There are plenty of arguments to be made that working with a person is better than with a computer. A person can understand subtle nuances about challenging situations that a computer that relies on mathematics cannot understand. However, the speed and precision of a computer can be pretty helpful.
Last week I was on my way to Texas and arrived at the airport my customary 1.5 hours before my flight. I was passing the time on my tablet when I heard an announcement over the public address system that my flight is delayed due to a mechanical issue and that a new plane is being sent to replace the non-functional one. Good, I don't want to fly in a non-functioning airplane. The delay is expected to be 1 hour 20 minutes. This would mean I landed for my connection at the exact moment my next flight would be departing. This is not good.
I stand up to talk with the gate agent and change my flight. In the time it takes me to stand up and put my tablet in my backpack the line at the gate is at least 50 people long. Instead, I grab my iPhone and check the Delta App. Not only is my app aware that I'm delayed, it is suggesting new flights for me. So, I start walking in the direction of the gate I know the suggested flight is departing from and accept the change in itinerary on my iPhone. My new flight leaves in about 20 minutes, I am 50 feet away from the new departure gate, and I hope the app doesn't take too long to update my itinerary in the system. A moment later I walk up to the gate desk and tell them I just changed flights on the Delta App. The woman looks at me and asks if I am Jason. Yes, I am, not only was the itinerary updated in the system immediately, I will be arriving an hour earlier, and the new flight and connection were upgraded to first class.
My final worry was my checked bag scheduled for the other itinerary. The gate staff called down to the baggage handlers who would "do their best" to get my bag on my new flights. I wasn't holding my breath. I am very happy to say my expectations were exceeded. I saw a man carry my bag to the conveyor belt in the plane I boarded.
I arrived early with my bag and had a great trip. The only problem was the rental car agency didn't have my car ready an hour early. I guess that will be in the next upgrade for the app?
Monday, May 20, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Customer Service: The Current State
As a sales professional I pride myself on responsive and good customer service. I am not perfect but I always make an effort to be a top echelon service provider. In my travel experiences I find myself wanting to hold people up as shining examples of great customer service and deride other people for obvious customer service failures. I find the ratio of good to bad is sadly, equal.
My last trip had examples of both and I present them here for your reading pleasure:
Airline gate staff tend to get a lot of bad press about customer service. When a flight is canceled or delayed they are the bearers of bad news and are also the ones that are trying hardest to help the stranded passengers. My business trip got cut short by a couple hours and I was able to get home earlier. I my flights were full and I got the second worst seat on the plane. Last row window is only 1 step up from last row middle. The seats don't recline and you get to smell all the aromas emanating from the bathroom. I asked the Delta gate attendant for a better seat if available. This gentleman had a scowl on his face that made me think I was going to get moved to the middle seat ion the last row. I made a little small talk, joked a little that I promised not to be a cranky customer, then I shut-up, and let the man work. I sat and watched him furiously tapping away at his computer station for about 10 minutes. I honestly thought he forgot about me. I gently asked if everything was "OK" to which he responded, "You will be very happy with your new seat assignment, just give me another minute." True to his word, he handed me a new boarding pass with seat 2D assigned to me and I was very happy. I don't think I did anything special to deserve the upgrade but I was patient and nice and he was very kind to me.
Bartenders are generally a pleasant group of people that serve us. So, when you get one that is less than pleasant it makes an impact. I was on a layover at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport close to dinner time and went to O'Gara's at the airport by gate F12. I beat the big dinner rush by 15-20 minutes and had an hour before my flight boarded. I sat waiting for 5 or more minutes before the bartender acknowledged me. I ordered a beer and asked for a food menu. She grabbed the menu the guy next to me just set down and slapped it on the bar in front of me. I interpreted her non-verbal communication to mean "It was right here all the time buddy! You really need me to hand it to you?!" A minute or 2 later she gave me my beer and took my food order.
Now, mentally insert 25 minutes of time that is completely devoid of this bartender making even the slightest eye contact with me.
I nursed my beer and waited for my food. A man sits next to me and goes through the same process I went through of waiting 5 minutes for the bartender to come over. He ordered a beer and asked for a food menu. He received the same slapping of the menu. We looked at each other and I said to him that she did the same to me. Ten minutes later he orders the same food I ordered. I mentioned I was on the Denver flight and had waited a half hour for my food. He looked at me horrified because he was on the same flight which was now boarding in 20 minutes. I felt a little panic myself thinking that I need to have time to eat the food I ordered. So, I tried in vain to get the bartender's attention. I even went so far as to empty my beer, which usually sets off a bartender's ESP.
