Doug DavidoffI’ve been traveling quite a bit recently and have been lucky enough to upgrade to first class on my last couple of excursions. As a first-class passenger, I was treated to what, I guess, is the airlines latest attempt to provide a “VIP” feel.
I got to enter the jetway by walking over a red carpet.
Unless you are an elite member of the airline’s frequent flier program or flying first class, this is a luxury you do not get to experience. Unfortunately, the boarding process got slightly complicated today. It seems the gate agent was having a difficult time making those who were flying coach understand that they could not cross the red carpet. She told them they needed to enter next to the red carpet and this caused some confusion.
Let’s do a quick reality check here.
Note to airlines: Here’s what I want when I fly (and my quick research supports that I am not the only one).
- Board the plan as easily and effortlessly as possible.
- The plane leaves on time.
- The flight is uneventful and not memorable.
- The plan lands on time.
- Exit the plan as easily and effortlessly as possible.
I don’t care what color the carpet is that I cross over. And I object to the fact that airlines (at least United and Northwest) have added to their costs to provide such a gratuitous ‘perk.’ I also object to them making the boarding process more complex. It just shows beyond a doubt that the airlines simply do not understand what their customers want.
It’s not surprising that airlines have no clue what their customers want. And they aren’t the only ones. I see this disconnect in businesses of all kinds all of the time. The focus becomes ‘service’ for the sake of service, instead of actually using service to enhance the customer experience.
If a service improvement does not create value, then you should think twice (or more) before implementing it. I define creating value as doing something someone would be willing to pay more for. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to charge more for it, but that you could if you wanted to.
Here’s an example of how you could test a proposed service improvement: Lets say you’re an airline executive and you’re considering creating a special “VIP” lane on the jetway for your top passengers. The only difference between the VIP lane and the other lane is that the top passengers get to walk over a red carpet. Now you need to figure out whether or not you should implement the idea. Simply ask, “Would our customers be willing to pay more to cross over a red carpet?” If the answer is no, then the decision is simple -- don’t do it.
Now ask yourself this question about anything else you consider your company’s ‘service difference.’