In July 2024, a CrowdStrike software update caused a worldwide IT outage that hit 8.5 million Microsoft devices, disrupting banking, healthcare, and air travel. CrowdStrike’s response was to give away $10 UberEats gift cards to its partners and teammates.
CrowdStrike Gift Cards
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike found itself in the middle of a crisis of vast proportions in July 2024 when a software update caused a global IT outage, bringing down an estimated 8.5 million Microsoft devices.
This resulted in a wide-scale breakdown of banks, hospitals, and even flight operations, raking in heavy financial losses incalculable by the billions.
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After all this happened, CrowdStrike attempted to mend things a bit by sending out $10 UberEats gift cards to their partners and teammates as a goodwill and appreciation gesture for their hard work during the crisis.
CrowdStrike Gift Cards Eligibility Criteria
The CrowdStrike gift card offer targets the following eligible recipients:
- CrowdStrike teammates and partners involved in managing the aftermath of the far-reaching IT outage on July 19, 2024.
- The gift cards were forwarded to a number of CrowdStrike partners under the Accelerate Program, who resell and manage CrowdStrike products for their customers.
- The gift cards did not apply to general customers or clients*. CrowdStrike explained, “CrowdStrike did not send any gift cards to customers or clients. We did send these to our teammates and partners who have been helping customers through this situation.”
- These gift cards represented a goodwill gesture to express gratitude for all the additional work and effort put in by teammates and partners to manage the aftermath of the outage.
- In an email communication, chief business officer of CrowdStrike, Daniel Bernard acknowledged that the July 19 incident caused a lot of inconvenience and thanked recipients in his email for hard work during the crisis.
Crowdstrike Gift Cards Initiative
This event caused widespread disruption across sectors as important as banking and healthcare, and huge financial losses pegged at approximately $5.4 billion for the Fortune 500 alone. CrowdStrike responded with a gift card program, offering $10 UberEats gift cards to its partners and team members as a goodwill gesture.
- CrowdStrike sent $10 UberEats gift cards as a thank-you gesture in appreciation of the extra work the partners and teams had to do during the crisis.
- The initiative was communicated in an email from their Chief Business Officer, Daniel Bernard, where he apologised for the incident and the hassle.
- “We appreciate all the extra work that the incident on July 19 has caused, and for that, we are truly grateful. For this, we would like to express our deepest thanks and apologies for the inconvenience in your life. Let us treat you to your next cup of coffee or late-night snack!”
- The move has however pulled some mixed reviews. Some of those who received the gesture welcomed the recognition while many others blasted the figure as being too little for the magnitude of the inconvenience caused .
- Social media was rife with complaints with some users commenting that $10 could barely afford a decent meal.
What is included in Crowdstrike’s gift cards initiative?
Following a faulty software update that caused a major IT outage on July 19, 2024, CrowdStrike—a global leader in cybersecurity—developed a gift card program as a thank-you gesture to partners and team members for the extra work that was done during the crisis. The critical components of the initiative are presented below.
Value
The gift card value is $10, redeemable through Uber Eats, a food delivery company.
Purpose
The gift card was pitched as a goodwill gesture, as outlined in correspondence from CrowdStrike to be used as a thank-you to IT workers and partners who helped the organization wrangle with fallout from the outage. The email read, “To express our gratitude, your next cup of coffee or late-night snack is on us!”
Communication
The campaign was communicated through an email by CrowdStrike’s Chief Business Officer, Daniel Bernard, where he acknowledged the hassle of the incident and thanked recipients for their hard work during times of crisis.
CrowdStrike Gift Cards Issues in Redemption
The CrowdStrike gift card campaign underwent severe problems during redemption, further augmenting the frustration of recipients. The major issues faced were:
- Error Messages: Many of the recipients reported receiving an error message that read, “This voucher has been cancelled by the issuing party and is no longer valid.” This was regarding the redemption of their gift cards.
- Flagging by Uber: It was confirmed by CrowdStrike spokesperson Kevin Benacci that it was Uber who had flagged the gift cards for being fraudulent after the redemption rates went through the roof barely after they were issued, which obviously means the cards were cancelled and invalidated.
- Lack of Clarity: It was blurry how the gift cards would be redeemed and who was eligible. CrowdStrike redefined the cards as being for “teammates and partners helping customers,” but later clarified they did not give the cards to any customers or clients.
- Social Media Backlash: The redemption issues angered recipients, who expressed their disappointment on LinkedIn and Reddit. Partner Louis Corriero, responding on LinkedIn, stated that the offer did not make up for the lost man-hours and customer trust from the July 19 incident.
- Low Compensation: $10 worth of the gift cards were widely denounced as too small for an outage this big.
How to Redeem CrowdStrike Gift Cards?
When redeeming a CrowdStrike gift card voucher, recipients typically are prompted to follow these steps, many of whom have reported an issue with the process:
- A claim link or code will be on the gift card. The link is usually within the email chain from CrowdStrike.
- Following the instructions, proceed to the website of Uber Eats or open the UberEats app.
- Sign up if you don’t have an account; log in if you already have an account.
- Find the redeeming part of gift cards, mostly in account settings or payment options.
- Enter the Crowdstrike gift card voucher code.
- Input the code and submit your request for redemption.
- You will get a confirmation of redemption against the gift card amount that will get added to your account.
