I Love To Fly Delta For Their Customer Service…And It Shows
When it comes to customer service, Delta knows what they are doing. I guess I should start with a small disclaimer that I do fly quite often, so I enjoy the benefits of “status” from their Medallion (frequent flier) program. But still… Delta knows what they are doing.
From my perspective, “customer service” isn’t limited to the call center that I call to complain when my flight is delayed or to try to finagle a better seat. Customer service is the essence of the company — what does the company stand for? For a service industry like Delta’s (and like ours at Phone.com), customer service is the soul of a company. In Delta’s case, their customer experience shines through everything from their self-service website, to the flight attendants and pilots, even to the baggage handlers, and yes, to the call center agents. To me, it seems that Delta is founded on a commitment to take care of their customers and their employees. And it shows.
“How can I help you, Mr. Scott?” — the cool thing is that they are genuine. Gone are the Indians following a script. I’m not sure where Delta’s customer service team is located, but I know they speak my language and share my culture. They care about my reason for calling, and these are real people who know what air travel is all about. I feel like they are expert flyers themselves, and have seen their share of travel issues, they feel my pain, and revel in their success of making my day, even when all I wanted was to move to an aisle seat. “Can I help you with other travel arrangements? A car or hotel?” on each and every call — consistent, and meaningful. This is not someone selling me a used car. This is not Discover Card trying to assault me with upsells and extras.
At the airport, they feel for me about the nuisances of travel — they are professional, yet cheeky — an eye roll about taxes, or a friendly “you may want to try Terminal 1 because their security line is shorter”; a quick story sharing a common experience of delays, flight irregularities or unavoidable travel situations.
Even when Delta’s policies are lame (for example, a few months ago I needed a last minute flight and it was going to cost almost $2,000 to get on the flight I needed), the customer service rep expressed compassion; perhaps it was just awesome training on Delta’s part, but it seemed to me that she genuinely felt for my situation and put herself in my shoes. She knew it sucked; she tried what she could; and it turned out that she couldn’t do anything about it. I didn’t get what I wanted (a lower priced ticket), but at the end of the call, I loved Delta even more. Someone there cared about me.
Even their safety videos are just right for me. Of course, they get the job done, but at the same time they are cheeky — they know just how many times I have sat through the safety presentation (imagine how many times *they* have sat through the same presentation!) — somehow they figured out how to get me to watch the whole video, every time. Looking for that next easter egg or unexpected twist. Today, my flight attendant even lip synced to it. Not so obnoxious as Southwest — just the right amount of professionalism with a bit of familiarity and entertainment thrown in.
On the rare occasions of a missed connection, delay, or flight irregularity, I see a crew that is genuinely sorry for the inconvenience. It doesn’t matter to them if it’s a mechanical failure, or something completely out of their control (like a weather delay or a misbehaving passenger). I’ve come to appreciate the flurry of activity that Delta sets in motion to minimize the inconvenience — maybe a free drink or a free dinner — even an email the next day from a customer service manager. And when I send them a comment, they respond with a genuine “thanks.” I made their day by writing to them, and they returned the favor by making my day with their response.
If I step back and try to learn something from Delta, it is that it’s not enough to provide lip service to your customer service operation. Companies need to hire customer service reps that their customers can connect with — that share common experiences — that use and LOVE the product or service — that honestly care and empathize — and that are empowered to make their customers’ day. The result? Loyal customers that will share their experiences, maybe even pay a little extra, and come back time and time again.
[custom_author=brian]