I have to fly across the country frequently these days on family business. Because I’m a nervous flyer, I normally don’t think too much about the customer service during a flight–I’m too worried about the plane crashing. But last night’s experience gave me a new perspective on the topic of customer service. I’ve started to think there are some best practices in customer service which should apply to a writing career.
I should add that in addition to being afraid of flying, I’m prone to superstition, plus I resist changes to routine. On my recent cross-country trips, therefore, I have flown on the same airline, in the same seat on the same row, every time. Each of these flights turned out to be a pleasant experience (aside from my epic battles with white knuckle syndrome, which isn’t the airline’s fault).
Last night I took a different airline for the first time for my usual trip. It was the same airplane model, same seat and row. Only the customer service was different.
And how. Here’s the way it went down: the exact same trip, on two different airlines.
Airline A
Upon entering the cabin, I was greeted by a flight who asked me if she could hang up my coat for me. Another crew member distributed beverages before takeoff, and told us what types of food were available. The crew patrolled the aisle regularly, making eye contact with passengers and making sure needs were being met. They smiled at us a lot. They made us feel like they wanted us on their plane!
Airline B
Upon entering the cabin, I was ignored by the flight attendant, who was engaged in an animated personal discussion with a colleague. She looked startled when I asked where I could hang up my coat, and checked my ticket to make sure I was actually entitled to coat hanging privileges. The animated personal discussion continued during the preparation for takeoff, with brief, obligatory pauses to make announcements required by the FAA. The flight magazine was a month out of date, so we couldn’t discover what food choices would be available. When the flight attendant finally took our orders, I asked if the entree (it turned out to be pasta, hooray!) contained meat. She wasn’t sure, and didn’t find out. (The pasta did have meat, this vegetarian discovered later for herself).
The flight crew evidently enjoyed each other’s company a lot, because they spent the entire journey talking among themselves. At one point an attendant from another section came forward, looking distressed. This new conversation was punctuated by dramatic hand gestures. The distressed newcomer was even shielding her mouth from view of the passengers as she continued talking.
Having taped and watched every episode of AIR DISASTERS, I immediately suspected that the flight attendants were talking about some kind of problem with the plane.
“Is everything okay?” I asked one of them, when I finally caught her attention.
“Yes. Why?” She paused, and then it seemed to dawn on her why I’d asked the question. “Oh, we’re just talking about life. You know, girl stuff.”
“As long as you aren’t talking about broken-airplane stuff,” I said.
She retreated with a doubtful look on her face. The chat fest resumed.
When we eventually landed in Washington, three hours late, I discovered that I’d forgotten to pack my laptop, on which I’d written my post for today. So I’m writing this rant on my iPad, which hates interacting with WordPress. (Okay, that one’s not the flight crew’s fault.)
Customer Service and Writing
The flight episode gave me a new appreciation for the importance of customer service. I think writers would benefit by developing some best practices of our own in that regard. Here are some suggestions:
When using social media, don’t talk “at” people in a one-sided conversation. Engage in actual conversations.
Always maintain a friendly, polite tone in public forums.
Answer emails promptly.
In short, make your readers and public feel like you’re glad they made the decision to board your flight. They’ll reward you with return visits.
Can you add any customer service best practices that writers should follow? Or better still, anything we should avoid doing?
Kathryn, I feel your pain. The only way I can visit my mom is to endure seven hours in a jet over the Atlantic Ocean. I take a lot of drugs. Which means I’m woozy for most of the trip, so the crew could don Darth Vader costumes and I wouldn’t notice.
But I get your point. All comments and emails are fans, or potential fans, so politeness is a must. And the rare rude comments are softly rebuked and then ignored.
You’ve got the right approach, Amanda! I’m always surprised when writers engage in personal attacks or angry discussions with people who don’t share their views on some subject. Or those who talk endlesslessly about themselves in a one-sided dialogue, thinking that will make people buy their books.
Yeah. I always take tons of drugs up there. And it really does help. I’ve always hated flying. Especially when they downsized the firstclass seats. Remember the reaaly huge leather seats, like giant Barcaloungers? They’re long gone. So are the decent meals. Now you gotta load up with high-energy stuff. I’m Vegan, so the risk of starving to death up there is real. I’ve trained myself not to think unhappy thoughts whilst in the air. Mostly I think about birds soaring, but not too close to the plane. Listening to music and snoozing is good. Reading is okay, as long as it’s nothing that might cause anxiety. Read something happy. Something about horses is calming. Remember to breathe, too.
Kathryn, I am sympathetic with the problems you encountered on Flight B. My question is this: How did you get on Flight A? All my flights (and, thank goodness they’re less frequent nowadays) have featured the flight crew and itinerary from Hell. Then again, since I live in the DFW area and fly only the airline that has its hub here, maybe that’s one reason.
Thanks for sharing this with us, and making the applications.
I had no idea how good the service was that I was getting before being exposed to the other! Maybe the crews on that particular run are good. Delta, business class, LAX to Reagan, you guys are rock Stars! 😉
Long gone are the days when I could fly up front where you were offered a drink before takeoff. You’ve made me miss them.
But, to answer your question, especially about social media … you’re presenting your author persona at all times. One peeve I have is people who hijack threads for their own promotion. Or just plain use your page to sell their books. I recently had a birthday wish on my profile with a link to that person’s book. Delete! And for readers out there … don’t ask an author when their books are going to be free or discounted.
