In this marketplace, you can not afford to have a poor attitude showing to your
customers. What are your employees saying when you are not listening?
I have to admit my jaw dropped when I heard this on a recent flight. This was a ComAir (operated as a Delta codeshare) flight out of Cincinnati. I was getting settled in my seat and it was nearing departure time. Some passengers were starting to switch seats for more comfort as it appeared all the passengers had boarded. Then all of a sudden a large group of passengers arrived late and started to board. Well you can see the confusion as their assigned seat had someone in it. The flight attendant was called over to help. At that point, the late arrivals started to say they had been at the gate and waiting for the announcement to board, then questioned the agent who did not know this flight had been called. It sounded like they had every right to defend their late arrival.
However the flight attendant decided to show her frustration to her customers. Here was her announcement over the PA system – “As you can tell, the gate agents here have no idea what they are doing so I recommend you write Delta. They always welcome your comments and you may get a $75 voucher. Let them know about this lovely experience.”
I can understand her irritation as she and the crew are trying to get a flight out on time. However her professionalism and judgment were sorely lacking. Employees are the face of your organization. What “face” will show up today and represent you? Do you know what is going on when you are not there? It is time to be more vigilant.
Make something good happen today.
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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change. Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service – Going Beyond Good Service to Exceed the Customer’s Expectations.
