JetBlue: is it a personal approach?
I have been really interested in this whole hubub surrounding the JetBlue collapse of operations (during last week’s storms) and subsequent attempts to create dialog with customers and put a face to the corporation. On the one hand, it sounds like this company was terribly unlucky (small and lean in operations, many flights were held up simply because flight crews couldn’t get to departure airports); on the other, I guess I wouldn’t be surprised if they turned the “corporation” cold shoulder on the whole matter.
Then I heard the CEO on Talk of the Nation last Friday. In an apologetic and empathetic statement, he was able to cut through my barrier of “ahh… let’s put the personable CEO on the radio to smooth this over.” He even responded to a berated customer calling into the show, and in the end, the customer reversed his statement and said “I am really impressed with your outreach after this customer service catastrophe…”
And tonight, I found an email in my inbox outling their “Customer’s Bill of Rights” and a link to a YouTube video which looks satisfyingly unpolished and personal, with plenty of unscripted hand gestures.
Is this real or scheme? The empathetic dialog with the customer? Let’s use YouTube video to look like real people relating to our customers on a fair playing field? Or is this part of the viral/kindred spirits trend of marketing/messages, trying to make personal approaches to customers in order to better find out what their needs are and thus, serve them better? The approach appeals to me on a personal level — but, of course, it means that I will be all the more disappointed if it doesn’t result in some kind of overall organizational change.
(how does that translate into my experience as a seldom flier? well… I don’t know… more personal notes in my inbox? YouTube video updates?)
February 23rd, 2007 at 6:20 am
I must say, I felt a warm sincere feeling as I watched the video. Let’s hope that things improve!
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:46 am
He’s also been known to get on JB flights about 5-6 times a year and work as a steward, getting peoples impressions of the service. smart cookie, that one.
February 28th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Wow, I hadn’t heard about that approach… I think he is a smart cookie, indeed.
Since we just enjoyed the wonders of air travel (snowboarding adventure to Utah!), travel/service has been a popular recent topic of conversation. I was surprised to hear people say “Was your flight a nightmare? Did you fly JetBlue?” We didn’t — we flew an interesting hodgepodge of airlines that expedia seems to route you on (for low convenient fares). I think JetBlue has already become the black sheep, in theory, although both people that said this to me also admitted “Well, they are trying their best.”
So at the same time as they are marked at the bottom of the pile, they still seem to generate sympathy from customers!