Listening to Customers

Recently when traveling by air I had an experience which made me wonder to what degree do airlines really listen to their customers.

We had been served our drink and the flight attendants were coming back down the aisle, asking if anyone wanted something else? This is obviously more than what often happens. When I handed my empty cup to the attendant asking whether she could take that from me, her response was, I don't have a place for it right now! That was it!

When did this airline last look at identifying customer needs and expectations, and seeing how they are currently meeting them, and/or how they might be able to adjust to better meet them. This has to go further than customer satisfaction surveys. It requires intense customer listening in order to tease out what aspects could make the relationship 'outstanding'. In this example, yes, the cart is small, but there was a section at the bottom that was empty.....could that have been used to collect used glasses? Or what about a plastic bag that is hooked to the cart. At the very least, the response should have been I don't have a place for it right now, but I will return shortly to collect!

 Pamela Toft
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