I fly a great deal. That isn’t bragging, as anyone who has ever traveled in a post-9/11, post-COVID world knows that air travel isn’t quite the pleasure cruise it once was. That being said, there was recently an interesting experience that had me rethinking the basics of customer service.
It is a safe assumption to think that air travel is predicated on “low bid.” While it is frightening to consider that our lives are based on low bid, most of us travel by finding the lowest-cost flight. There are always standards that some travelers will hold as sacred, whether it is paying for every bag (as if we would travel without clothing?) and even choosing the middle seat (does it have the hump in the middle like those car rides as a kid?). As some airlines are famous for saying: “We know you all have a choice.” With most destinations, that choice is based on the lowest price.
This reminds of another industry, but I’m having trouble identifying that sector …
Outstanding Service
During a recent flight, there were two instances of “knock-it-out-of-the-park” service. The first was when I boarded. I sat in my seat, only to find I was sitting on a card within an envelope. I immediately thought the passenger before me left something behind, only to see it said “Mr. Gregg Schoppman.” The inside of the card was simple:
Dear Mr. Schoppman,
We know you fly a lot, and we also know you have choices. It means so much to me and our team at BRAND X AIRLINE that you would trust us with your flight. We have families too, and we really appreciate you as a loyal customer.
Thank you! Jane, Joe, Mary and Steve
I barely get handwritten letters in the mail, so getting one on a flight was pretty astounding. I had seen those same flight attendants board about 10 minutes before I did. I looked at the other seats around me, and each of us — regardless of status — had a card.
Second, as I deplaned that flight, the flight attendant came by and said, “Gregg, once again, I just wanted to thank you. Have a safe trip to Anywhereville today.” It was good he reminded me of the city I was going to, since I am prone to forget where I am headed. More importantly, he knew my name. I know that he had the manifest and this wasn’t some herculean task, but he knew me as “Gregg,” not “Passenger in 4D.”
There are plenty of perks that come with being an extremely frequent flier. I’ve had the service that drives you to your next gate in a luxury automobile, and it is exceptionally handy on those flights where you have four minutes to get to the next gate, which is about 1.5 miles away (not sure why airlines think I can become an Olympic sprinter at 52).
Family members tease me about being carted around like some celebrity — my wife teased me until she received that treatment on a flight with me, and then all joking ceased. My point is this: Those accoutrements are great marketing tools and rewards for being a loyal customer. What happened in the story above was basic, simplistic and a genius example of customer service. Most importantly, it cost nothing.
Let’s bring this back down to the ground (no pun intended). When was the last time your team had driven, exceptional customer service? It is important to be clear about the definition of customer service. Below are some of the rules to consider:
Expectations
Customer service can’t be for something you were expected to do. For instance, it is common to hear the following refrains:
- “We finished our project on time.” Wasn’t that the plan to begin with?
- “We were safe.” I realize construction is a risky business, but being safe is an expectation, not some gold-star moment worthy of recognition.
Marketing
Too often, customer service is confused for marketing. Marketing might be taking a client to lunch, going to a ballgame, handing out cool swag, etc. Customer service should not have a price tag.
Now, consider the question again: When was the last time your team drove exceptional customer service? How many people on your team make this a common occurrence? There are several litmus tests that will help validate your approach and also determine if your organization is doing the right thing. For instance, consider the following:
- Does your organization’s vision or mission statement reference the customer or client in any way? — The last thing leaders would want to do is look like hypocrites. However, many organizations talk about the customer or client but don’t have a way to replicate superior customer service, reward associates who demonstrate that service or continually reinvent themselves to drive customer service 2.0.
- How well do you really know your customer? — Aside from where they work, could you list four to five things about your customer/decision-maker/point of contact? We certainly can’t issue a “Preconstruction Client ‘Get to Know Ya’” questionnaire, so most of the intelligence gathered about a customer will require strong conversation. When you really know a customer — personality, personal drivers, style, etc. — it is much easier to engage in a customer-centric strategy.
There are certainly interesting contrarian views about the notion of customer service. “But Gregg, this customer service thing is great for those contractors who do negotiated work with repeat clients in a warm and fluffy market. This doesn’t apply to us.” Let’s go back to our airline example. I can assure you that my ticket was pretty affordable, because as I said, they were the “low-bid airline” in the Gregg Flight Project. Think about what your clients are looking for. Most are looking for great service, done well, on or ahead of budget. Sure, many of these things meet the definition of “expectations,” which we touched on, but we all know there are many ways to the endgame.
Project execution can be done in a proactive fashion that is fair, consistent and quality driven. In fact, the customer expectations dovetail nicely to the contractor’s list of successful project variables. Notice that there is no mention of taking the client golfing, wining and dining, or even giving out fancy polo shirts with your logo on them. Good, old-fashioned customer service is grounded in the basics — and maybe even knowing your client’s name.
Check out Part 1 of this series: