Jodi Peter
Contributing Writer
Nexstar Business Coach

As a traveling Nexstar business coach, I’ve trained myself to study processes for delivering service, both inside and outside our industry. Recently, I was flying from the east coast to my home in the west. Just as I arrived at the airport terminal, I received an e-mail from the airline informing me my flight had been canceled. This was a bittersweet moment. I was grateful to get the email on my Blackberry but feeling bummed I had a new challenge for the day—to find a way home. Trying to find a silver lining, I looked forward to a cup of coffee and a quiet corner to make a few phone calls.

I got in line at the ticket counter to arrange another flight home. There was only one agent behind the counter. I was number 18 in line. Nearly an hour later, it was my turn at the counter. I was greeted, and I use the term loosely, by the ticket agent who quickly informed me that I had already been booked on another flight. “You could have checked in at the self-serve check-in kiosk, using your confirmation number, to discover the rebooking had been done for you,” he snapped. Good to know. Even better to know—an hour ago.

I found a quiet corner after grabbing a coffee; then began to think about what had just happened. This is what business coaches do. We analyze business, particularly when we are personally affected by an event. Here is a dominant airline that did not adequately anticipate their staffing needs—when they created the dilemma. Did it not occur to them when they cancel flights they might need more than one agent to work the counter? I thought about how much revenue was involved for the airline from this incident. All the passengers, booked on this flight, had to make alternate arrangements. Would these same passengers re-book with the same airline? Maybe…maybe not. It’s reasonable to believe some of these passengers booked flights with competitive airlines.

As boarding time approached, I made my way to the gate for another bittersweet moment. You guessed it…another e-mail from the airline; this time informing me my new flight was delayed. I had a connection to make in Minneapolis, but since that flight was also delayed, the e-mail reassured me I would make my connection. A short time later, a voice came over the PA system announcing still more bad news. Our flight would be rerouted to pick up more fuel. Many of us had connecting flights. The announcement created an instant crowd of passengers at the gate counter. The airline employee began handing out small slips of paper to all who approached. The note had the airline’s phone number. The gate agent gave verbal instructions to those with the note to take a hike to the service desk. They could make alternate flights arrangements there, if necessary. I watched a uniformed soldier approach the counter. He voiced his dissatisfaction with the airline’s process. The agent sounded like a broken record, “You’ll have to see a ticket agent if you need to arrange another flight,” she replied. As the tears streamed down the soldier’s face, he went on to explain that he had spent the last three days trying to get home to see his daughter who was

in the hospital. Again, the agent replied coldly, “You’ll have to see a ticket agent if you need to arrange another flight.” Here was a soldier who had fought for our freedom, but couldn’t win a battle with an airline agent. What is happening to customer service in this industry? (The business coach in me kicked in again.) It takes very little effort to show compassion when a customer is upset. It doesn’t cost a penny. Empathy goes a long way in a situation like this. Sadly, empathy was clearly not part of that gate agent’s training.

Either the airline had an agent who was not properly trained or they had a broken process. I guessed it was both. The airline had a process. They had the slips printed with the airline phone number on it, but handled so inappropriately. This employee sent passengers down the concourse for someone else to deal with the issue. All that registered with me was the process did not feel right.

After all the panic subsided that afternoon, we finally boarded the plane. As I walked down the isle to find my seat, I noticed the soldier I saw earlier. He was given seating in First Class. At least one airline employee tried to make things right for the soldier, I thought. That was the least they could do.

At last, the plane took off. We were on our way to an alternate airport to get fuel. Call me crazy, but I always thought every international airport had adequate fuel reserves. Yet we were being rerouted to an alternate airport to refuel.

As we landed, the pilot announced the refueling process typically takes about 15 minutes and we should be on our way very soon. Forty-five minutes later, the plane left the runway. I was certain I would not make my connecting flight after this additional delay. Another process that did not feel right.

The plane landed in Minneapolis where I ran to make the connection for my final flight home. As you might have guessed, my connecting flight had departed without me. I headed to the gate counter. This time, there were multiple agents waiting there to assist passengers with connecting flights. I approached the counter, the agent asked for my name. I was promptly informed I was already booked on the next available flight home, given a new boarding pass, and meal voucher. No hassle, no explanations necessary. I simply gave my name and was on my way with an apology from the agent for the inconvenience. What a change in process. What a change in service! This was a process that WORKED, and it felt great! Is this the same airline? My faith was restored in the airline. They did have a process for efficiently taking care of customers when things don’t go as planned and they executed their process with empathy.

Apply this story to your business

In today’s economy, service providers have to work harder than ever to get and retain customers. Once you get a customer, well-executed processes ensure customers want to continue to do business with you. A well-executed process also enables businesses to be productive, efficient and provide solutions to employees and customers, when necessary. Nexstar members have 37 highly efficient and proven processes built for them in the Nexstar Operations Playbook. Everything is there from an incoming call process (with scripts) to a training process—all created to ensure your employees are properly trained to efficiently deliver a superior level of service to your customers.

Since we know employees must be properly trained for any process to be effective, meet with your team when implementing a new process, to communicate your specific objective. Explain why the process will be implemented and your desire to build a better business. This will help to earn employee buy-in and will make implementation much easier.

Develop a process for anticipating busy times to ensure your business is properly staffed. It costs less, and is far easier, to grow a service business if you answer the phones and provide service when your competition does not. Ensure your customers can get service in the evenings and on Saturdays. If you are the one answering the phones when your competition is not, you’ll gain new, loyal customers.

Anticipate what you will do when things don’t go as planned. How does your process make your customers feel? Does your process make your customers feel important and want to do business with you again or does it just make the company’s job easier? Be sure to incorporate empathy in all of your training. Notice I didn’t say sympathy. Empathy and sympathy are very different. Your employees need to understand the differences. Empathy is the ability to relate to what a customer is feeling. Sympathy is feeling sorry for a customer and sharing the same feeling. Remember the soldier trying to get home to see his daughter? A little kindness and compassion would have gone a long way. Hire and train employees to care about customers. After all, customers are the reason you’re in business. Make them feel good about doing business with you.

Jodi Peter is a business coach for Nexstar Network®, a world class business development and best practices organization that provides business training, systems and support to independent home service providers in the plumbing, electrical and HVAC trades. Nexstar members get rapid results, guided by experienced coaches, surefire systems and incredible peer connections. For more information, visit www.nexstarnetwork.com.