American Airlines great travel experience.
I recently talked to Megan Jones, an editor for Call Center Helper, a magazine focused on the contact center world. We discussed turning Moments of Misery™ (complaints) into Moments of Magic® (positive customer experiences), and she shared a story.
Jones was taking an easyJet flight from Madrid to London. The passengers had boarded and all the baggage was loaded when the captain announced that everyone had to deplane due to an unusual situation. The captain simply told the truth: a passenger spotted a scorpion, but it quickly disappeared. So, in the name of safety, the airline would move everyone and their bags to another plane.
Of course, nobody likes to be delayed, but what was surprising is that none of the passengers were angry or upset. They were happy to get off the plane. Some were even eager or frantic to get off the plane. Many thanked the captain and appreciated the airline for keeping them safe.
I loved that story and was compelled to share my American Airlines experience from the day before.
My flight was also delayed, although it had nothing to do with a scorpion. It was a mechanical delay. The captain made the announcement, and as you might expect, nobody was happy. You could sense the tension. After 15 minutes, the captain made another announcement and promised to keep us informed. The tension started to ease.
We were periodically informed of the progress, and after over an hour, the captain had the passengers deplane but asked them not to leave the boarding area. After everyone was off the plane, another captain came out to the ticketing area, took the microphone, and announced that we were switching planes.
Here’s what’s interesting. He wasn’t our captain. He was another American Airlines captain who was on our plane and flying home. He wanted to help his team, so he came out to talk to the passengers while the actual captain of the plane was speaking to the maintenance crew. He was friendly and even tried a stab at humor. After his short “speech,” the passengers gave him applause.
I looked at the person next to me and said, “Look at that! A standing ovation for the captain!” Okay … everyone was already standing, but he still got a round of applause, something that I’ve never seen given to a captain from any airline talking about mechanical delays. The reason was similar to why Jones’ easyJet flight passengers weren’t upset about their delay. Actually, it was two reasons:
1. Communication: In both situations, the captains of their planes were quick to communicate with passengers, informing them of the reasons for the delay. When something goes wrong in any business, uninformed customers (or passengers) become frustrated, which can lead to anger. While communication won’t solve the problem, it satisfies a customer’s need to know and understand their situation. It can even give them a sense of control, which comes from simply knowing what is happening.
2. Transparency: The captains of both planes were transparent about the problems. The scorpion problem is obvious. The American Airlines captain shared a little more detail. He explained the problem in terms we could all understand. My comment to the passenger next to me was, “I’d rather find out about this while we’re on the ground than while we’re up in the air.” So, it’s not just communication that is important. It’s transparent communication. Once again, it’s about giving the customer the information to help them understand the situation.
These two lessons are really about how to communicate bad news of any kind. It’s not fun, but doing it the right way sometimes eases the pain. It’s like pulling a Band-Aid. Do it fast, and it will only hurt for a moment. Do it slowly, and you draw out the pain.
There’s one other important part of my story worth sharing. The American Airlines gate agents in Dallas were extraordinary. Some passengers had to change or cancel their flights. A team of four agents was there to assist, and they were doing their best to be friendly and helpful. I noticed more smiles than frowns.
The person who helped me, Tracy from the Concierge Key team, was amazing. Her poise and grace in a tenuous situation were a model of customer experience. And there’s more. The Concierge Key status is for the passengers who fly the most on American Airlines. I’ve been lucky to have this status, and they really do a wonderful job of taking care of their most loyal customers. Once Tracy had helped me rearrange my plans to accommodate the delayed flight, she chipped in to help her colleagues take care of several other passengers needing help.
Like the captain who was flying home as a passenger, both stepped up to support their colleagues, which brings up a third lesson: Customer service is a team sport. When customers are in need, don’t be a spectator. Do what you can to help and support the people you work with. You’ll win over both your customers and your colleagues.