Simple Complexity

Stories of Good and Bad Customer Service

I’m a little off topic today.

Over the last few days I have had two very extreme experiences of customer service, both exceptional, but one good and one bad.

Few things about air travel these days is positive or easy. A few years ago, I found Airport Fast Park at the Baltimore Washington International Airport. They have a fantastic service that is almost enjoyable (I’m shocked that a parking lot can be enjoyable, but I now know that it can be).

When you enter their lot, an attendant greets you, and informs you of what row into which to pull. You do not need to search for an open space, and if you are in their frequent parker program, they valet park you when their lot is full. You are met at the empty parking space by a shuttle bus. The driver helps you get your luggage out of your car and onto the bus. There is no waiting in one of those plastic shelters.

Once it was raining, and the driver met me with one of those big golf umbrellas. What a nice touch. No matter when I have used their service, I am always shocked at how pleasant and friendly the bus drivers are. They engage you in conversation (and I am not one who frequently engages in small talk). I can’t believe it, but the shuttle is actually a pleasant experience. You feel like you are being dropped off by a friend.

When coming home, it seems to me that they have more shuttles going around the airport. Very infrequently have I had to wait more than a few minutes, even when arriving in very late. Again, you are shuttled by a nice driver. You are dropped right off at your car, and there is cold bottled water available to you as you exit the parking lot. On top of all of that, the cost is lower than at the regular airport parking lot. The parking lot is maybe 3 minutes further than the economy parking. BWI is not the closest airport to me, but I prefer to go there because the parking is so pleasant. Airport Fast Park has examined every step of the process and made it as pleasant as possible.

At the opposite extreme, today at lunch I went to a local Sonny’s Bar-B-Que. They are a chain, and I have generally had good experiences at them. The one in particular that I went to was almost empty even though it was noon. While there was a sign saying that the hostess would seat us and even though there were several people standing around doing nothing, no one would make eye contact with us or acknowledge we were there or waiting. I wanted to leave. We weren’t in a hurry, but after the fifth or sixth employee walked by us without making eye contact, it became offensive. Finally, we said something, and we were reluctantly seated. My two kids were thrilled that there was only one coloring pack given to us. The emptiness of the restaurant was amazing.

When the waitress finally came, we were ready to order. We were told she was not ready for us to order, and she had something she needed to do before taking our order. During the ordering process, we were scolded for not moving at the proper speed or knowing their ordering process. How could we not know the difference between the platter and the sandwich? The food came slowly, but was fine. When we were getting ready to leave, I saw a group of people who had been seated at one table be told that they had to move to another table a few spaces away. In this big empty restaurant, it was almost comical. She told them that the table they were sitting at was not in her section, and if they sat there, she was likely to forget all about them. Amazing!!

I understand why the restaurant was so empty. The entire time I was there I felt that my presence was a big intrusion to their emptiness.

Consumers have so many options today. Great customer service is almost a prerequisite for any business that I voluntarily use. I’m saddened by how amazed I always am when I do receive truly excellent customer service.

I know that good service neither comes easy, nor is it accidental. Organizations that provide it have paid attention to the finer details of their product or service. Excellent customer service can turn a commodity into a differentiated service.

A parking lot can be one of the best parts of a trip.

As president of a consulting company, there are few things I care about more than exceeding customer expectations. I know that when this happens, I probably have happy employees who are doing great work. Frequently, when you stay focused on getting the customer everything they need and much of what they want, a lot of other things fall into place along the way. I hope my company is more of a Fast Park than a Sonny’s.

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