How Systems Thwart Service

Wow, you're giving me flash backs of my trip to/from Dallas last week. My misfortunes weren't due to process, but rather equipment or infrastructure failure. On the way to DFW, Cleveland airport closed because of a power outage. My airline delayed and eventually canceled my flight. Best they could do was fly me out 20 hours after originally scheduled even though I was going to their hub. They had other flights, just no seat for me. Had to buy another ticket to make it to my meeting on time.

On the way back home, they delayed and then canceled my flight due to mechanical reasons. Again, the best they could do was get me on a flight 20 hours later. They had other flights, just no seats for me. In my case Southwest came to the rescue. I had to take a $45 cab to Love field, but did end up getting home16 hours after the journey began. I missed my nephews 6th bday party and am out about $550 plus a shit load of wasted time.

The one thing I will say about Southwest, is that they are more reliable than the other major carriers. I'll take the paper process, just get me there.

I fly a lot, and I can completely understand your mistake. Hey, I once forgot my layover was overnight in London… had to get an emergency hotel room. I'm also happy that Southwest reached out to you. I like flying on them, and if they hadn't reacted appropriately to this blog, I would be very sad.

I know just how you feel! I've been going through the same kind of thing with Microsoft. I'm supposed to be a “partner.” They change their program, send me disks, I call Support. They guy faxes me license #s. I ask if they work the same way as before, he says “yes.” I install the software on all my computers. Oops! Only license for 1 on that particular package. The general public would pay $29 difference had they upgraded from my original software to the Ultimate version rather than Pro, but MS insists that a “partner” pay them $219 to upgrade one computer. I'm sure most people reading this blog have had similar experiences with big business. All of this leaves customers wondering where real people with brains and common sense have gone. It seems to me that ridiculous inefficiency, and mind-numbing lack of ability to act, have become the hallmark of “big” business. Some are just a tad better than others but they are all pretty awful. I am sad to hear SW has joined this class.

Wow Dave! That's hell. That's utter hell. And yes, I think Southwest is a really good airline. I'm not upset with the organization, and I feel they execute well. I'm mostly just pointing out this one little silly detail. Truly, Southwest is a great org and is doing well against carriers who did that to you.

I might have been a bit frustrated, given that this almost ruined my getting to see my son on his 4th birthday. That might be where some of the confusion lies.

However, it was my fault. I stated it many times. What I feel should be different, however, is that I think the system is a bit silly and that the potential to fix it and alleviate the frustration I caused myself is an easy fix. Does that make sense?

I'm not upset for me. I'm pointing out that this is (or at least seems like) a really simple customer service fix.

If TripCase could make my traveling idiot-proof, I'd love it. But I'm quite the idiot. : )

I love Southwest but (there's that word) I do agree with you. I fly a lot and I've seen it happen so many times that “the way we do things here” isn't going to solve the customer's (remember us – the reason you're in business?) problem. And the person behind the counter can't (or won't) get into solution -focused thinking because that's not their policy. Period.

In my company, we have strong systems because that's important. And those systems go on hold if we have a customer who's not happy and needs a different solution. My number one goal in that case is to make sure that person walks away from their encounter with my company feeling valued, happy, and that they matter to us more than anything else.

As you've proven with this post, Chris, which was read by how many thousands of people, one unhappy customer (particularly in today's lightning fast information age) can completely screw your reputation. Nothing's worth that to me. And one truly valued customer (and I've read those kinds of posts from you too) can shout your praises from every virtual rooftop. I'll take the latter, thanks, even if it costs me some refund money up front.

She wasn't especially helpful. She was limited to her script, so to speak. So, it wasn't that she wasn't nice, but she wasn't effective.

My point wasn't to complain about what was free. I feel like you didn't read the post.

My point was that their kindness was thwarted by systems that didn't make it easy to handle errors.

A card would be good, but isn't that a plastic piece of paper, but one you ALWAYS have to carry in the already overstuffed wallet?

Why not have a mini-keyboard at the counter for us to sign into our airline account? Or better yet, a mini-laptop–for those of us who have to click the “forgot my password” link. Then all we'd have to carry is our ID.

That way, all that flight info past and present–and future–lands in a place with context.

“I see you've flown a lot with us, Mr Brogan, and here is your flight voucher. Oh, and several of our airline execs have said nice things on your profile. And looks like the SWA tweet-search column has found many of your nice tweets about us, thank you!”

And why not get all that good bonding with the SWA execs in front of the low level employee? Then he's no longer just a customer, he's a known friend.

Great article and interesting taxi tip;)

I do read all the comments, and thank you. I appreciate the information, and I agree with you on your perspective. Great post, by the way. I hope other folks check it out.

