Abstract In the fall of 2011, Bank of America announced a plan to begin charging customers $5 per month on debit card accounts. The announcement met with sharp public outrage. Due to the backlash, Bank of America was faced with a difficult dilemma: proceed as planned and face a public relations nightmare – or cancel the fee program, lose billions, and be forced to answer to shareholders.

1.What should BOA have done to prevent the misjudgment of customer sentiment point to a company issue, industry issue, or general business environment issue?

2. How should Bank of America have balanced its corporate strategy with consumer sentiment and government regulations?