Own Your Customer Service

A recent article in USAToday reports that, "The government is introducing sweeping protections for fliers to bar long tarmac delays on international flights; require airlines to reimburse bag fees if luggage is lost; and pay people double if they're bumped off flights." The article further points out that after regulations were implemented a couple years ago barring tarmac delays on domestic flights, long tarmac delays in the U.S. have "...all but been eliminated." You don't say? What a shock.

The airlines have practiced "customer abuse" for so long that they are having more and more regulations to protect fliers (customers!) imposed on them. Whether it's the government if you're in a quasi-monopoly business like the airlines, or customers voting with their wallets if you're in a truly competitive business and provide poor service, this a great example of: if you don't own your customer service, someone will do it for you.

You choose to provide good service or not. You choose whether serving customers is noble and worthy of you, or a "pain." You choose whether customers applaud, hug you, and return, or complain, yell at you, and go somewhere else. If you don't choose, or if you make the wrong choice, you'll have your choice made for you. Ask anyone at the airlines who might really care: it's better to do the choosing.