Free Customer Service Advice to US Air - and anyone else who cares :)

Free Customer Service Advice – an Invitation created especially for US Airways
by Amy Geddes,
Frequent Traveler, Full-time Mom and peaceful but militant customer advocate.

I will be the first to admit, when I first envisioned this blog post several hours ago as I landed in PHX only to discover that my connecting flight to DCA had left without me – it was going to be littered with sarcasm, threats, f-bombs and other distractions we all use as a way to temporarily relieve ourselves from the sheer stress of being away from home. However, being the even tempered, rationale, patient person that I am (what??? Those of you who know me don’t believe this?) I decided to take a different approach. Why not use my tragic customer service experience today as an opportunity to offer US Airways some “coaching” in service done right? As someone responsible for operations, logistics and MOST importantly customer service at my company, I’m constantly searching for good ideas and advice. I’m also constantly evaluating operations and customer service inside organizations I receive products or services from. I notice the good, the bad and the truly UGLY like anyone worth their salt in the customer service industry would.

So what could have possibly happened today that inspired me to BLOG about it? After all, thanks to Twitter and my ability to express (rant/rave) myself in 140 characters or less, I haven’t blogged since Thanksgiving. Even before that my attempts were half-hearted at best. Well my friends, aside from being therapeutic (I’m writing at 30K feet on a flight to Baltimore) it’s also my way of trying to take something negative and turn it into something positive. After all, no one at US Airways woke up this morning thinking of ways to make me miserable – at least I hope not ☺ So here is my story of a day gone South (literally) and my advice to US Airways on several missed customer service opportunities. Enjoy and take heart – most reasonable people understand that “#%*! happens” – the key to customer service is how you respond #%*!

Ironically, this customer service nightmare actually started last night when I logged on to my MAC (the sweet and always available MACadamia) to web check for my flight. Despite being a Dividend Miles Member and a routine US Air customer, my choices for seat selection were as follows; a) sandwiched between two unknown seat mates in rows 30 and higher b) the highly coveted aisle seat in the last row next to the toilet or c) the coat closet (ok this wasn’t actually an option but in reality some would prefer it to a or b). But alas, the plane was nowhere close to full – I could have my choice of seats near the front of the plane for as low as $15 per segment! JOY, HAPPINESS, FUZZY BUNNIES AND RAINBOWS – did this make me feel better ☺ Grumbling a bit, but evaluating my level of productivity on a 4 hour flight sandwiched between a linebacker for the Cardinals and a 10 year old headed to the Nation’s Capitol to see the White House, I selected the seats and paid the ransom. Moving on…would I like to save $2 by checking my bag on-line vs. at the airport? OF COURSE!!!! There is nothing I would love more than paying you $23 for the privilege of saving you time and money by not hauling onto the plane my entire week’s worth of suits jammed into an approved carry on device. I now have a $48 premium over and above the price of my ticket for the privilege of traveling on your airline. At this point in the game, I also now have an expectation of “premium service”. ***Note to US AIR – in case it isn’t obvious this “web check” experience is your FIRST missed customer service opportunity. The reason I was Gold in 2008 and Silver in 2009 and a lowly Dividend Miles Member in 2010 is exactly this experience. You have provided me with no motivation to remain loyal to you. I have ideas on how to create loyalty, but the basic premise of not using ANY customer data that you so richly collect to make a decision about charging for seats and bags is fundamentally flawed.

Regardless, I quickly recover from the financial hijacking (pun intended), and convince myself again that the convenience and premium service I will receive is worth it. Oh how the mind has a way of playing such vicious tricks! I arrive as suggested 90 minutes before my flight, am greeted by what I now believe is a rare sighting – a mildly friendly US Air employee. I’m quickly shuttled through check-in, congratulated for arriving with a whole pound of available space in my very large suitcase and reminded that should I choose to add anything to the bag for the return trip I will be assessed (you guessed it) an overweight FEE! I assure them my intentions are pure and my understanding of their policy is intact. Off I go to the gate for an “on time” departure – or so I thought.

This is the part where I acknowledge that with air travel, arriving safely is the number one priority. Therefore, I’m not overly concerned with a 25 minute departure delay in the interest of passenger safety. What does concern me is the complete lack of fore thought of US Air employees. Not once did anyone think to inquire as to how this delay might impact the short connection they had created for me (and others) on this flight. My search for a gate agent who could assist was futile with boarding in progress so being the “leave it to the experts” kind of person I am, I boarded the plane confident that US Air had it under control. I mean they wouldn’t put me on a plane knowing they had no possible way of delivering me to my intended destination in a reasonable time…..would they???

