Customer Service Loyalty – The Connection!
Posted in Customer Service, People-Skills on Oct 25th, 2009
On a recent Continental ExpressJet flight to Louisville, KY (USA), I watched a competent flight attendant service the entire plane of customers by herself. This is common on these smaller jets and I have had good to superb service on various ExpressJet flights depending on the flight attendant.
Flickr By: ChrisK4u
This flight attendant’s demeanor during beverage service was cool, distant, and yes a bit impersonal. After doing beverage service, the flight attendant sat down since the flight was only half-full. She sat in an empty seat on the aisle across from me.
At one point she started to chat with me and her demeanor became very personable and warm. The difference was striking. Later in the flight she arose to do a second beverage service and her demeanor again was cool and distant. I understood that she couldn’t chat with every customer during beverage service because of time restrictions. Yet her smile was gone and her tone of voice was much cooler and quite different up in front of all the customers.
Because of my work, this intrigued me. Had she been given training that told her to be cool and distant? Or was she an introvert on the personality scale and only felt comfortable when she was speaking one-on-one? Or is there some ‘behavioral effect’ that kicks in when people perform an official role?
Regardless of the reasons for her cool attitude during service, I offer all service professionals this simple advice:
- Customers are loyal to great connections; cool and distant doesn’t connect.
- Even in very formal settings, reserved is not cool and distant. Know the difference.
- In less formal settings, shine your warmth on the customers; the connection makes the difference.
Believe it — customers remember moments. What do you want them to remember?
