I recently selected an airline that I had never flown before, and to my surprise, if possible, will never fly again. The overall feeling I had about my experience with this airline was not just about money, it was the way they made me "feel" about how they choose to do business. Just my efforts to check in to my flight was made difficult. Instead of just letting me check in, I had to sign up for their frequent flier program, regardless if I wanted to or not. Also, their website was not user-friendly. I learned while checking my bag in at the airport the day of my flight, had I checked the bag in online, the charge would have been about half cost and every bag gets a charge. Where is the customer care in that, especially when the website didn't navigate easily? They boldly, proudly, and in a condescending manner, said, "Do not give us 'that look' when the beverage cart comes around, and we charge you for water, because this airlines charges for everything." Interestingly, after this announcement, the two people sitting in my row both said they were warned by their friends not to fly this airline. 

All of this got me thinking about how many people on that flight felt like my row felt, and would they complain or just leave without comment? How dangerous for a company to have this large of a disconnect with their customers. My choice was to comment, which I hope informs this airline of my experience, however, sadly most will not complain to the company, but they will tell many about their poor experience. 

Respond to your customer's opening statement with an assurance that you can help.  Say something like, "Absolutely.  I can help you with that."  Even if you are going to refer the customer to another department or employee, you can give an assurance.  Say, "I'm going to transfer you to the department that can take care of this for you, but I will stay on the line until someone answers."

- Renee Evenson, Customer Service Training 101

I personally enjoyed our blog last week because the outcome was a GREAT customer service experience, where the associates went over and above to anticipate needs and deliver on surprises and delights. Shouldn't this be the norm? Why are so many service experiences disappointing? My theory ~ leadership is looking in the wrong direction. Too many businesses focus on sales and not so much on service. This is baffling to me because more sales come with better service. Randy Pennington says that in his experience, "Companies with bad service view it as a cost to be managed rather than an investment that creates a competitive advantage." I couldn't agree more. 

What are Millennials? According to, Wikipedia, Millennials (also known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Y) are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980's to the early 2000's. 

Robert Rauch wrote an article, Top 10 Hospitality Industry Trends in 2015 that discusses the profile of a Millennial. The major focus for this group is exploration, interaction, and experience. Rauch says, "They are looking for a unique and novel experience and this has and will continue to command change within the market." 

Quick reactions and timely responses should be a part of every company's core standards because these two actions help support a positive customer experience. Customer service doesn't just happen to someone else; it's a very personal and intentional action that happens to each one of us daily. We have a personal connection to the service we are providing as well as receiving.

We have built our world around speed, and because of this, any amount of waiting seems like a complete waste of time and an enormous frustration. We have drive-thru opportunities everywhere- banks, coffee shops, cleaners, and even restaurants will run your take-out to your car. With a quick search on google, just about any question has an instant answer. The responsibility and understanding this brings to all customer service providers is that asking customers to needlessly wait may be the difference between a positive or negative experience.