As a speaker, consultant and strategic facilitator, I fly a lot. Advancements, such as mobile apps, allow quick and decisive decisions and have certainly improved this experience. There are even options where I can self-select to generate alerts to let me know about key events such as “my flight is boarding.” These alerts can be texts or emails; either way, they are an important element of the overall digital experience with an airline.
Based on geography and loyalty, I fly Delta … a lot. And their digital presence is actually quite good. There are always little things that I chafe at (it makes absolutely no sense to not allow me to buy comfort seating for only one leg of a multi-city trip), but all in all, they meet my expectations. So today, I was flying from Austin, TX to Fargo, ND to speak at the Tri-State Trust Conference. I got text messages from Delta that my flight was on time and again when it began boarding. Once seated on the plane, I was catching up on emails when I got a text message that said that my bag had been loaded on the plane.
Now think about that for a minute. If you check bags, the worst thing is getting to your destination and your bag(s) not being there with you. So, it was comforting to know that my bag was on that plane. When I arrived at Minneapolis, I had several hours before my flight to Fargo. I grabbed some breakfast and worked on some blog entries. I never once thought about my bag, which for all I knew could have been sitting right under my feet. I got the texts from Delta telling me that my flight was on time and again when boarding began. Once seated, I was again catching up on emails when the announcement came that the door to the plane is closing and I needed to shut down my device.
I immediately wondered about my bag. I had not received a text to tell me that my bag was on this flight. Was it? After all, Delta was diligent about sending the text about my bag in Austin. Does the absence of a similar email now mean that my bag, including the suit I need to wear to speak tonight, is not going to Fargo with me?
When I deplaned in Fargo, I was waiting for the baggage to come out when I got a text from Delta telling me that my bag would be coming out in 12 minutes. Well, I have to admit breathing a sigh of relief with the knowledge that I would be picking up my bag. But, it didn’t have to be this way. Why wouldn’t Delta have sent the 2nd baggage email? I can’t imagine that somehow the technology in Minneapolis is in any way less capable than in Austin. Perhaps someone from Delta reading this can explain in a comment so we all know, but the reality is that we should never create fear, doubt or confusion for our customers, especially with an online experience.
Getting the customer experience right is important. And a big part of getting it right is making sure that if you set an expectation, you consistently deliver on meeting or exceeding that expectation.
Examine your online presence and especially alerts and make sure you are consistently delivering for your customers.