We’re going to learn a new verb today class: Airlined.
We’ve been airlined lately and we’re not happy about it. We’ve had it with airline surcharges. We bet you are, too.
First we were nailed with fuel surcharges on flights. The cost of flying was going up, so the cost to the customer was raised to offset the expense and to protect profit margin. Then the slippery slope got even slipperier: now you’re gonna have to pay for your bags. The first one might be free, but you’ll going to have to fork over $15 for the second one. Preserve the bottom line!
But it gets even better!
Birds of a feather flock together, so most airlines have implemented a bag charge. You know there had to be some great conversations in airline boardrooms: “Listen, if passengers are willing to pay for the second piece of luggage, why don’t we nail them on the first?!” And just like the banking industry did with ATM fees, the customer gets shafted – airlined – again.
But it gets even better!
Food on flights is a thing of the past, and on some airlines, so are blankets and pillows. “Do you have any idea what it costs to clean those pillows and blankets once a year?”
But it gets even better!
You want an exit row? That’s an additional 40 bucks. If you plan to travel on any of the traditionally busiest days of the year – think Thanksgiving and Christmas – that “let’s surcharge them!” mentality kicks in once again: add at least another $10 per flight for the privilege.
But it gets even better!
A Japanese airline now requests that passengers visit the bathroom before boarding the plane. Awww geez Mom. I don’t have to go! It’s supposed to make for a “greener flight”, but we think it’s really about the lesser amount of fuel burned because passengers weigh less when they get on the plane. All together now! “Use the john before you get on!” Next up, a toilet charge for an in-flight potty break …
All these up charges and surcharges add millions of dollars of added revenue, one little screw at a time. Hyper-critical? Maybe. Tongue in cheek? Yep. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all could offset any increase in doing business by immediately passing it on to the customer? How much better would your business be if you didn’t have to re-examine how to conserve, save, and best utilize every asset you have? Seems to us the airline industry could learn a lot about creative associate involvement, company pride, and customer service as a competitive strength from the people reading this blog.
Come to think about it, maybe you can airline your customers, too. Charge them an entrance fee. Hey, price stickers are expensive; let’s add a ten cent charge for every item purchased. You want a bag? No problem: that’ll be twelve cents per bag; twenty five cents for one with a handle. The opportunities are endless, right? Wrong. You can’t airline your customers, you don’t live in that world. You’d lose customers because they have too many choices. You have to be responsible and look at what makes you better than the competition; the things that make a customer choose your store first.
Southwest Airlines stands alone as the only airline that’s made a decision to focus on the same things that you focus on to keep customers coming back for more: nice people to do business with, fair prices and outstanding customer care. And isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?
We’ve been airlined lately and we’re not happy about it. We’ve had it with airline surcharges. We bet you are, too.
First we were nailed with fuel surcharges on flights. The cost of flying was going up, so the cost to the customer was raised to offset the expense and to protect profit margin. Then the slippery slope got even slipperier: now you’re gonna have to pay for your bags. The first one might be free, but you’ll going to have to fork over $15 for the second one. Preserve the bottom line!
But it gets even better!
Birds of a feather flock together, so most airlines have implemented a bag charge. You know there had to be some great conversations in airline boardrooms: “Listen, if passengers are willing to pay for the second piece of luggage, why don’t we nail them on the first?!” And just like the banking industry did with ATM fees, the customer gets shafted – airlined – again.
But it gets even better!
Food on flights is a thing of the past, and on some airlines, so are blankets and pillows. “Do you have any idea what it costs to clean those pillows and blankets once a year?”
But it gets even better!
You want an exit row? That’s an additional 40 bucks. If you plan to travel on any of the traditionally busiest days of the year – think Thanksgiving and Christmas – that “let’s surcharge them!” mentality kicks in once again: add at least another $10 per flight for the privilege.
But it gets even better!
A Japanese airline now requests that passengers visit the bathroom before boarding the plane. Awww geez Mom. I don’t have to go! It’s supposed to make for a “greener flight”, but we think it’s really about the lesser amount of fuel burned because passengers weigh less when they get on the plane. All together now! “Use the john before you get on!” Next up, a toilet charge for an in-flight potty break …
All these up charges and surcharges add millions of dollars of added revenue, one little screw at a time. Hyper-critical? Maybe. Tongue in cheek? Yep. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all could offset any increase in doing business by immediately passing it on to the customer? How much better would your business be if you didn’t have to re-examine how to conserve, save, and best utilize every asset you have? Seems to us the airline industry could learn a lot about creative associate involvement, company pride, and customer service as a competitive strength from the people reading this blog.
Come to think about it, maybe you can airline your customers, too. Charge them an entrance fee. Hey, price stickers are expensive; let’s add a ten cent charge for every item purchased. You want a bag? No problem: that’ll be twelve cents per bag; twenty five cents for one with a handle. The opportunities are endless, right? Wrong. You can’t airline your customers, you don’t live in that world. You’d lose customers because they have too many choices. You have to be responsible and look at what makes you better than the competition; the things that make a customer choose your store first.
Southwest Airlines stands alone as the only airline that’s made a decision to focus on the same things that you focus on to keep customers coming back for more: nice people to do business with, fair prices and outstanding customer care. And isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?
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