United Airlines: One Month Later

I was on a flight from Los Angeles to Dallas earlier this week. As a frequent flier of American Airlines, I was given my free upgrade to first class. It was a breakfast flight, and there were two meal choices: oatmeal or eggs. I ordered the oatmeal. When it was time to be served, the flight attendant informed me he had made a mistake and they had run out of the oatmeal, and he asked if I would be willing to have the eggs instead.

I smiled and looked at him and said, “At least you aren’t asking me to give up my seat and leave the plane.” He laughed and thanked me for my sense of humor. We both agreed that if this was the worst thing to happen to me today, I was going to have a great day.

I’ve noticed something since the United Airlines debacle. I’ve been on at least a dozen flights since then and have observed that the gate agents, flight attendants – all airline personnel – have been friendlier and more accommodating to the passengers.

I have a theory about this. Just as the rising tide lifts all boats, the United Airlines incident will raise the level of customer service for all airlines. No doubt, United is going to have to work hard to prove itself to the many angry customers who have sworn them off, and I believe the airline will eventually get many of them back. What’s interesting is that the rest of the airlines will follow suit with an increased level of customer service. They have no choice. Because United Airlines is setting a new standard.

Just a few days ago I received an email that was sent to United Airlines customers explaining new policies and customer-focused decisions (Learn more at hub.united.com). There are several points in the letter I’d like to highlight:

? The subject line of the email read: Actions Speak Louder Than Words. This catchy title set the stage for United’s CEO, Oscar Munoz, to make a bold statement and promise certain measures would be taken.

? Munoz explained that what happened on that fateful day was, “… because our corporate policies were placed ahead of our shared values. Our procedures got in the way of our employees doing what they know is right.” Munoz and United are owning what happened and recognizing it was their fault the situation went out of control.

? United will increase voluntary rebooking from the maximum $1,350 to up to $10,000. This will set a new standard in the airline industry, and other airlines are soon to follow.

? United will eliminate the “red tape on permanently lost bags with a new ‘no-questions-asked’ $1,500 reimbursement policy.” Again, setting a new standard for all airlines to meet.

? Employees will also have an app on their phones that will allow them to reward customers with miles, travel credit and other “amenities” when a passenger experience goes bad. It will be interesting to see how this works. I encourage empowering employees to serve the customer but they must be thoroughly trained. They will need to know when and how to give these perks and understand that their attitude is still key to maintaining the customer relationship.

United Airlines is upping its customer service game, and it is my prediction that other airlines will follow. United employees be on their best behavior, and so will employees of other airlines.

What happened on that fateful day in Chicago was not business as usual. Passengers get bumped all of the time, but the physicality of the incident is what was abnormal. While it hurt United, it will also help United. It will become a better airline. And, the rest of the airlines, even the industry’s customer service “rock stars” like Alaska and Southwest, will follow suit. And, who gets the benefit of this? The passenger!

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, keynote speaker and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com.