My husband and I returned from a mini-vacation. We were booked on a one-hour flight ar lunch time, with a two-hour drive to our home, and anticipated to be Home around 4pm.
We boarded the plane on time. Shortly after the doors were closed, the captain announced that an indicator was malfunctioning, which needed to get checked out. About 20 minutes later, all passengers were back in the Terminal, waiting for the repair to be done. An hour later, we boarded again, only to be told that the indicator, after having performed well in five test runs, was now malfunctioning again. Another 45 minutes of waiting went by, after which, you guessed it, we disembarked again. I felt uneasy this time; you know, that teeny weeny butterfly in my stomach was moving around.
Everyone watched what was happening outside. Again, three mechanics were working on the wing, one with papers in hand. We saw shrugging shoulders and the flipping of pages … By now, none of us felt very comfortable about boarding this plane; my stomach was in knots. I really, really did not want to get on this plane. The flight was officially delayed for a further half hour; then another half hour, and again, until it was finally cancelled around 4pm. At this point I was ready to scream “Get me out of here!” Then, in a monotone, unemotional voice a counter employee told us to re-book, and left us standing… We had six hours to spare. — We had no food, or drink coupon to ease our pain. — We had nowhere to go. — We were upset. Eventually, we flew out on another flight at 10:25pm.
Seventeen hours after leaving the hotel, we finally arrived at our Home at 2:15am!
How does this experience relate to business? As customers, we have a right to expect good service. If it’s not given, we don’t use that company again, but go elsewhere and find someone who will look after us. Am I, as a Virtual Assistant and business owner, willing to lose a good client? No way! I will do my utmost to keep him or her happy, and I do go the extra mile. I love it when a client tells me “You rock.”
How about you, dear reader? What is your view? Is customer service important enough to make you switch to a different store or service provider?