Confessions at 30,000 Feet
February 2nd, 2010 by Keith Burton
William Bridges, a well-known workplace consultant, has said that we live in our expectations, not in our experiences. I was reminded last week of my expectations and how they shape my beliefs about a “brand experience” when my preferred airline seemingly reversed course on a new practice for its most frequent travelers.
It was the fall of 2009 when the airline decided to unveil a new program offering wine, beer and mixed beverages, along with premium snacks, at no charge to its elite frequent fliers traveling in coach. Chalk up another benefit to being a high mileage customer, I marveled at the time. The flight attendants even went the extra mile to fuss over me and a seat mate, recognizing us both by name and announcing loudly that we would be treated royally. Others nearby surely wondered why.
On a recent flight out west, it all came crashing down. In Seat 10C, I faded into the grey decor of the cabin and warranted no more than a club soda with ice and a lemon wedge. What happened to my red wine and premium nuts? Sometimes a great notion fades without mention, which apparently happened here. Or did it?
As they came back through the cabin serving another round of beverages, I stopped the attendants and asked if the aforementioned affinity program had been abandoned without notice. “I don’t know,” said one of the attendants. “They’re not always good in communicating with us, so we don’t know,” said the other in referring to the airline’s management. They offered to get me a complimentary wine and nuts anyway, and I thanked them both and said no. They never came back to tell me what happened to the program.
The major airlines have been battered by the economy, a drop in business travel, poor performance and bad service in recent years. They struggle to win new customers, to claw back others who’ve abandoned them, and to seize new footholds in on-time reliability and customer satisfaction. Would it make good sense to show consistency in delivering the benefits of a simple program created to reward the patience and patronage of a loyal high-milage customer? Absolutely. Roughly 86 percent of 200 top airline managers asked which priorities are most important to an airline’s business picked customer loyalty and retention as having a positive impact, according to a survey by Sabre Airline Solutions. But it all starts with clear direction and consistent communication on programs designed to show travelers that they care about their business. We’ve had it drummed into us that business travelers are critical to the airlines. So my expectations — of an upgraded seat when possible and some extra attention when I’m captive for four or more hours — are high. I want consistent programs, and I want the people in the cabin watching over our safety and serving us to know the details.
We do, in fact live in our expectations. Companies who get this thrive because they reward people like me who spend money with them. It’s simple. Help the people who deliver on the promise of the brand to understand what is expected of them.