Mar 18 2008
Customer Service - Everyone Must Play A Part
I dedicate today’s post to the three major organisations who last week provided ample proof - not that I needed any - that in terms of customer care, the UK has slumped to new levels of ineptness and incompetence, and is now only slightly ahead of France. Gone apparently, are the days when the customer is King - now the customer is barely a pauper; short-term profit is the driver and ensuring that the customer experience is as impersonal, uncomfortable and as frustrating as possible, the primary objectives.
Directors and Management often see customer relations as the affair of a ‘Complaints Department’ whilst they get on and run the business - which is a form of warfare carried out against the irritating habits of customers seeking fair treatment, a fair deal or equality of relationship.
Salespeople often see customers as an unruly, disobliging and dishonest source of commission.
Support staff accept that they are paid to (try to) cope (on a good day) with unreasonable, whinging, stupid, ungrateful customers who just will not be told.
Administrators see customers as dunces who must be forced to follow the rigid procedures developed for the convenience of the supplier (an endless nuisance to the customer).
Technical people often see customers as stick-in-the-mud know nothings to be loftily put in their place by the use of elitist techno-jargon.
Production people ignore customers entirely because otherwise they would get in the way of how they want to run the place.
Finance people treat customers not as people but as reference numbers with obligations required to fit processes.
Unkind comments? Not at your place? Great! But anti-attitudes like this abound right across the commercial spectrum. You transact business with your customers — not despite them! Customers pay the wages for everyone, not just the salesforce.
There is always a penalty for poor customer relations. It plays its way out over the weeks and months ahead when people - and those they influence - simply avoid your firm, as those three organisations who abused my trust last week, are about to find out.
Today’s News: 
On March 27th, London Heathrow Terminal 5 will welcome the first British Airways passengers through its doors. It’s the culmination of an amazing project that began with one thought – to make connecting the world simple and pleasurable again. The result is a seamless and upgraded airport experience unlike any other in the world, and one that’s exclusively for British Airways passengers.
In their own words:
“At Terminal 5 we’re putting the joy back into air travel, especially for you, the British Airways traveller.
That doesn’t just mean smoother check-in, fewer queues and less waiting around. It doesn’t just mean more time for fun things like eating, shopping or relaxing. Nor does it just mean an inspiring, state-of-the-art building that could be a destination in itself.
It means giving you an outstanding experience from the moment you check in online to the moment you step through the door at your journey’s end.”
Amazing experiences begin at Terminal 5:
Here are a few of the Terminal 5 features that make them justifiably proud:
• The £4.3 billion building is so light, modern and spacious that it’s hard to believe it’s an airport terminal at all
• Terminal 5 offers seamless check-in, with 96 Check-in Kiosks designed to eliminate queuing
• The floor to ceiling windows give outstanding views of the runways, aircraft, countryside and even Windsor Castle and Wembley Stadium
• There will be huge improvements in punctuality and baggage now that they’ve brought nearly all British Airways flights together in one terminal
• The state-of-the-art baggage system has been designed specifically for Terminal 5 using proven technology already in use at a number of global airports
• They’ve got the largest, and possibly the most luxurious, airline lounge complex in the world, large enough to cater for 2,500 passengers
• Harrods, Coach and Prada as well as great British names such as Paul Smith, Ted Baker and Reiss are all opening stores at Terminal 5
In a word - incredible!
My thanks to my friend Claudio - known as the “BA Terminal 5 Insider” for keeping me fully updated these past few months and for sharing a raft of information and images, which has allowed me to feel part of this exciting initiative. Claudio works for one of the top PR agencies in the world, known simply as Agency.com - they have certainly done an amazing job
Here are some links, so that you can have an early preview yourself:
You can also see an excellent interview with a very proud Willy Walsh - CEO of British Airways - here
What we can say for certain is that BA understand that when it comes to customer service - everyone must play a part.
Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot - Tibor Shanto makes a debut appearance.