As I climb into my pricey 5C seat and buckle in, I observe the crew inviting two traveling crew members (non revenue) to move to the very much open First Class cabin. I see an opening, so I take it and boldly inquire as to my opportunity to move to First Class also. I explain I paid an upgrade fee for the premium seat and noticed an even more premium seat going unused. It seems reasonable to expect that US Air might be willing to thank me for my revenue. Ummmm, not exactly – I was informed that they would be happy to move me to first class for (you guessed it!) an additional fee. After all, they were “not authorized” (a word I will come to loathe as this day progresses) to offer any upgrades to travelers without a minimum of Silver status. I accept my fate, keep my opinions about the employees traveling in first class ahead of valuable paying customers to myself and settle in with my book for the duration of the flight. ***Note to US Air – in case it isn’t obvious this is your THIRD missed customer service opportunity. Letting a first class seat go empty rather than upgrading customers who paid for premium seating on a first come – first serve basis is a lost opportunity to gain loyalty in my opinion. By the way, your SECOND customer service opportunity flew by when no one bothered to check the “at risk” connecting flights and provide appropriate counseling on passenger options. That one is so BASIC it makes me wonder if US AIR has created such a miserable company that even the employees don’t give a #@%!

We land in Phoenix at the designated time for the departure of my connecting flight – yet still, I hold great hope that US AIR has somehow managed to screw up all of their on time departures for the day. No such luck – the nerve of that crew to leave without me ☺ Not to worry, being the experienced and creative traveler that I am I note a flight to Dulles boarding right next to my arriving flight. How fortuitous, it’s not my original destination but it’s definitely close enough!!! Certainly I can explain the situation to the lovely gate agent and she can find room for me on this flight (after all I have no bags – I paid for them to be lost in the maze of baggage that also misses it’s connection.) I approach the “busy” gate agent with my best look of happy desperation (for those of you who have seen Meet the Parents it’s a little like that – lots of keyboard tapping and an apparent lack of desire to even acknowledge my presence). After waiting patiently for just under five minutes while she happily types without so much of an “I will be right with you”, I work up the nerve to inquire as to her ability to assist me. What happens next is straight out of a textbook on how to alienate and unnecessarily inflame customers. The gate agent informs me that she is “busy” assisting with the flight that is being boarded and that my choices are a) to wait for her to finish b) visit the Customer Service kiosk located nine gates up on the right. My attempts to explain my situation to her were fruitless – she muttered some nonsense about “policies” and her “lack of authorization” to assist. Deflated and with a growing sense of anxiety I head off to the Customer Service kiosk where I meet friendly US Air employee #2. (For those of you statistically inclined folks, this brings the total employee interaction count to four with exactly 50% of them able to effectively demonstrate friendliness and compassion.)

#2 is a friendly and capable woman who explains that in the time it has taken me to walk to the Customer Service counter, the flight to Dulles has “closed” and that there are no more flights to DCA or Dulles for the day. A quick search of possible partner airlines nets no options that could be even remotely described as reasonable. My “best option” – a flight to Baltimore (a full hour and a half and $125 cab ride from my intended destination). #2 notices the look of sheer disappointment and near panic on my face and quickly offers what she is “authorized” to offer – ground transportation from BWI to DCA (my original airport destination) upon my arrival in Baltimore. I ponder the logic of this offering for a moment, before asking what to me is the obvious next question. Could this transportation service drop me at my hotel which is 20 minutes closer than a trip to DCA – saving us both what is now my most precious commodity – time. At this point, I already knew the answer and accept the apologetic “NO” without argument. After all, I have a flight to Baltimore to catch and if I was “lucky” my bags were set to arrive with me thanks to the quick thinking of #2. ***Note to US Airways – yes, this is in fact missed opportunity number FOUR – offering a service that is of no value with the express understanding that MOST customers won’t accept it (because it is of no value to them) does not create customer loyalty.

My customer service advice to US Airways (and all businesses for that matter) is so simple, yet so effective. When you screw up – apologize – and then make it right to the best of your ability. Listen to your customer, acknowledge their pain and suffering (this has been made to sound intentionally dramatic ☺) and set about asking them what you can do to make it right. Finally, empower your employees to create customer loyalty and refuse to hire the ones who are too passionate about policies and procedures. Most customers just want a reasonable solution – I didn’t need you to hire a private limo service or provide me with a roundtrip ticket to the destination of my choice. What you could have offered me was a US Air voucher with value greater than or equal to the $125 cab ride incurred as a result of your mistakes. The purpose of the voucher is two-fold 1) you guarantee yourself an opportunity to give me a better experience next time 2) you provide me something of perceived value in exchange for my pain and suffering. EVERYONE WINS – and no one has to drive from one airport to another in the middle of the night!!!

This is the point where I jump off my soap box, feeling satisfied that if I helped EVEN one person think about how they might provide better customer service then it was worth the hour I spent telling my story ☺ Safe and happy travels to all of you fortunate enough to be flying the friendly skies for business or pleasure! In the grand scheme of things my problems today were pretty minor, and at this writing I have arrived safely at my destination where I’m ensconced in the comfort of my Marriott bed surfing on free internet (these folks get LOYALTY by the way)!

Until I’m inspired again, I bid you all adieu.

AG