It's just the way it is, Chris.
Sometimes it seems a great burden to have common sense (which, by the way, isn't so common anymore). One would think that if the GOAL was to show value to a passenger, then the system for doing that might offer some built-in flexibility to ensure that this valued passenger isn't inconvenienced. Only sure way to combat this is to be sure WE don't drink the kool aid and act like processes are more important than people. Hope your son had a fun birthday!

Sorry Chris I have to call you on this one

Southwest gave you a free ticket and the only hoop you had to jump through is to remember to bring a piece of paper. OMG

Bring out the sympathy vote by mentioning your kids birthday. Shameful

I wonder how this post would fare to principle advocated in Trust Agents

Did you not have your enema today? Where did that vitriol come from?

I'm sure you more than glanced at Chris's post, so I don't know why
you're ignoring the 10+ times he says, “It was my fault.” Heh, it's
even a keyword!

The point of this post was not to get justice, burn SWA, or complain
in general. This was a good example of constructive critisism as there
can be.

SWA's free voucher system is “broken”–to use a Seth Godin term–and
Chris is helping them fix it. In SWA replies to this post, we see they
are already on it, if not fixed it by now.

This post also helps a myriad of other companies too reexamine their
business practices to find and fix the parts that are still “paper”.

As far as mentioning his son's bday, well, details make for good
reading, (and of the many flights Chris takes in a year, of course it
would be the time he's racing home for an important event that things
get TARFU'd!)

So wernsthink, reread the post, check yourself, or stick to blogs you
can readily grasp–I think Seasame Street has one.

Let me put this another way. 

Put yourself in the shoes of SWA.  They had sponsored Chris' flight.  He turns arounds and publicizes a flaw in their operation.  I can quarantee you that while SWA may appreciate Chris' insight into their operations, they probable wish that he had expressed his concern in an email rather than a blog seen by his sizable audience. 

Chris' blog seen to me to be a public whine, even with all of the “Its my fault”.  The unsaid word was “but”, which undermines “Its my fault”, much like Mark McGuire's public apology.

The point of the post was that Chris should know how his blog sounded to some people.  Chris's voice is too important to have it undermined by what appears as a self serving post.  I would hope that someone would do the same for me. 

Apparently you have, so thanks.

At the end it was your fault Chris, remember those times when there were only paper tickets? See how quickly we got used to comfort of those e things that protect us from loss at all times? We never used to complain when we lost our paper ticket and paid the fee needed being responsible for this loss. Imagine if I got a free ticket, I would nurture it, take care of it and protect it just like my passport, as I doubt they would believe me it was me, even though, my photo, eye scan, and finger print is in the system. There are many things airlines need to deal with nowadays, and they are more important then a complaint of someone who got a free ticket and lost it!

Hahaha that's awesome!

If its okay with you, I'd like to put both the quote and the moral on
my whiteboard–to be used whenever in whatever story it fits.

I freelance because I cant work in corporate environments. As a freelancer you very often get to flout the IT lock down for the reasons you listed above. In fact many is the time I have used my own private vpn and proxies to get around the dumb filters. Your post is spot on about what IT should be there to do. However it shouldn't be the assumption of all the departments that it is your job to be their data slave and work monkey as an excuse for not learning how to use the tools they want access to. We should be there to ensure the tools work and everyone can use them and then step out of the way.

Chris,
I really agree on Systems Thwarting Service. I come from the hospitality industry (restaurant mgmt). It's simple…Take the order…cook the order…serve the order, right? If the system (computer, point of sale, cash register, whatever) didn't get in the way, it would be a simple world. I wish I could count the times…the kitchen printer jammed…the NO MAYO button didn't work…the STARCH DU JOUR was supposed to be Polenta not Mashed Potato, etc.You get the idea.
Trying to keep it short- The worst is when you are able to sidestep all the challenges, satisfy the guest, only to have to tell them that your credit card terminal is down and YOU CAN'T TAKE THEIR MONEY…you are rebooting and it should only be a minute…and you are sorry that you are making them late for the show. This, of course, is after you have dazzled them with dinner and service only to send them away with the proverbial Bad Taste In Their Mouth. I don't miss it!

Hi Chris, this is an interesting blog post and highlights to me the challenge of dealing with organisational culture. It would appear that the front-line employees are not empowered to be able to deviate from set processes to deliver an exceptional customer experience (think Zappos.com) while there are others in the organisation who are willing to go out of their way to provide that excetional service.
Change isn't easy and it can be difficult to change a well established organisational culture that isn't functioning as well as it could.
I hope that Southwest Airlines can use this as an opportunity to look at what could be done to ensure that all passengers can receive a better customer experience should a similar situation arise again because they have a) changed their processes and b) empowered their front-line employees.

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