How to Impress Your Customer When It All Goes Wrong
“Happy” is not the first word that comes to mind regarding flight delays.
And when a delayed flight gets delayed again…and again…and again…things tend to get downright hostile.
Such was the scene aboard a recent flight I took. We ran into delays every step of the way.
You know the hope and relief you feel when finally boarding the plane?
And then that sinking feeling when you buckle up, turn off your phone and hear the pilot announce…yet another delay?
You know the ‘special words’ that go through your mind in that moment…?
Yeah, all of that.
I am not sure what a “log book entry error” is, but let me assure you all that correcting such an error is not a speedy process.
Here is what the Delta salesperson (a.k.a., the pilot) did to make things better and (surprisingly!) turn me into a highly impressed customer…maybe even a fan!
4 Steps to Impress
1. Keep people informed
“No news is good news” does not apply when things go wrong.
When things go wrong, you really must over-communicate with your customers. Because when people feel stressed out, they begin thinking the worst. And what feels like “over-communicating” to you, feels like reasonable communication to your customer. Even when delivering bad news — and especially when things go really wrong — keep your customer in the loop.
On my flight, the pilot told us right away what caused the delay and gave us updates every few minutes until our departure. We were not left wondering what was happening or how much longer it would take.
2. Communicate face-to-face
On my delayed flight, the pilot came out and spoke with us directly instead of hiding in the cockpit and letting the flight attendants to do his dirty work.
Salespeople, did you hear what I said? “Hiding”.
Texts, phone calls and emails are all well and good…until things go wrong.
At that point, nothing works like face-to-face conversation. A real, live conversation communicates genuine compassion and respect in a way that digital communication cannot.
When the pilot spoke with us, he said, “It helps when we are face to face…” It never hurts to say something like this to your customer when things go wrong. Reminding them of your care and commitment to service is always a good place to start.
3. Tell the truth and own it
Toward the tail end of our delay, the pilot came out and said, “This is crazy. This is stupid and I feel embarrassed. I am so sorry, folks. But this is about safety and we do it by the book.”
It is hard to stay mad when somebody just puts it out there like that.
4. Apologize sincerely
After apologizing profusely throughout the delay and after takeoff, our pilot took it one step further.
As we deplaned at our destination, he stood at the exit to shake each passenger’s hand and say, “I am sorry. I apologize for the delay and the inconvenience.”
I found myself more than a little impressed!
When things go wrong, we face a golden opportunity to create a positive impression and secure customer loyalty…just like Delta did with me. So, stop hiding and face that opportunity head-on!
