A US airline has not heard of outsourcing......
A few days ago, I took some time off work to make arrangements for a family cruise towards the end of year.
The cruise was book and I made arrangements for the flights from the West coast of the US to the East cost.
My first contact with the booking agent with the Airline was amicable and I thought went very well (aside for the 20 minute wait on the phone to speak to a live booking agent.)
After I received my confirmation, I checked online to see the distance from the airport to the Cruise departure port....it was 350 miles!
I knew there was another airport just 20 mile away and the airline has landing rights at the closer airport.
I called the Airline again on their free phone number and this time it took 59 minutes and 13 seconds to get a response.
In all, I spent 1h 19 minutes 13seconds on the phone.
As time is money, (that is almost $80 that I lost whilst holding-on for a response) I am concerned by the lack of customer services within large corporation in America. This is an insignificant amount to most people, but think of the hundreds or thousands of Americans who get such poor customer services from airlines, computer companies and so on....
Haven’t these companies heard of out-sourcing?
....is that, in the long run, companies that persist in serving their customers this poorly will get obliterated by those that take better care.
Some airlines have already discovered that excellent customer service is a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. Others will gradually follow suit, until decent customer service becomes the norm, at which point any company that hasn't "got it" yet will simply go out of business.
It's up to us, as customers, to keep "voting with our feet", and being choosy about the companies with which we're willing to do business. That will accelerate the natural selection process, which will leave us with only those companies that are prepared to work hard to attract and retain our custom.....
All the best,
Patrick