Give Great Customer Service, Or Lose Cleaning Clientele

After 20 plus years of loyal patronage, I am leaving my airline carrier of choice and establishing a working relationship with one that seems to still value customers and actually listens to our requests and complaints. The old carrier seems hell bent on charging me high rates and fees for changes, baggage and almost everything else. I have been confronted by their counter people who aggressively informed me that my bag was too large even though it was purchased to meet their size specifications. They did not want to hear that I had flown on the same model plane two days earlier and that it fit the top bin without any difficulties. Rather than lose my seat, I let them take the bag which cost me an additional hour on my arrival waiting for it to show at the wrong gate. When boarding the plane, I had noted empty bins.

My way of saying thanks for their great service is to cancel my airline card and choose any other airline even if it costs more simply as a way protesting with my checkbook and feet. Of course they will not miss me and will continue to reap profits for years to come; but not from my money.

Don’t you wish you were an airline and could treat people any way you wanted to? My new carrier seems to honestly want my business and I am, in turn, very respectful of their rules. They even gave me extra peanuts without asking.  Life is good. 

What does this story have to do with custodial operations? The answer is simple: “Treat customers like your teeth. Only brush the ones you would like to keep. The ones you ignore will go away.” 

Second lesson is to remember there is always someone on your heels that will go the extra mile to steal that customer away from you. 

Please do not become so smug that you start acting like the first airline. 

Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…..

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.