When you plan a big holiday (10th wedding Anniversary trip) you tend to spend an inordinate amount of time going through the research part of the journey and making sure you really know what you want from a holiday and all the logistics involved.
We booked with Etihad for the flights and so, in September, when I saw Ian Golding's blog review I was super excited to experience all that Etihad would offer - http://www.ijgolding.com/2014/09/24/emirates-vs-etihad-customer-experience-review/
I wasn't disappointed with the on-board experience - it was faultless, attentive and, in my opinion, the best service I have ever had on an airline. I wasn't disappointed with the airport experience either, in fact the check in at Abu Dhabi was an experience in itself!
Our outbound travel was on two flights with just over an hour in between at Abu Dhabi and, for those frequent flyers amongst you, I’m sure you’re already starting to anticipate what’s going to happen next...
Despite the fact that the check-in team at Heathrow insisted it wouldn’t be an issue, we knew that getting our suitcases off of one flight and immediately on to the next was going to be an issue. Well, let's just say I was glad that I’d planned ahead and had taken a carry on case with all the essentials for Mrs S and myself, as the inevitable did happen and our bags didn’t make it onto our second flight.
But that isn't the disappointment, if you already expect it to happen (which we did) then you don't feel as if you’ve been let down. Etihad even gave us some local money to go and buy those essential toiletries and compensate for the inconvenience.
So why did I end up not scoring them a 10?
No, the disappointment was in what I thought was the simple part of the process - returning my luggage to me at my hotel and keeping me informed about the progress!
I called them, I tweeted them, I had my hotel call them and, when I did eventually get a response, all I seemed to get was mixed messages! The frustration was unbelievable, was I going to get the case the day after we arrived as expected? Or did we now have to wait another day? The worst part is, it didn’t seem to be a rare occurrence, the hotel appeared to be used to people arriving without luggage, so clearly this isn’t a one off issue.
Morale of the story – A great experience tainted by something that is so easy to do - keep your customers informed, especially in situations where emotions heighten the situation.
Here's three easy ways you can enhance your customer experience by proactively keeping your customers informed:
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Use text messages to keep your customers informed on the status of their order or query - in this case, where my bags were - this will improve their experience as well as reduce inbound calls to your Contact Centre.
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Allow your customers to reply - using a two-way messaging system can turn your communications into an intelligent conversation, helping you to improve brand perception.
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Give your customers the information they need before they have to ask for it - Etihad knew my bags were missing and they more than likely knew where my bags were so, im guessing, they knew that's what I was going to ask. How much better would my experience have been if they'd just told me the situation so I could get on with my holiday? A lot.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your customer experience, sign up for our event on the 6th of October at LEGOLAND® Windsor, to learn how every part of the customer journey is important in building a great customer experience, even the simple things!
