Flying The Unfriendly Skies Comparing Air Travel and Garment Care Customer Service By Don Desrosiers, Tailwind Systems, Inc. I DON’T WRITE ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE TOO OFTEN. That is mostly because, like quality, I don’t consider it up for discussion. We are in a customer service business. That means service the customer. Even though I wrote about customer service in a recent column, I feel compelled to do so again for a good reason. I found a foolproof way to ensure you are giving good service! It’s easy: look at what the airlines do, then do the opposite. Really! I’ve been a pilot for nearly 25 years. Regardless of aircraft, air travel can be unpredictable. I fully understand that travel can be disrupted a number of ways. Maintenance issues, weather issues, and logistics can easily disrupt an otherwise perfect plan. When I whine about the airlines, it is never about these issues. When it comes to these types of issues, I grin and bear them. In business, it is not whether or not you have problems, it is how you deal with them when they arise. When the founders of Staples decided to get into the drycleaning business by way of Zoots, they made a critical miscalculation. In the world of office supplies, when there is a quality issue with the product that you buy, this issue presents an opportunity for Staples to shine. When there is an issue, Staples always takes care of it and you leave satisfied and happy. When there is an issue in the drycleaning business, trust degrades. The customer loses faith in you, sometimes just a little, sometimes a lot. You can make a customer happy, but it isn’t likely that you’ll shine. When you walk out of Staples with a new printer because your slightly-used one failed, you're in a better position because a product you bought there failed and has been replaced. I don’t think this can be replicated in the drycleaning and laundry business. But I digress. Let’s talk about the airlines. I’ll name names, but maybe my editor may delete them. 16 FABRICARE FE ATURE continued on page 32 The views and opinions expressed in this item are the author's and do not reflect an endorsement or position by the Drylceaning & Laundry Institute. Getting grounded provides a special lens into the impact of customer service.