Improve Service? How About Improving Expectations?

In real estate, we're told, only three things matter: location, location, location.

In business, really in all life, there are also only three things to consider for success: communicate, communicate, communicate.

Seriously.

Among my hundreds of "quick tips" for which I've become renown, one of my all-time favorites is use of the magic word: "Because." Explain the reasons why to people - children, students, athletes, sales prospects, staff, investors, voters; customers - and you will win their understanding, probably even their buy-in.

Thus, I found the following advice to the airline industry surprisingly refreshing in this morning's NY Times:

Lower My Expectations
Brett Snyder is the author of the consumer air travel blog, The Cranky Flier.

What can be done to make air travel less miserable? I’m sure many people will argue that airline employees need to be nicer or airlines need to reduce their fees. Some will say that the airlines need to give us more legroom, but I think there’s a simpler solution. Airlines need to do a better job of communicating and setting expectations.

The airlines should give me a 360 degree virtual tour of my cramped coach seat — at the very least, I will know what I’m getting.

When I go to book a ticket, what information does the airline give me about my flight? I know the time it goes, how much it costs, and sometimes what type of plane I’ll be on. That’s about it. If airlines did a better job of presenting the full package to me at the time of booking, then my expectations could be set appropriately.

I may know that flying out of J.F.K. at 5 o’clock is a guarantee for a delay, but why not tell me how many times that flight has actually been delayed in the last couple months? And while you’re at it, let me know how long the delay has been on average. The data is there, and anyone can find it (at FlightStats.com), but the airlines don’t usually like to share that information themselves. That’s a mistake, because if I come expecting a delay, I’m going to be an easier customer to please.

Instead of showing aspirational cartoons depicting people sleeping on clouds (yes, a certain Chicago-based airline actually does this), maybe you should give me a 360 degree virtual tour of my cramped coach seat. That alone might get me to pay the price to upgrade to Economy Plus; at the very least, I will know what I’m getting.

The problem isn’t just at the time of booking, of course. I might run into surly customer service agents, lost bags and mechanical delays, but these hassles are easier to endure when the communication is frequent and detailed. Bottom line: Keep me better informed during all stages of my trip and I will be a more satisfied customer.

For the complete article: http://tinyurl.com/n8ja6j*


*By the way, how cool are sites such as http://tinyurl.com? For instance, they just turned the link to the article above from 91 characters to 25. I have no clue how they make money, but what a great time to be alive!