Flickr.com, CCL, Oop

Recently, I took a KLM-flight from Geneva to Amsterdam. In and of itself, this is nothing remarkable – like many, I spend far too much time in the air, and have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the level of service and attention air passengers are receiving. But this time was very different.

Even though the flight was delayed for more than one hour on the tarmac, it was one of the most pleasurable and enjoyable flights I have ever been on. The reason ? Without a single doubt, the courteous, caring and genuinely helpful attitude of the flight attendants.

The unexpected upgrade to business class might have helped, but let’s be honest here: a little more legroom and two chicken skewers in a pesto sauce don’t really make anyone’s day, do they ? What really did make the difference were the genuine smiles, the repeated inquiries as to my well-being and the generally upbeat attitude of staff on board. In fact, it didn’t stop at the flight attendants: pre-takeoff, the pilot did a good job of conveying sympathy and informing passengers of what was going on, and there were timely and relevant updates from the cockpit throughout the entire flight.

The reason this was such a striking experience was in essence very simple:  it brought home the difference people can make in customer perception. 

What could have turned out to be yet another poor customer experience turned into something very different indeed. You may ask yourself: what’s the big deal ? Quite truthfully, I asked myself the same question. And then it hit me: because it ever so slightly changed my perception of KLM. In spite of all my efforts to “rationalize the experience” and play it down, I was really moved – and positively influenced – by the attitude of staff on this particular flight.

They encouraged me to see their organization in a new light, challenged my current beliefs and forced me to reconsider some of my previous experiences.

In terms of branding through people, they once more brought home a very simple point: the staff experience disproportionately impacts the customer experience. How your staff feels is more likely than not to have a massive impact on how your customers are treated, in turn influencing their perception of your brand.

To me, this event was more than a mere positive exception to a long series of so-and-so experiences. It reminded me of the fact that – amongst the thousands of interactions that we have every day – a single “moment of truth” really can change your point of view.

I, for one, am looking forward to my next KLM-flight. And to those warm smiles from the flight attendants …