Putting service back in service

Ka Small — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:41 +0000

I confess to high service standards and expectations for any industry. For those service managers who believe mediocrity is the best one can expect, I clearly state my position. There's something about a little process called payment for services I believe entitles me to expect something in return. This removes all doubts related to shared comments about service failure experiences, also known as the "every unhappy customer tells at least 10 others rule. Today I'm an unhappy customer. Let me explain.

At the end of January, I took at our daughter on her first shopping trip to Mall of America. For those of you asking "why Minneapolis in January?" it's a topic for another time, just stay with me. The only direct flight to Minneapolis from Knoxville is on Northwest Airlines. Having flown this route several times, I expected minor delays on both ends of the flight schedule but the lure of a non-stop was too much. The flight has never been on time and this experience was no exception. Not only did the front ticket counter agent, who was also the ramp worker, fail to mention the one bag rule but she also failed to mention my purse is considered one bag. I learn this as I'm entering the jet way. This eliminated my computer bag (MBA coursework doesn't get postponed even for shopping). I frantically crammed purse contents into the computer bag so I could rush on the plane for a flight that is already 45 minutes late. Shame on me for ignoring the rules and creating a delay in the boarding process!

I'll spare you the rest of the details with one tiny exception. The plane had no sink water in the bathroom. Fortunately the flight attendant was creative enough to provide a large bottle of water, placed carefully in the sink, but we weren't so lucky on the return flight home. It's a small detail but one that has significant bearing on service perception.

We weren't so lucky on the return flight either. Upon our arrival at the airport 90
minutes prior to departure we were informed our flight was delayed by two
hours. This meant we would arrive home at 10:30 p.m. instead of 8:15 p.m. I was directed to the main terminal counter to get a reason for the delay. It took 30 minutes of calls to provide a delay reason and review other flight options which yielded no alternative solutions. For the inconvenience we were provided two voucher packets for $10 in meals and 1,000 frequent flier miles.

After the meal, which exceeded $20, we settled in the gate area on the floor. The 20-seat capacity area was insufficient for the 50-plus passengers. Waiting meant eyeing the departure time of 8:45 posted on the service podium. I wasn't too concerned. A glance back a short time later and the time showed 8:30. Excitement began to fill my traveler's heart! A few minutes later and departure time as 8:15. Things were looking up for NWA. Things were still looking good when our plane arrived at the gate at 8:15. A twenty minute turnaround was reasonable. What passenger would mind hurrying on the plane to help the pilot make up air time, right? Besides, two hours of carpeted concrete made me glad we had a plane.

The arriving passengers deplaned and the agent began busily typing. Standbys were cleared. At 8:45, the agent called a passenger to the podium. It turned out to be the employee of another airline. For those of you unfamiliar with this courtesy practice, the process requires pre-approval from flight operations (or used to when I worked for the airlines) so the flight isn't delayed. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for us. Thirty minutes later (the amount of time spent with the employee) the boarding announcement was made. Arrival time in Knoxville? 12:15 a.m. Cost of trip? $594 (shopping expenses excluded). Service experience? Priceless, all right.

Over the past several weeks, I've mentally rehearsed scenarios in which service managers were bound and gagged while I reviewed my Santa-like list of complaints to them. I end up with my own personal plane and NWA pilot that allows me to wave presidentially at the top of the boarding stairs. For those you requiring the delay reason - the first flight of the day was delayed by fog in Louisville. And like homeowners insurance, the airlines consider these delays the fault of mother nature and act accordingly.

Our daughter doesn't have the travel experience we have. I asked myself how these experiences could influence her future expectations and possibly the quality of work she thinks is acceptable. As a former manager responsible for establishing and delivering service, I've witnessed firsthand the changing workforce. It's not a great forecast for service standards. Consider a few more recent service experiences:

Putting hotel guests next to broken ice machines that make rifle shot noises randomly through the night.
Marriott Vacations sales representatives that leave multiple phone messages within the first 24 hours of a hotel visit. These same representatives call out to passing guests from a desk set up in the lobby. The Do Not Call option was never mentioned at check-in.
The Bank of America call center representative who refused to forward a call to a supervisor when requested.
The Toyota dealership that made three reminder phone calls and sent three e-mails for service after said service was performed.
The same Toyota dealership failed to disconnect a back-up sensor on six previous service visits. A non-service representative provided instructions on how to turn the volume off in two minutes, but only after the customer had spent money on a rental car from the dealership.
A customer bags her own groceries while a Kroger store supervisor blames the lack of bag clerks on high levels of absences by teenage workers.
A local pet boarding business implements more than 20 policy changes in a two year period without sufficient notice to customers.

Automation and technology advancements have made entries into the workforce and the results are changing the workplace in ways many haven't thought through. Examine the changes on assembly lines, account inquiry systems, reservation systems, and payment systems. Jobs that were assigned to human capital have been reassigned to a computer or machine. Business is working smarter and leaner but at what price to service?

Mergers, acquisitions, automation, human capital and competition are part of the business cycle. Pick the battles but keep or create customer-friendly practices and standards. Make sure corporate policies support service commitment. Hire smart. Implement training and incentive programs that reward behaviors that focus on service excellence as an organizational benchmark. Remember that once expectations are set the customer will act or not upon those. It becomes a bottom line issue for your business.

If you argue that service levels are determined by those willing to pay, I reply hogwash. The economy is built by the hard work of the every day citizen, not the handful of citizens who have more. Assign costs to account and customer relationships, I believe profit is good. But we are in deep trouble when service quality and price get out of balance. Not everyone is affluent but everyone should expect the courtesy of affluent service. Start a service revolution in your business today. Put service back into service and the bottom line will be happy.