If you had the chance to my post about my hotel experience in California last week, you probably cannot imagine that it could have gotten any worse. You would, however, have been wrong, I am sad to say.
But don’t worry. I’m not going to bore you with the details–we have already learned the lessons from that experience, and at this point it is time for me to share my complaints with people who can do something about them.
I do however, want to continue to discuss ideas related to service by sharing an experience on the trip home that was the polar opposite of the hotel debacle, and this time I am naming names and giving credit to the company.
Believe it or not, this is a story of service on an airline…US Airways to be specific. It is a story of how one person tranformed my day simply by doing one simple thing that turned a routine flight into satisfying experience.
For comfort when flying from coast to coast I use my frequent flier miles to upgrade to first class whenever possible so that I can get some work done during the long flight. On my way home from California, that put me in seat 2B on a flight from Oakland to Phoenix.
When I boarded the plane and took my seat, I was immediately greeted by a smiling gentleman who soon came to my seat, addressed me as Mr. Hudson, introduced himself as Tom, and indicated that it would be his pleasure to serve me today.
The odd thing is, though I know this was a scripted response, it was so genuine that it literally turned my day around.
And within this story are two quick lessons for any business:
1. There is power in using your customer’s name. If you have a way of knowing their name in advance and can use it when you first make contact you will distance yourself from just about every competitor out there. And the deferential use of a salutation like Mr., Ms., or Mrs. adds an extra level of specialness to the experience for the customer.
2. It is important to create scripts and prescribe processes to ensure consistency of service delivery. Perhaps even more important is to train people to be genuine in delivering the scripted message. Tom made a difference because I had no doubt that he meant what he was saying, not because he used the words he had been told to use.
Action Step: Review your initial points of contact and look for ways to increase your impact in connecting with your customers. Use their names and make them feel special, show them you genuinely appreciate their business and that you want to serve them, and you will see results in the form of customer satisfaction, customer referrals, and customer loyalty!
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