It appears the predictions that a down economy would spur companies to higher levels of customer service are coming true. Recently on a trip to Philadelphia my wife and I were delayed on a NWA flight. Our plane left the gate about an hour late and then we sat on the tarmac for another 45 minutes or so. I didn’t give it a second of thought except to say I was glad there were no thunderstorms between Philly and Minneapolis. They can do more to wreck a summer traveler’s schedule than just about anything.
A week or so later we each received a nice letter from a customer service executive at NWA. The letters apologized for the delay and informed us we had received an extra 1000 frequent flier miles as a way to compensate us for being inconvenienced.
The first thing I did was hit myself squarely in the stomach. I wanted to make sure I was awake and not dreaming. I was both pleased and astonished. This was uncharted territory for me: A major airline going out of their way to apologize to a customer and offer compensation. And they did it without us saying a thing.
I was thrilled to see this major change in how NWA treats their customers. Maybe it’s the Delta influence. But I’ve been delayed on Delta before and never received such a letter. So I choose to believe companies are changing how they do things. I think they are actually focusing on delivering a better experience to their customers as a way to increase customer loyalty.
Is this a trend? Are other major companies stepping up their efforts to deliver a better experience to their customers? Or is this a fluke? Will it eventually fall by the wayside like so many other tactics tried by big companies?
Have you had similar experiences? I’d like to hear your thoughts.
