Sorry it’s been so long since my last update (I know, I’m breaking the cardinal rule of blogging) but it hasn’t been for lack of material. Here are some less-than-stellar customer experience moments from the past few weeks!
To the airline industry: A recent poll showed the public’s satisfaction with the airlines on the rise. Really? Are these the same airlines I just flew recently? One of them delayed our departure because of 1) weather on the eastern seaboard delayed the flight into Boston, 2) a mechanical issue with one of the engines (that’s comforting!), or 3) a medical emergency on the inbound flight into Boston that caused the flight to be turned around. Seriously, these were the 3 reasons given by 3 different people.
Transparency into your failures is the sign of a company focused on the customer experience. Be honest when things go wrong, acknowledge the pain and suffering caused, and be accurate in your assessment of how the situation will be remedied and when. Don’t leave us inside the terminal, then onboard the plane at the gate, then on the tarmac trying to figure it out for ourselves.
And what’s with the attitude of flight attendants these days? In both legs of my trips, FA’s acted like charging $7 for a blanket now gives them carte blanche to show no customer service skills whatsoever. Don’t smile, don’t look us in the eye, and in fact, roll your eyes whenever we ask for something outrageous like an extra cup of ice!
To the hotel industry in Las Vegas: It’s bad enough that we have to pay $21 for a “lite” (they’re spelling) breakfast consisting of two pieces of toast, a small bowl of fruit, and two poached eggs. All in on price! But when the eggs are stone cold and your waiter never checks back with the table until you’re ready to leave, don’t be surprised that I’m not happy. And don’t insult me by saying “Oh, well I’ll take the eggs off your bill.” Really? How are you going to do that when the whole meal is one price? If you’re not competent enough to wait on tables properly, my confidence in your ability to determine the value of the eggs in the $21 price is suspect.
How you respond to service or product failures makes all the difference in turning a bad situation around. Go overboard to make things right and your customers will overlook the occasional transgression!
And finally, my favorite target: AT&T. My wife’s 2 year+ Razor phone died and she needed a replacement fast! When she goes into one of your retail stores and asks about getting a new Razor, the last thing she (or any customer for that matter) should hear from the sales rep is “A Razor? You need to get into the 21st century”! And berating her for wanting a touch-screen phone but not picking the iPhone is no way to endear any customer to your product and service.
I love this quote from the AT&T Corporate Profile web page:
“As we continue to break new ground and deliver new solutions, we're focused on delivering the high-quality customer service that is our heritage.”
My experience of their “heritage” has always been exactly what my wife experienced: long lines in the stores, inflexible product/upgrade plans, lack of recognition and appreciation of long-term customers, and snooty sales associates. Gee, that’s what I’d like to be known for!
Know your customer! It shouldn’t take long to figure out that this woman 1) is in a hurry, 2) is a 6 year customer with 3 phones in service (soon to be 4 if my 11 year old gets her way), and 3) knows what features she wants but has been away from the buying cycle for two years and isn’t up to speed on the latest advances in technology. Great companies take the time to figure this out so that they can effectively coach a customer through the buying process.
Instead, AT&T continues to cling to their motto from long ago: “You want service? Hey, we’re the phone company!”
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