have it resolved are often more loyal than those who never had an issue. When a mistake happens, it’s an opportunity to show customers we care by making it right.

5. Prevention Is Easier Than Cleanup

In the aftermath of the JLENS incident, significant resources were required to clean up the mess. As a CX leader, ask yourself: what’s the primary driver behind customer complaints? Addressing these issues before they become major problems is always more efficient than trying to resolve them after the fact.

Preventative measures—whether in terms of technology, training, or process improvement—can dramatically reduce contact volume and increase customer satisfaction. Great leaders focus not just on managing today’s fires, but on preventing tomorrow’s.

The Lessons Are Evergreen

The JLENS incident is a lesson in the limits of technology, the unpredictability of human behavior, and the importance of robust processes.

In customer service, we can’t rely solely on technology.

We need to invest in people and processes that empower our teams to handle unexpected challenges, recover from mistakes, and prevent issues before they happen.

These lessons are as relevant today as they were almost ten years ago—and they’re a reminder that customer experience requires constant attention, adaptation, and improvement.