E-couragement: Delta Flight 403
“One customer, well taken care of, could be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising.” Jim Rohn
Delta flight 403, connecting from Atlanta to El Salvador, was running smoothly. Thus far, the experience was satisfactory. Coffee, a biscotti cookie and inspiring reading kept me entertained as I traveled towards Central America to work beside leaders and managers from a client of mine. During our initial descent, I noticed one of the flight attendants begin to journey down the aisle and shake the hand of each passenger. As he came nearer I began to decipher what he was saying in both English and Spanish.
Air travel certainly has lost its glamour over the past decade. There seems to be more interest in collecting money for everything from check-in-bags to chicken salad sandwiches. That’s why it caught my attention when I observed the flight attendant in action. “Thank you for flying Delta. Enjoy your stay in El Salvador” is what he said to everyone on our flight. This was a nice touch. His handshake and words were not delivered in a “check list” fashion, rather sincerely and genuinely to each of us on board that early Monday afternoon.
Four days later, on my return flight, we had the same service crew. As we made our approach into Atlanta, here he came, down the aisle again. Same greeting, same sincerity—this time it struck me with even more power. This was obviously not part of Delta’s customer service protocol. It was not an aspect of their training policy. I know that because I’ve never experienced it before. This attendant took it upon himself to consistently and personally thank every customer on every flight he served. That’s the nugget of gold here. He didn’t need a customer service policy manual to tell him how to deliver a world class experience. He had the power to do it himself—and he used his power for good. It only took a moment and was free—yet, left a lasting impact on me and others on those Delta flights.
Unfortunately this type of encounter is rare. More often than not, customer experiences are memorable for all the wrong reasons. In two weeks, my next blog will discuss one of those situations. Until then, take advantage of the many ways you can engage your customers and create loyalty by stepping outside the boundaries of customer service policies. The things that make your customer feel most valued are often free to your business—and priceless to them.
Leave your comments: What positive customer experience has created a lasting impact on you?