Category: Customer Experience

By now, everyone has heard the story about the JetBlue Flight attendant who became frustrated with a passenger, expressed his anger over the public address system, and exited the plane via the emergency chute.   While it’s still not clear what exactly transpired on the plane, one thing that is clear is that many took his side, despite his bizarre actions.  Why did people praise his behavior?  Is it that airline customers empathize with airline travel stress, since they know firsthand the stress and overcrowding of many flights?  

Sometimes the simplest task is the hardest to do. Through our decades of experience and knowledge measuring the customer experience, five key areas stand out when thinking about areas employees frequently miss. These five may seem simple, but they can be difficult to execute consistently across an organization. Consider these areas within your own organization to see if your company is where it should be:

In this economy, companies are working to keep loyal customers and increase sales. A new study by Accenture finds that firms are responding to the economic recovery by channeling resources to improve service and training. These efforts are focused not only on keeping current customers happy and loyal for the long term, but also on gaining market share from companies who are not focusing effectively on customer service.

As I unloaded my cart on a recent visit to the grocery store, I heard the cashier tell his fellow employee, “I’m so tired of working this line. I can’t wait to be out of here!” Hearing this, I considered how the store manager would react if he heard this from his employee. To be sure, the manager would consider the comment a poor reflection on his store and on the company brand. Employees who talk about being bored on the job – in front of customers – are adversaries for a brand rather than advocates, a situation every company wants to avoid.

The Wall Street Journal’s Carl Bialik (“The Numbers Guy”) talked with our own Rob Barry, along with other experts, about the customer view of time spent waiting in line.