Customer Service - From Promise to Performance

Sometimes, something works so well we don't even see it.  I'm a regular traveler on Amtrak and it works pretty seamlessly. 

I make reservations on the web.  The reservations page is intuitive and easy to use.  If you buy your tickets online, you get an email with a link that makes it just as easy to cancel them if your plans change.

Amtrak is an early adopter of .mobi.  This means if you're in the taxi on the way to the station, you can get access to the Amtrak website (make reservations, check train status) specially built to fit in the tiny window of your phone.  Just type in www.Amtrak.mobi instead of www.Amtrak.com.

Amtrak was also an early adopter of the automated ticket kiosk in the station.  Unlike airports, you can arrive about 15 minutes before your train, pick up the ticket you bought in that taxi, and make your train.  Except for major holidays, there are enough kiosks around that there's never more than three people in line for one.  You can count on getting ticketed quickly.

Also unlike air travel, at least in the northeast corridor, the trains are almost always on time.  And, so far, they haven't had big increases in their fares.  There are power outlets, so you can plug in your laptop.  There aren't transmission restrictions, so you can use your phone or laptop air card.  And, of course, the stations are in the center of major cities, rather than 30 minutes or an hour's drive away.  When traveling between Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, I've given up flying altogether. 

Many thanks, Amtrak.

I've got so many nice things to say about jetBlue.

jetBlue Understands "Red-eye"

I've now flown cross-country with Jet Blue on a red-eye (an overnight flight) a few times. I'm not sure if it's company policy, but I've found the same things on each plane:

• no announcements between takeoff and the announcement to put up your seat back and tray table;
• a blanket and pillow on every seat;
• lights out; and
  
• a requirement that all the window shades be closed if we're flying into sunrise.

They advertise the leather seats and the legroom, but to me it's these extras that matter.

jetBlue knows how to apologize

When my flight had to stop for gas due to extreme headwinds, they didn't wait for me to complain. jetBlue sent me an email apologizing and including an e-coupon discounting my next purchase.

jetBlue knows how to show appreciation

jetBlue has a pretty simple rewards program. Each paid flight is worth a certain number of points (based on distance, I think). Earn 100 points, get a free flight. When I had earned 96 points at the end of the year, they didn't call me "gold" or "silver." They sent me an email offering the points to put me into a free flight.

jetBlue's employees are nice

I don't know how they pick or motivate employees, but all the employees I've dealt with are nice. I don't mean fake-y nice, I mean happy nice.

jetBlue is responsive

They've been so nice, I thought I'd mention a small suggestion when I was talking to the rep to book my free flight. I'd had to wait a bit to reach an operator and I suggested they consider giving customers the option of music or silence while on hold (something some other companies have done). She said she'd forward the comment, but that I could also submit the suggestion easily on their website. I did and today -- two days later and a SUNDAY -- I got an email thanking me for the suggestion. The email described my suggestion and responded in a way that made it clear it was a note written by a person.

jetBlue, keep up the good work!

Yesterday, I was doing a little networking over lunch and one of my two companions suggested we meet at Ted's Montana Grill on West 51st Street in New York.  This is part of a chain of restaurants co-owned by Ted Turner.  In fairness, the food was pretty good and he's got a very politically-correct green policy (paper straws, cloth napkins, etc).  But, I'll probably never go back. 

Problem:

My friend said that the place fills up fast at lunch time and suggested we go early.  I arrived at 11:38, seven minutes before our agreed time.  There were only two tables occupied but the hostess refused to seat me because the restaurant's policy is only to seat groups when everyone is present.

Part of this chain's marketing says it creates an "authentic Montana atmosphere" and brings the "spirit" of the West to cities around the country. Having spent two decades as a resident of the West, I've got to say they've missed the mark.

Solution:

Allow your employees to use a little common sense.  The restaurant has 200 seats and 194 of them were empty when I was refused a chair.    Even worse, the waiting area has room for about 15 people... on stairs.  Any employee with a little autonomy could have figured out that, at that moment in time, letting me sit was the better business decision.  From the short-term economic perspective, Ted's would have sold one more beverage -- the highest profit item in a restaurant -- than it did yesterday.  From the long term perspective, of course, they would have had a repeat customer and maybe hosted a group event for me.  So, loosen the reins a little and empower your employees to grow your good brand and your profits!

My hair has been going gray for quite some time and people have often suggested I color it. So, this week, I let a friend take me to her colorist of 15 years. We walked in and she made the introductions. The colorist stopped what she was doing, walked over to me, looked closely at my hair, and then said with finality, "Don't do it."

I was awestruck. Here I was, in a salon so famous for its hair coloring that there's a bestselling book about it and she turned me away. She was very nice, very polite, and succinctly explained exactly why hair coloring would not go well for me. Since I'd read up on hair coloring the night before, I understood exactly the chemical problem she was describing and it made sense.

Since it's the week after Thanksgiving, when all the great Christmas movies are on tv, it reminded me of the great scenes in Miracle on 34th Street when the stores start sending people to their competitors when it will give the customers what they want. Here, too, the colorist and salon passed on a large sale and a big tip in order to do the right thing. That's great customer service!

My response to ZipCar's survey after today's failed rental:

_______________________________________________________________________

I arrived at 7:30am to pick up a ZipCar I had paid to reserve from 6am to 9pm. Although I'd called one hour ahead, the garage attendant didn't inform me that the car had not been returned nor had he informed ZipCar. In a case such as this one -- where the garage requires one hour notification -- I would recommend that they be required to call ZipCar if the car hasn't been returned. Had this happened, ZipCar could have determined that the car was many hours overdue, called the violating renter, and notified me before I showered, dressed, and went out to the garage.

After arriving at the garage and finding the car missing, I called the customer service rep, who was very nice but didn't know New York. She offered to replace my rental in a heavily residential neighborhood with one in a warehouse district that would be desolate on both a Sunday morning and night. And though she offered a taxi to the car, she had no suggestions for how I would get back from this deserted neighborhood on a cold and rainy night (tonight's forecast).

Only when I suggested it, did the operator offer to call the violating renter. I was on hold for about five minutes and she came back with a very sad story from the renter about a cousin having a heart attack. While I'm sympathetic, it wouldn't have changed the domino of sad stories, if I'd been on the way to a family wedding or funeral or a job interview. As it was, I missed an opportunity to see parents in their 80's. In a location with as many cars as Manhattan, I'd recommend that you put one extra car in a central location for such emergencies.

During the course of the call, I also learned that the total penalty for a return as late as this one (overnight and into the morning) is $150. In a location like Manhattan, where parking in a handicapped space results in a $180 ticket and the most expensive dessert restaurant charges $1,000 for a sundae, I'd suggest that the ZipCar penalty be raised significantly. I apologize for my cynicism, but I have no way to know if the prior renter's story is true in a city where false excuses have been raised to an art form. If there really was a medical emergency, any fee could be waived.