Quality of Service
While vacationing in Mexico, I was once again impressed by the high quality of service I enjoyed at almost every place I visited. Whether at hotels, restaurants, beaches, or other locations and events, almost all of the service staffs were truly friendly and tried very hard to satisfy every request. It was all quite pleasant.
This provided a distinct contrast to the “moving” experience of going through security lines, customs, and boarding/deplaning several airline flights. While I understand the necessity of some of the routines as well as the challenge of handling large numbers of people efficiently, but the entire process was far from pleasant. It seems to me the job could still be done but in a more customer-oriented manner. WE, after all, ARE the customers… and should be well served by both the airlines and the bureaucratic organizations supporting the travel industry.
The airlines are certainly having problems, but that’s nothing new… it’s been going on for a number of years. While some blame increasing fuel costs, that factor affects ALL the companies, not just one, so the playing field is level in that regard. And the general attitude of the employees was OK… nothing bad happened… but it certainly didn’t FEEL the same as at the hotels or restaurants. So, why are the airlines are having a tough time financially? There are a number of underlying cost issues that will have to be resolved, but I don’t see much innovation on the customer service side. Flying today is a tedious, serious, stressful thing… what happened to the fun, the excitement, the joy of the journey?
The necessary government agencies don’t help. Stand in long lines, revealing your belongings, being scrutinized at every turn. Feels more like visiting a prison than going on vacation. I understand this isn’t a joking environment but it seems something could be done to make it just a tiny bit more pleasant.
If an airline or agency manager were to come up with some creative solutions to these issues, I believe the change would be immediately noticed and appreciated. There is too much “following” going on; you can’t stand out if you only mimic others. There needs to be a little bit of “outside the box” thinking along with some real leadership to institute those thoughts.
