The Baer Facts #4 - Humanity in Airlines, The Importance of Customer Experience and More!

Hey, friends!

So, This Happened

Airlines are a hot mess these days. COVID + labor shortages + bad weather = a bouillabaisse of problems that has flyers everywhere cursing like Gordon Ramsey.

I'm a Delta loyalist, but the relationship is at ebb tide. Distrust. Awkward silences. A wandering eye.

But I pick companies the same way I pick friends: how do they behave when times are bad, not when times are good?

Recently, I received an extraordinary email from Delta CEO Ed Bastian. Subject line: "We Know You Expect More - We're Taking Action: Your Update From Ed "

In this note sent to the entire Delta frequent flier community, the CEO accepts blame, apologizes, AND offers specific improvement plans, including adding 1,300 new call center agents and extending status levels into 2023.

"Our core values include always learning from our experiences and using those insights to constantly improve how we serve you. We are committed to restoring and exceeding the reliability and service you've come to expect from us. Thank you for your patience as we continue to do everything we can to improve and enhance your experience," it reads, in part.

Why is this important? An incredible psychological phenomenon.

Customers who have a problem that you successfully address BUY MORE and are MORE LOYAL than customers who never had a problem at all. It's like Stockholm Syndrome, but for customer service. If you can fix it, they'll love you forever.

But only if you fix it. And "fixing it" often starts with accountability and communication.

This is why you don't fauxpologize. Own it. It might feel dangerous to publicly admit shortcomings, but there are decades of social sciences research (and my own book, Hug Your Haters ) that illustrate the advantages of accountability.

The only way Delta can improve their mea culpa would be to add humanity. The email from the CEO is nice, but would be more compelling if it tickled multiple senses. Thus, Southwest Airlines, who put their COO on a Facebook livestream a few years ago to say "we're sorry, and here's what we're doing." An incredible example that I still use in keynote presentations and workshops today.

Mistakes will be made. By you. By your business. Next time, think about this example, and the fact that successful problem resolution actually CREATES REVENUE.

Don't Lose This Number

Ironically, in this era of endless operations imbroglios, customer attitudes are more important than ever inside companies.

The brand-new State of Marketing Report from Salesforce found that the #1 success metric for MARKETERS is now customer satisfaction. Not revenue. Not leads. Customer satisfaction.

In a related finding from that research, 80% of global CMOs are now also in charge of customer experience.

This is huge. It announces the extinction of the long-held notion that "marketing" and "customer experience" are distinct and separate.

As someone who has had a foot in both camps for 20+ years, I couldn't be more delighted. I have several keynote presentations that touch on the marketing + customer experience premise. If I can help with that in-person or virtual, please reach out to Michelle Joyce at [email protected] or 704-965-2339.

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