Commentary

Right Reaction When Things Go Wrong Is Key

Airline travel has become so common for many of us in business that we sometimes look on the airlines themselves like utilities – companies that provide an essential service that (with rare exceptions) we take for granted and don't acknowledge unless something goes wrong.  

Given the fact that we trust airlines quite literally with our lives while getting us from point A to point B, most of us are willing to accommodate these slight annoyances in exchange for safe and timely transit (especially those of us who fly in and out of major hubs, where delays are common).  As a result, many delays are simply chalked up as part of the travel process and quickly forgotten.  

Many airlines, to their credit, are proactive about dealing with customer concerns over delays – sending follow-up apologies via email, sometimes with surveys to provide more direct feedback (wouldn’t you love to be the person in charge of reading these). For egregious delays, you might even get some bonus miles credited to your account. This seems all well and good; it makes sense to offer an apology when something is off, or add a gift when stuff really goes wrong. But sometimes the best intentions can backfire, exacerbating an issue that might have been forgotten otherwise. 

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How? Here’s one example from two recent flights. First flight: A fairly long delay due to a combination of issues, perhaps two hours total. The next day, I received an email apology and an offer to fill out a survey (which was far too long – another topic for another day). Second flight, two weeks later: A very minor delay, perhaps 10 minutes, because of weather. The next day … I received the exact same email apology and survey. 

From a simplistic data perspective, these two events look the same: Customer purchases flight, flight is delayed, customer gets apology and survey email. In the real world, however, the experience is quite different. A client delayed for an hour or two in a crowded airport needs a lot more coddling than a customer delayed for just a few minutes. In fact, sending an email apology for a short delay may only remind a frequent flyer of an event they had already forgotten about (or chalked up to a normal part of the travel process, as we discussed above) – giving them a more negative brand experience and recollection than they would have had otherwise. 

So how do you rectify? First, make a concerted effort to observe and listen, and build empathy for your customers. Online, pay real attention to what people are saying in the social space when there are delays. Notice a difference? Where do customers tend to move from resigned acceptance to annoyance to outright anger? Offline, spend time in the airport as well – more than once if you can. How do customers react to delays at different gates? How do the responses of leisure travelers and families differ from business travelers? This type of “real world” behavioral observation is unfortunately rare, but it can have a tremendous positive effect on strategy. 

Next, use what you’ve learned to set business rules for the length and type of delay, type of customer, etc., and test your email messaging. A minor weather-related issue endured by a frequent business traveler? Test a brief apology (maybe with a more lighthearted tone) versus no message. A long delay on the tarmac or in the terminal due to a mechanical or crew issue? Test a more conciliatory tone with links for feedback and a (short) survey. For first-time customers experiencing a delay, a gift of miles and a “let’s try this again!” message could even help bring them back for a second flight and help build some loyalty out of a negative first experience. 

We all recognize the importance of reaching out when things go wrong, but the devil in the details can make our best intentions work against us. Paying attention to the individual experiences, building empathy, and testing responses based on what you’ve learned will help customers see your business as less of a commodity and more of a brand they can believe in and trust.

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