Turn on any news cast and one of the top stories will concern the volcanic eruption in Iceland, and more specifically, how it has decimated air travel. A business associate of mine was on his way to the airport when he received a call from the airline telling him that the flight was cancelled due to the massive ash cloud. For the first time in modern history, Europe is effectively cut-off from the rest of the world, at least by air travel.
This is an excellent study in how an event, completely out of the airlines’ control, can make or break a customer relationship. For most business travelers, it’s an inconvenience. For those planning a vacation across the pond, it is catastrophic. (If you could get there, could you get home?)
Organizations that have invested in technology such as texting and email alerts have an easy time to appear that they are concerned about their customers, as well as reduce congestion at their airport counter. For others, they will hide behind regulations and “policy” (a word a frustrated customer never wants to hear)
For those in the latter category, you deserve whatever befalls you. If it was “Jeff Airways” I would make sure we notified all possible passengers via text, email, automated call, and personal calls. I would keep updating customers who were still interested in the situation. For those customers who were stranded, I would take a “Concierge” approach. At the very least, I would have prepared a listing of nearby hotels, transportation options, restaurants, pharmacies, doctors, etc. If you’re stuck in an airport, especially in a city that you’re not familiar with, a list like this would go a long way.
This is a very sticky situation for all. Customers and employees are frustrated — there is nothing they can do short of inventing a plane that can trudge through ash — to solve the immediate issue. What the employees can do (and I’m sure most are) is deal with empathy and offer solutions.
We’ll be attacking this very issue as part of our Customer Loyalty Clinic. This webinar is free, and you can sign up at either www.Service-Quality.com or www.ServiceQuality.US this coming week.
Be sure to stop by our other web sites for additional information and ideas about building customer loyalty:
The Service Quality Department
ServiceQuality.US
ServiceQuality.CA
ServiceQuality.co.UK
ServiceQuality.CN
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