Stop Using the Airlines as a Punching Bag!
Stop using the airlines as a punching bag!
Sure, the negative stories outweigh all others, but I have a positive story to share.
Yes, a positive story!
I flew to Columbus, Ohio this morning and something interesting happened when I collected my bag at baggage claim.
After grabbing my bag off the belt, I immediately ripped off the baggage tag, crumpled it and stuffed the discarded tag in the pocket of my coat. I figured I would dump it in a waste container on the way to Hertz. Either that or keep it in my coat for the next 3 months.
Anyway, out of nowhere, an American Airlines employee saw this and asked if he could throw the baggage tag away for me. I reached into my pocket and he threw the tag away.
I was spellbound! His actions really caught me off guard.
So, why is this special?
He could have looked the other way. That was his right. I mean – it’s not like I threw the old tag on the floor. No, I stuffed it in my pocket.
He saw a chance to make a positive impression and he went for it. Full steam ahead he must have thought!
And I thought to myself – "This is what I’m talking about!"
Yes, this is what I’m talking about.
Great service is about anticipating one’s needs. And that’s really hard to describe…
…but that’s what he did. He anticipated my needs and instead of looking the other way, he jumped to take the opportunity to do something nice for a customer.
So if you fly American and you feel ignored and unappreciated and overcharged, please know that in Columbus, in baggage claim, there’s a middle-aged, bespectacled AA associate who wants to make it all right!
Yes, I’ll probably be delayed getting home tomorrow because of the snow but at least, for the next 48 hours, I’ll have a better impression of my airline.
That’s just the way it works!
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