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As we near the end of summer here in the States, and many are in the middle of what is a heavy traveling season, whether it's for a vacation with the family, a conference or workshop, or just business as usual. Many of you have caught a plane or two or more in over the past few months, and probably have more travel plans in the future.
For most people this is something that they dread. We’re all too familiar with the frustrations of flying: expensive tickets, delays, long lines, grouchy employees, lost luggage, wall-to-wall people in the terminals, more delays.
Sadly, the airline industry has become a necessary evil for most of us.
Back in March, Al St. Germain is Global Director, Airline Practice for Landor Associates, wrote an article titled Said and done: Stories from on board the airplane. He highlighted many of the overwhelming problems that the industry is facing, as well indicating how important an asset customer service is in the mix.
I clipped out his tips on developing great customer service because of how hand and hand customer service is to the concept of Human Talk. Who better to give a company a human voice than the people on the frontlines interacting with customers on a daily basis?
Germain writes:
What makes great customer service?
Consistency
The bigger you get, the harder it is to achieve, but nothing makes a customer happier than knowing what to expect every time they step on board. Every time a customer buys a ticket, it’s a promise from your brand. No one likes a broken promise.
Empathy
The airline industry is a classic example of employees rarely experiencing what its customers do (pass-riding does not count!). It takes significant effort to ensure that folks truly understand what a customer may be going through. And in the often high-stress world of travel, a little empathy goes a long way.
Support
Wonderful customer experiences are the result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes. As a frontline employee, it’s much easier to create better interactions when your product works, the process is designed to make sense, and most of all, when your efforts are recognized by your leadership.
Style
While not everyone can (or should) be hip and cool, everyone needs to stand for something. What is the uniquely memorable aspect of your experience? Being “friendly” is great, but I guarantee every other airline has “friendly” in its service standards. What will your customers talk about when they get to their destination?
As you will notice, one thing that didn’t make it to Germain’s list is the need to explain break down the airlines cost structure to the passengers. I wonder what airlines are thinking when they decide to clutter procedures with extra fees for passengers to agree to, and the rabid slash and burn of any extra service that used to be included in the ticket price.
We all know that the price of is rising. Therefore, anyone with half a brain would realize that airline ticket prices will also rise. No reason to inconvenience and annoy passengers even more with added steps and decisions to make. All it does is add stress to what is already a stressful situation.
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Comments
07.24.08
I would add "Information".
People get frustrated when they are witheld information about their flight. They want to know ahead of time if the flight is late, why it is late, when it might be ready.
Airlines withold this information, stringing people along, because they don't want people to switch carriers.
It sets up an adversarial relationship right off the bat.
07.24.08
Scott,
Great point! and further proof that it doesn't make sense overload the whole experience with details that are minute, such as a $15 fee for an extra bag, when what the customer really cares about is whether or not they are going to get to their destination on time (or at all in some cases).
And as Germain notes, how you interact with customers should be consistent. Make constant communication with customers the norm....or don't do it at all. Doing nothing would be better than the dance around the truth that most airlines feel like they have to do.
07.24.08
Personally, I like the extra fees, rather than raising the ticket price. If I travel light, I don't pay the "extra baggage" fee. If I don't want a drink/food/headphones on board, why should I pay more? Some people like no-frills, some people want to be pampered. A la carte, does work.
07.24.08
Yvette,
I agree. You shouldn't have to pay for extra perks you don't even want. A majority of passengers can live without the extras and just want to get there without any hassle.
That's a small piece to why Southwest has done so well over the years. They don't give passengers an option for extra amenities. But they have also given their airline a fun personality, which most would say has played a bigger part in their success.
The point I'm trying to make is that airlines often neglect personality and customer service, usually to their demise. If they could get better at serving rather than focusing on processes and fees, many of the seemingly unavoidable hassles of flying might be overlooked by passengers.
Thanks for your insights!
07.24.08
Seth Godin wrote about the "bait and switch" tactic that airlines lean on. It's a nice followup to this post.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/07/bait-and-switch.html
I love his two problems with bait and swtich:
1. You have to be very careful to apply them equally, because people hate being treated worse than everyone else.
2. You have to be prepared for anger, resentment and brand disintegration.
06.04.09
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