Your competitor’s evangelist

The line at the counter is always long. The wait is uncomfortable. Sometimes the organizers for my events ignore my request and preference for a particular airline, and buy me one of those cheap-fare tickets because they want to save money. I don’t complain to them since they’re my clients; I just complain silently. Have you ever been restrained to complaining silently? It’s not a very good feeling, isn’t it?

One time, I had an early morning flight. I knew I had to muster an extra dose of patience and kindness because checking in and standing in an overcrowded airport can really wear my patience thin. Then the thing I really hate happened – we were told that “…flight is delayed due to turnaround aircraft, and so on and so forth…” And I wondered, like I often have, “How come if I’m late, they won’t accept any of my reasons? They just cancel my cheap-fare ticket and force me to buy another one? But when their plane is late, I can’t complain, and I can’t cancel my ticket and force them to buy me a new one from another airline? Life is so unfair, isn’t it?

But “counter experiences” are the most dramatic of them all. One time, the person behind my counter was talking to a person behind another counter. In a loud voice, he angrily complained how his salary was so little, while the work is so heavy and the company makes a lot of money. The passengers waiting in line listened to his complaints, while his companion at the other counter affirmed and patronized everything he said. “My goodness,” I thought to myself, “If I were his manager, I would’ve fired him right on the spot. And if I hadn’t been tired and in a hurry, I would’ve given those two nincompoops a free seminar, badmouthing their employer in front of customers as they did.

Here’s a more recent counter experience.

The line at the first counter I was at was long. I moved to another counter with a shorter line. My associate and I were the last ones in line. We waited 15 minutes, and when it was my turn, the girl behind the counter asked me where I was going. I told her, and she responded, “This is not the line. You have to switch to another counter.” I looked at the counter she was pointing at. The long line there would mean we had to wait in line for another 20 minutes or so. I reasoned, I pleaded. I told her, “Miss, we’re the last in line. Can’t you do something to help us?” Not for once did the girl look at me again. She just kept pointing at the sign that said, “Counter Closed.” No eye contact, no smile, no explanation nor offer of help. And with the compassion of a serial killer, she said with full condescension, “The sign was there early, you should’ve seen the sign.” How’s that for customer service?

I know it’s unfair for me to hate this airline just because of that one (or two) employee. It may be unfair because the girl doesn’t represent the whole company. Or does she? I’ve met some kind and pleasant people from the airline, yes, but I’ve become inclined to think that the company doesn’t really care about their passengers, they just want the business.

The girl at the counter may be right, but how she went about it was wrong. And everything right was obliterated when she failed to show empathy, offer help or even just look at me while we were talking.

Every customer wants to be respected. Airfares don’t come cheap when passengers are cheapened by the way they’re treated.

Train your front liners. You save on costs by skimping on your training, but one day it’ll cost you. Now I make sure that all my invitations for out-of-town talks would necessitate another airline. How come I’ve become an evangelist for this airline’s competitor? You tell me.

(Let’s stay connected! Click on to www.franciskong.com or “Like” my page at www.facebook.com/franciskong2. You can also listen to my radio program “Business Matters” aired at 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. during weekdays over “The Master’s Touch” 98.7 dzFE-FM, the classical music station.)