SimpliFlying

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This is a touching letter, from a flight attendant’s perspective, which was first published on Airliners.net. We felt compelled to share it.

To the Flying Public: We’re sorry

We’re sorry we have no pillows.
We’re sorry we’re out of blankets.
We’re sorry the airplane is too cold.
We’re sorry the airplane is too hot.
0AWe’re sorry the overhead bins are full.
We’re sorry we have no closet space for your oversized bag.
We’re sorry that’s not the seat you wanted.
We’re sorry there’s a restless toddler/overweight/offensive smelling passenger seated next to you.
We’re sorry the plane is full and there are no other seats available.
We’re sorry you didn’t get your upgrade.
We’re sorry that guy makes you uncomfortable because he “looks like a terrorist”.
We’re sorry there’s a thunderstorm and we can’t take off.
We’re sorry we don’t know when it will stop.
We’re sorry you’re crammed into a space so small that if you were an animal PETA would protest.
We’re sorry our plane has no music or video entertainment for your 3 hour flight.
We’re sorry we ran out of your favorite soda.
We’re sorry there are no more sandwiches.
We’re sorry that Budweiser costs $6.
We’re sorry we don’t have diapers for your baby.
We’re sorry we don’t have milk for same baby.
We’re sorry you can’t hang out by the cockpit door waiting to use the bathroom.
We’re sorry you can’t hang out at the back of the airplane.
We’re sorry you have to sit down and fasten your seatbelt.
We’re sorry you have to put your seat up for landing.
We’re sorry we don’t know when we’re going to land.
We’re sorry we don’t know whether your plane to (substitute any city in the world) will be waiting for you when we land.
We’re sorry we’ve been diverted because we ran out of gas waiting to land.
We’re sorry for these and so many other things that we have absolutely no control over but which we are held accountable for EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Please understand. Flight attendants are not the enemy. We share your space. More than anyone - we want to have a nice, pleasant travel experience.
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When airlines across the world are cringing due to rising costs and reacting in a knee-jerk manner, hurting both employees and customers, Air New Zealand (ANZ) has taken a bold step in customer service practices and introduced an in-flight concierge on board. The concierges will commence their new roles flying the airline’s London to Los Angeles route, and later operate on flights out of New Zealand. The concierges will be providing a range of services, from travel advice to assistance with onward bookings, to all Air New Zealand’s passengers in the plane, regardless of the class they are in. They will be dedicated to assisting customers with questions and will have no additional roles.

Great for customer retention

This initiative by ANZ is worth a standing ovation. It reflects tough adherence to company standards, even in times of crises. It is such distinguishing services that will make the customer feel the center of the universe – a key to success in service industries. Hotels like Ritz-Carlton to a great job at doing this, and now ANZ might possibly achieve that too. This initiative would be great not only for retaining customers but also win over new ones from competition.

Clear brand leadership

Providing a level of personal service that regular in-flight attendants at other airlines may find it difficult to match, ANZ is taking service to a new level. They are perfectly applying lessons from Blue Ocean Strategy, which talks about fighting the competition on a new plane, on your own terms. If ANZ executes well on what’s touted as their “walking wikipedia”, they would have led the way in building a strong brand, by providing unmatched levels of customer service, on board their flights. Such leadership is what paves the way for a Brand X-Factor – something that puts an airline in a class of its own.

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Most airlines are squarely putting the blame for their woes today on fuel costs. Many are doing everything they can to cut costs by removing any little amenities they offered to passengers - from pretzels to in-flight video - and starting to nickel and dime them for any remaining amenities. But it is in times like these that airlines that take care of the customer - even relatively better care - will stand to gain not just a profitability edge over their competitors but also brand loyalty.

Given the circumstances, why not learn from the best in the hospitality business – The Ritz-Carlton hotel group. Not only is Ritz-Carlton known for service excellence, looking closely at their service credo and mission, you’ll realize that most of what makes them admirable doesn’t cost a bomb.

The best customer service in the world is free!

All Ritz-Carlton staff carry a laminated card in their pockets, which has on it the company motto, “Three steps of Service” and “The Employee Promise”. Contrary to the usually hard-to-decipher corporate speak, these are actually very easy to follow and implement. Even if airlines adopt the Ritz-Carlton credo, “We’re ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen”, their service would improve by leaps and bounds. Simply put, treating customers and peers with utmost respect (like ladies and gentlemen) will create an uplifting experience for everyone.

After treating everyone with respect, if airline staff can incorporate Ritz-Carlton’s “Three steps of service” into their daily routines, they would be winning many more hearts. The first is using a personal, warm and sincere greeting. This really does wonders. Anticipating and addressing guest needs leaves an indelible impression on the customers’ minds for a long time. Lastly, giving them a personalized, warm farewell will ensure that they remember their last moments on the flight with a smile.

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Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Now, even celebrity gossip blog Perezhilton is worried about the state of the airline industry. Constantly ranked among the top 20 blogs on the internet by Technorati, among hundreds of millions, it was surprising to see Perezhilton deviate from the regular celebrity scoop we find on that blog. When that happens, even the common man should pay attention.

The post, entitled “We must avert this disaster”, quoted a Yahoo News article that talks about various factors for concern about the American airline industry. Not surprisingly, one of the key causes is identified as poor customer service. Former American Airlines‘ Chariman, Robert Crandall, is quoted as saying, “Every major airline is losing huge amounts of money with service standards that are unacceptable, to be generous.” Interestingly, he believes that regulation is the solution to such woes. I don’t see how! Read the rest of this entry »