| When it comes to customer service quality, | | | | Singapore, I asked the steward about my special |
| every link in the chain matters. If one is weak, | | | | meal. He confirmed before take-off, "Yes, Mr. |
| the lasting impressions customers receive might | | | | Kaufman. Vegetarian. It's in the record." |
| not be as good as they could be. | | | | But during the meal service hours later he came |
| An example of how weak links can impact | | | | back and said, "We thought we had the meal on |
| customer service quality was demonstrated to | | | | board, but it is not here. Would you mind the |
| me courtesy of an airline chain. I flew to Fiji from | | | | chicken or fish?" (I ate the fruit.) |
| Singapore via Australia, requesting vegetarian | | | | This whole experience was more entertaining than |
| meals throughout. But not a single vegetarian dish | | | | upsetting, but it certainly got me thinking. The |
| was provided. | | | | travel agent, telephone reservations staff, |
| What's unusual is that I checked and rechecked | | | | check-in agent and cabin crew are not |
| every step of the way: by telephone before | | | | "responsible" for catering on the aircraft. But they |
| departure, at check-in in Singapore, at the First | | | | do rely upon their partners to deliver. When they |
| Class Lounge in Sydney, aboard the airplane to | | | | don't, customer service quality suffers. |
| Fiji, with airline staff on the ground in Fiji, during | | | | Key Learning Points |
| check-in at the Fiji airport, and once again in the | | | | When a customer assesses your business, you |
| Lounge in Sydney on the way home. | | | | are only as good as your weakest link. |
| Every step of the way my special meals were | | | | Action Steps |
| "confirmed." I even received boarding passes | | | | Which is the weakest service link in your |
| issued from the airlines with "VGML" (for | | | | organization? You may think it's not in your |
| "vegetarian meal") printed in bold. | | | | department, hence not your problem. Think again. |
| The strangest experience was the last. As I | | | | Everyone is responsible for customer service |
| boarded for the flight from Sydney back to | | | | quality. |