Tesla helped their customers in Florida flee Hurricane Irma by unlocking the full battery range for their cars. Tesla previously offered certain customers a software upgrade which adds 30 to 40 miles to the battery, but it can cost up to USD 9,500. After a customer requested an upgrade, Tesla automatically unlocked the full battery range of all vehicles that were close to the storm, for free. The upgrades were accessible until September 16 to help reduce range anxiety for drivers leaving mandatory evacuation zones.

We know that consumers expect a lot of brands today. In some senses, it’s hard to do the right thing (witness the accusations of jacked-up airline prices occurring in Irma’s wake). But two things stand out here. First, this is freaking insane. Could there be a clearer demonstration that the expectation for constant product upgrades that’s been set in the digital world (forever updating operating systems!) is coming to all physical products?

Second is the sheer responsiveness shown by Tesla. It might be their PR machine going into overdrive, but to receive an upgrade request from a single customer and to then roll this out to all affected customers raises the bar. But it’s a race against time: imagine if the tables had been turned and Tesla hadn’t responded first. They would have been destroyed by the media. So, ask yourself, are you set up to be as responsive when your customers are in (literal) danger? If not, then your reputation will be in danger. 

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