Airline customer service
I'm sitting in the Boston airport living in the wonderful world of customer service in the airline industry.
When checking in at the kiosk today, my reservation wasn't found either when I used my credit card or when I entered my confirmation number. I proceeded to wait in line for an agent to help me. While waiting in line I witnessed the classic display of not servicing a customer:
A man, his wife, and 2 kids were checking luggage. I heard him ask why his seats were no longer next to each other (for his family) on the flight. The agent replied with, "I don't know" and refused to help offer an explanation or reconfigure his seating arrangement. I could see his frustration, but because it was not worth his time to pursue it further (2 antsy kids clawing at his feet), he reluctantly lunged his bags onto the scale for the agent.
I couldn't help but wonder why the experience at the airport check-in counters is always like this from airport-to-airport. It was as if this man had personally wronged the agent behind the counter!
On the flip side of the coin, I was dealing with a cancelled flight. I really wish the kiosk would have told me it was cancelled and that I would need to use those mysterious-looking black phones near the kiosks that are only designed to dial into customer service -- a simple notification would have saved 10 minutes of my time waiting in line. Instead, I.waited, only to be told to use the phone to rebook my flight. Fine.
I spent more time on the phone on hold, at the airport. The agent on the phone couldn't figure out why the flight was canceled, so this made me more confused. He could have put me on standby to fly me to an airport within an hour of my house (instead of the one only 15 minutes away). This one wasn't cancelled. Since it was only standby, I didn't want to check my bag and not get on the flight. Because the cancellation was "weather-related", Delta couldn't get me on another flight because "all other airlines will experience the dame weather-related issues."
Unsatisfied with this answer, I thanked the agent for trying and proceeded to call American Express business travel (through our office). I hopped in a cab to get driven to the united airways terminal while I booked a flight over the phone for a flight out this evening that wasn't cancelled. After getting my confirmation # seconds before getting to the kiosk to check in, I was all set.
The AMEX business travel agent was fabulous in accomodating my travel needs and dealing with my distracted attention span while I hustled from terminal-to-taxi-to-terminal-to-kiosk. Likewise, united airways was curtious during check-in too, and fielded my stupid questions about the weather causing delays.
Delta could take some customer service lessons from other folks in the industry. The airline industry in general could do a better job managing traveler expectations during inclimate weather situations as well.
Please, just manage my expectations, that’s all I ask.
Oh how I can relate with this post and this post -- managing expectations, or lack thereof.
Consumers need an explanation
The points made in these posts are so very true and they really ring home for retail website managers and developers: visitors don't care about the technology on your site, they just want product information so they can make a purchase.
Take for example blinds and shades. Arguably one of the most complex products on earth when it comes to ordering (I'm not kidding). There are literally millions of combinations available to order a 2" Wood Blind. Nobody thinks about this when they come into a store to order them. Consumers are bombarded with the options and choices they have to make just to cover their windows. As a marketer, it's really quite comical to experience.
Our website is undergoing a usability study next week. In my call with the person managing the study, I found myself becoming defensive because the organizer did not understand how our products are manufactured (if you know how our products are manufactured, then you understand why they are presented the way they are). But then it dawned on me, she doesn't care and why should she? If I have to explain to her why certain options are not listed on the website, then the website is not doing a good job of managing the consumer's expectations. It just needs to be easy to shop and get the information she needs. But how does "easy" translate to managing expectations?
Don't be afraid to address FAQs up-front
Manufacturers, I think, are too scared at times to tell the consumer the real reason why a product cannot be made a certain way or are fearful that FAQs represent uncertainty with the product. The more educated a consumer is about our product, the more informed their decision is when they go to purchase which translates into buying with confidence. This also helps reduce or eliminate buyer's remorse. By explaining why things are the way they are and giving consumers everything they need to know (and anticipating) their questions, you manage their expectations. Their takeaway is a pleasant experience and not an experience that "there's too many options and restrictions that are too difficult to understand." Too often marketers are the ones doing the selling, when there needs to be a sales person doing the selling as well. A good salesman understands the needs and pain points for their customers. This is exactly what a website should do.
Be prepared for the unknown and unexpected
Often times however, you cannot anticipate everything, so you've got to think on your toes. This is where a website's power comes into play in terms of evolving with the consumer. As frequently asked questions roll in, address them on the website in a knowledgebase or a blog. Don't hide them as if they somehow degrade your product -- help the consumer wade through their questions. Your website should act like a salesperson -- helping them coast along that sales conversion funnel all the way down to purchase with minimal-to-zero frustration. Evaluate the frequency of customer support phone calls and e-mails about products and identify key, frequently asked questions that can be addressed higher up in the sales funnel. You should see call volume drop and faster conversions online (assuming they are shopping/browsing online initially).
It's OK to air your dirty laundry...sometimes
Sometimes you need to air your dirty laundry to help consumers understand why things happened the way they did. This is necessary to help justify why a bad experienced happened. Airing dirty laundry comes with a price -- you must somehow compensate the consumer for their time and the bad experience. This will vary by industry, but the movie theater example makes an excellent point. This is particularly good practice when doing damage control in an online forum where your brand is being thrashed. Managing expectations is more than just reading the marketing material on your product's brochure, it's being a salesman and service provider to your customer.
Blog by Eric Long
I'm an experienced online marketer, information architect, digital strategist, and social media enthusiast. I'm passionate about providing outstanding cross-channel experiences for considered purchases (with a focus on mass customization).
About Eric Long
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