I’ve made a fine art of collecting enough miles on credit cards to cover an upgrade, Terry! It’s my only shopping obsession–everything has to come with miles, lol. And you’re right about hijacking pages. That’s a major sin.
I once worked for a retail company and had a manager that told me, “This isn’t a bad job if it weren’t for all the customers.” Sometimes it is easy to forget who makes a business – retail, flying or writing – possible.
I did once hear one flight attendant say to another one, on a late-night flight, “I like it when they’re asleep.” She was referring to the passengers! To her credit, another flight attendant apologized to me for the remark.
One of the best articulations I ever heard regarding good customer service, I read in John McPhee’s book of essays, “Oranges.” At one time, McPhee worked for a produce vendor, who told him to always give the customers more than they paid for, something like this: if the scale says the oranges weigh 1 3/4 lbs, charge them for 1 1/2 lbs. It makes the customers happy enough to return.
For a writer, opposite wording seems most appropriate: never shortchange the reader by slacking off; make each written work better than the last.
That is excellent advice, Truant, for writers and others, as well!
I empathize. Love to travel, hate to fly, insist on a right-side window seat, and it’s all about accumulating those FF miles. Air Emergency was my favorite Nat Geo show ever; the current Why Planes Crash isn’t nearly as entertaining. Note on your pasta disaster: as a fellow veg I always order veg meals in advance. You’re served at a different time, and it’s usually more appetizing than what others get. I think I’m listed with an East Asian veg preference in my profile for my preferred airline. You might try this if you make your own reservations, or, if not train the one who makes your reservations to order you a special meal. You’re right about customer service. What a lot of boils down to is to be polite, considerate of others, and use common sense. It doesn’t seem like it should be so difficult, but judging by the poor level of customer service we all experience it is.
I’ll be looking for Air Emergency now, CatFriend. My obsession with air safety technology is a burden for my loved ones, but I like to be well informed, loll
I recently flew for the first time in a loooong time. I developed a fear of flying in adulthood – but found the cure. Public humiliation. I must have got food poisoning the night before the flight because, all of the sudden, and for the first time ever, I used the airsick bag.
My seatmates couldn’t jump up fast enough – I, of course, in the window seat. Tears in my eyes, I made my way to the bathroom and had no idea what to do with the bag in my hands. One of my seatmates must have told the flight attendant about what happened because when I stepped out, she couldn’t have been more caring. Did I need anything? (No.) Did I feel all right now? (No.) Did I want ginger ale? (God no.) She took the bag from me, after donning gloves, and disposed of it for me. I found out that usually, you just dump it in the bathroom trash but I had no idea.
The flight attendant gave me a tiny toothbrush and gum, which I later found out was from her own personal stash. She also said I could stand by her, not go back to my seat, if I still felt a little green. Thank goodness I did because, after double-bagging another airsick bag for me, I soon hightailed it to the bathroom and used it again. And again. And again. And once more. I was mortified, but all that lady did was make me feel like a normal, wonderful member of society and not some puking freak she was stuck with in a tiny metal box! Seriously, United, this woman needs a huge raise. She went above and beyond.
Writers can emulate that by treating readers just as you’d like to be treated in life. With respect and kindness and understanding. And not just readers but editors and beta readers and fellow members of their writing groups and cover artists and anyone they work with. It doesn’t have to translate directly to sales, it’s just good karma – and that translates to success.
How aweful. I’ve never tossed my cookies in the air and think that must be the worst ever. United, you say!! They probably fired her.
That’s a pretty nice story Jennifer. Nothing as humbling as the human body rebelling against it’s inhabitant. And nothing as refreshing something helping without making you feel more horrible.
A simple act of human kindness has a way of warding off phobias. Thanks for sharing your story, Jennifer!
If I may…
I’ve been in “customer service” most of my working life, beginnig at the dry cleaners in high school, Six Flags and, yes, the airlines, in college, on into my day job in health care design.
That said, what you describe on Airline B flies all over me ( if you’ll pardon the expression). Truett Cathy, Chic-fil+A founder, said that the customer is not always right, but he IS the customer. To that end I always try to be mindful of what’s going on around the folks I meet with or cross paths with, and do what I’d like to have done for me~ a smile, an assist to my best abilities, and, pride of my mama, a” sir”, a “ma’ am,” and a “thank you”… even with xo-writers (yes, even the Yankee one).
You can’t please everyone, but you can avoid hacking off ALMOST everyone, if, you treat ’em like you write for ’em~ with respect for their time, concern for their concerns, and gratitude for their interest,
G., it’s true that writers should always remember that the first rule of writing is, “Honor Thy Reader”. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this thought provoking post. It reminds me that every interaction we have in life is a version of customer service. I was an educator in a health care setting in another life and it was a point of pride to me to always respond to emails with questions and concerns as quickly as possible. The effort we put in is what we’ll get out. The caveat is that everywhere we go or work or play, there are those 10% of any population who can’t be satisfied, who like to (or just don’t care if they do) make the rest feel uncomfortable. Those in this discussion thread have offered good suggestions for handling these situations. I hope one day to find myself in the position of having fans to respond to and I will keep these thoughts in mind.
Julie, your comment reminds me of a show I watched recently about President Theodore Roosevelt. They said TR replied “immediately” to every letter that was received during his tenure at the White House. His secretaries were always burdened and bedraggled, but he has gone down I. History as one of the most popular Presidents e er!