Finally, I gave up on the bartender and grabbed another worker (non-bartender) and asked her to check on my food. I said it loudly enough that the bartender heard me and commented in a snarky manner that the food comes out when the kitchen prepares it. Meanwhile, the other person went to the kitchen and returned immediately with my food. The following is a transcript of our conversation:
Me: How long has this been sitting back there?
Bartender (BT): I don't know but I can't make this go any faster? Do you want to cancel your order?
Me: No, I have the food but I only have a couple minutes to eat this before my flight. I have an expectation of quick food service in an airport restaurant.
BT: Did you see we are in the dinner rush? What do you expect?
Me: You're a restaurant and you can't anticipate that at dinner time there will be a rush? Seriously, I also have an expectation of courtesy from you. Apparently all my expectations are going to be missed today. Can I just get my bill?
BT: Here (hands me the bill). I can only offer you a 10% discount.
The only satisfaction I had from my visit to O'Gara's at the airport was in tipping the bartender appropriately for their courtesy and service.
My last trip had examples of both and I present them here for your reading pleasure:
Airline gate staff tend to get a lot of bad press about customer service. When a flight is canceled or delayed they are the bearers of bad news and are also the ones that are trying hardest to help the stranded passengers. My business trip got cut short by a couple hours and I was able to get home earlier. I my flights were full and I got the second worst seat on the plane. Last row window is only 1 step up from last row middle. The seats don't recline and you get to smell all the aromas emanating from the bathroom. I asked the Delta gate attendant for a better seat if available. This gentleman had a scowl on his face that made me think I was going to get moved to the middle seat ion the last row. I made a little small talk, joked a little that I promised not to be a cranky customer, then I shut-up, and let the man work. I sat and watched him furiously tapping away at his computer station for about 10 minutes. I honestly thought he forgot about me. I gently asked if everything was "OK" to which he responded, "You will be very happy with your new seat assignment, just give me another minute." True to his word, he handed me a new boarding pass with seat 2D assigned to me and I was very happy. I don't think I did anything special to deserve the upgrade but I was patient and nice and he was very kind to me.
Bartenders are generally a pleasant group of people that serve us. So, when you get one that is less than pleasant it makes an impact. I was on a layover at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport close to dinner time and went to O'Gara's at the airport by gate F12. I beat the big dinner rush by 15-20 minutes and had an hour before my flight boarded. I sat waiting for 5 or more minutes before the bartender acknowledged me. I ordered a beer and asked for a food menu. She grabbed the menu the guy next to me just set down and slapped it on the bar in front of me. I interpreted her non-verbal communication to mean "It was right here all the time buddy! You really need me to hand it to you?!" A minute or 2 later she gave me my beer and took my food order.
Now, mentally insert 25 minutes of time that is completely devoid of this bartender making even the slightest eye contact with me.
I nursed my beer and waited for my food. A man sits next to me and goes through the same process I went through of waiting 5 minutes for the bartender to come over. He ordered a beer and asked for a food menu. He received the same slapping of the menu. We looked at each other and I said to him that she did the same to me. Ten minutes later he orders the same food I ordered. I mentioned I was on the Denver flight and had waited a half hour for my food. He looked at me horrified because he was on the same flight which was now boarding in 20 minutes. I felt a little panic myself thinking that I need to have time to eat the food I ordered. So, I tried in vain to get the bartender's attention. I even went so far as to empty my beer, which usually sets off a bartender's ESP.
Finally, I gave up on the bartender and grabbed another worker (non-bartender) and asked her to check on my food. I said it loudly enough that the bartender heard me and commented in a snarky manner that the food comes out when the kitchen prepares it. Meanwhile, the other person went to the kitchen and returned immediately with my food. The following is a transcript of our conversation:
Me: How long has this been sitting back there?
Bartender (BT): I don't know but I can't make this go any faster? Do you want to cancel your order?
Me: No, I have the food but I only have a couple minutes to eat this before my flight. I have an expectation of quick food service in an airport restaurant.
BT: Did you see we are in the dinner rush? What do you expect?
Me: You're a restaurant and you can't anticipate that at dinner time there will be a rush? Seriously, I also have an expectation of courtesy from you. Apparently all my expectations are going to be missed today. Can I just get my bill?
BT: Here (hands me the bill). I can only offer you a 10% discount.
The only satisfaction I had from my visit to O'Gara's at the airport was in tipping the bartender appropriately for their courtesy and service.
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