Let me tell you about the time I was hashtag#ghosted by the CEO of USAA after he reached out to me.
When Executive Comms Breaks Trust
Dad was a USAA member for 60 years. Me? 40+.
USAA used to be different. A trusted partner. A good guy.
But that changed. Rates went up. Money was spent on national advertising campaigns. Service went down. Now a once beloved company is now despised.
The CEO Letter
This week I received an email from USAA’s new CEO, @Juan Andrade. It was written as though he had personally reached out:
“Please continue to reach out to me at juan@usaa.com and share your suggestions.”
Interesting, I thought. He shared an email address.
So I wrote a direct, candid response. Probably sharper than polite. But honest. I told him what so many members feel: USAA has lost its way. From skyrocketing premiums to national ad campaigns featuring celebrities, USAA has forgotten its mission of serving service members + their families.
Then the real disappointment arrived.
The Automated “Care” Response
Instead of a thoughtful reply – or even acknowledgment from a staffer…. I received:
“This reply to your message has a human’s care behind it but is an automated message. Please do not reply.”
That line alone is corporate spin at its worst. If it’s automated, it does not have “a human’s care behind it.”
If the CEO never intended to read member responses, why publish his email address?
This is not just bad optics. It’s a credibility crisis.
Why It Matters
In leadership + executive communications, transparency is non-negotiable. If you’re going to put your name – AND EMAIL ADDRESS – in an email to your members, then you owe it to them to be real! If not, you erode trust faster than any competitor could.
We’ve seen this play out before. After the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, then-CEO Tony Hayward infamously said he just wanted his “life back” – while oil was gushing into the ocean. That single line became a symbol of tone-deaf, corporate detachment.
USAA is the same as BP!
The Bigger Lesson
Authenticity in executive communications is not optional – it’s the currency of trust. A staged video, a polished email or a carefully crafted press release means nothing if the actions behind it CONTRADICT the message.
If leaders want to regain credibility, here’s the blueprint:
➡️ Say less, but mean it. Avoid fluff + platitudes.
➡️ Follow through. If you ask for feedback, acknowledge it like you mean it.
➡️ Be human. Members + customers can handle bad news. What they can’t handle is being lied to or dismissed.
Closing Thought
For decades, I proudly said: I love USAA. Now, I find myself telling friends: I hate USAA. Who are you using instead?
That’s not just my story. It’s the story of thousands of once-loyal members. And it’s a reminder to every executive: the words you choose – and how you back them up – can either reinforce trust or destroy it.
The choice is yours.
#PublicRelations #Trust #ExecutiveCommunications #Marketing
Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/knoxkeith
