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!”
Showing posts with label airline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label airline. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Jet Blue and the Miracle Worker
From the get go, I knew this was going to be a long day.
I signed on to JetBlue.com at 7:30 this morning (3/15) to secure seats for my wife, 2 kids, and I for our flight back from Florida to Boston. It was the end of a perfect week in the Florida Keys and the thought of returning to cold, wet weather was depressing enough.
Until I saw our flight status.
Our 6:45pm flight had already been delayed until 9:37pm. And when I tried to select seats for the 4 of us, we ended up scattered across the entire length of the plane, no two seats together. Not good when travelling with a 14- and 11-year old.
When we arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport, we checked in at the full service counter, mainly to check bags but to also inquire about flights leaving earlier than ours. But I already knew from speaking with JetBlue’s reservation staff over the phone that all flights were full. Still, we wanted to give it a shot.
Eric was the agent behind the counter who listened to our story. He was sympathetic but gave us the same bad news; all earlier flights were full. I then asked if he could at least try to find seating where the four of us were closer together. Eric checked his monitor, typed in a few things, checked the monitor again, then looked up and said “You’re going to think I’m a miracle worker”.
He then proceeded to print and hand me four boarding passes, all of them side by side in Row 1. I just looked at him and nodded “yes, you are indeed a miracle worker!”.
Talk about turning a bad day to good! Eric had found a way through one simple gesture to make a difficult situation a little more bearable for us. And you know what? It worked!
The service industry needs more Eric’s out there; people willing to work small miracles every so often to remind the rest of us that they care about our business!
Want to read more about Jet Blue's focus on the customer? Check out the latest Service Untitled blog at http://tinyurl.com/yeque3j
I signed on to JetBlue.com at 7:30 this morning (3/15) to secure seats for my wife, 2 kids, and I for our flight back from Florida to Boston. It was the end of a perfect week in the Florida Keys and the thought of returning to cold, wet weather was depressing enough.
Until I saw our flight status.
Our 6:45pm flight had already been delayed until 9:37pm. And when I tried to select seats for the 4 of us, we ended up scattered across the entire length of the plane, no two seats together. Not good when travelling with a 14- and 11-year old.
When we arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport, we checked in at the full service counter, mainly to check bags but to also inquire about flights leaving earlier than ours. But I already knew from speaking with JetBlue’s reservation staff over the phone that all flights were full. Still, we wanted to give it a shot.
Eric was the agent behind the counter who listened to our story. He was sympathetic but gave us the same bad news; all earlier flights were full. I then asked if he could at least try to find seating where the four of us were closer together. Eric checked his monitor, typed in a few things, checked the monitor again, then looked up and said “You’re going to think I’m a miracle worker”.
He then proceeded to print and hand me four boarding passes, all of them side by side in Row 1. I just looked at him and nodded “yes, you are indeed a miracle worker!”.
Talk about turning a bad day to good! Eric had found a way through one simple gesture to make a difficult situation a little more bearable for us. And you know what? It worked!
The service industry needs more Eric’s out there; people willing to work small miracles every so often to remind the rest of us that they care about our business!
Want to read more about Jet Blue's focus on the customer? Check out the latest Service Untitled blog at http://tinyurl.com/yeque3j
Monday, February 22, 2010
Marriott Gets It!
When it comes to generating customer loyalty through a great experience, Marriott gets it!
Upon check in to the Marriott Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel in Miami Beach Florida, I was treated to a complimentary upgrade to a suite in their newest tower addition. The reason? I was a Silver status member of their rewards program.
That's right; Silver, as in the lowest level.
The check in employee then told me that in appreciate for my loyalty to Marriott, I was given the opportunity to select a complimentary gift from their "sandbox" (a nice tray filled with sand and miniature beach toys along with small envelopes containing gift cards). Complimentary wireless access for the duration of my stay was the prize. Again, all for achieving the lowest level of their loyalty program.
I can't tell you how many times in the last few months I have flown United Airlines to various destinations where 1st class seats have gone unused. Yet despite my "loyalty" to United through their frequent flyer program, any request to use one of those seats is met with the same response: "Well, how did you intend to pay for that upgrade?"
Look, I get it. I'm 99% sure the Marriott property had plenty of these rooms available and that my meager Silver status wasn't really the reason for the upgrade. They clearly saw the opportunity to make someone like me feel important to them and in the end, they are rewarded for it with future bookings. Clearly, Marriott gets it, United doesn't.
Do you look for those opportunities to deliver more than expected to customers? You should!
Upon check in to the Marriott Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel in Miami Beach Florida, I was treated to a complimentary upgrade to a suite in their newest tower addition. The reason? I was a Silver status member of their rewards program.
That's right; Silver, as in the lowest level.
The check in employee then told me that in appreciate for my loyalty to Marriott, I was given the opportunity to select a complimentary gift from their "sandbox" (a nice tray filled with sand and miniature beach toys along with small envelopes containing gift cards). Complimentary wireless access for the duration of my stay was the prize. Again, all for achieving the lowest level of their loyalty program.
I can't tell you how many times in the last few months I have flown United Airlines to various destinations where 1st class seats have gone unused. Yet despite my "loyalty" to United through their frequent flyer program, any request to use one of those seats is met with the same response: "Well, how did you intend to pay for that upgrade?"
Look, I get it. I'm 99% sure the Marriott property had plenty of these rooms available and that my meager Silver status wasn't really the reason for the upgrade. They clearly saw the opportunity to make someone like me feel important to them and in the end, they are rewarded for it with future bookings. Clearly, Marriott gets it, United doesn't.
Do you look for those opportunities to deliver more than expected to customers? You should!
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