Monthly operational bulletin, Vol. 18, Issue 6, July 1988

              Monthly Operational Bulletin
To: All Pan Am Flight Attendants From: In-Flight Service Headquarters - MIA
VOLUME XVIII, Issue 6 July 1988
CORPORATE LIBRARY
JUL 1 5 1988
An Editorial
pi\H AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS
by H. E. Adler
Deregulated In-Flight Service — What Is It?
Remember when air travel was a “dress-up” affair? Flying in those days was more of an adventure than a commodity and as such, customer service was a by-product of the experience rather than the essence of it. Then came deregulated everything and the changing competitive climate, in effect, resulted in new standards by which the traveling public began to measure the quality of airline services, increasingly, the marketplace opted to do business with those who “serve” rather than with those who merely “supply” transportation from one point to another.
What is meant by service today? Several things. In the traditional sense, service is an intangible which focuses on the care and concern for customers, the “help me” sense: help me find my seat, help me find the closet for my garment bag, help me find a magazine, help me find a blanket. True customer service, however, is more than that; it must satisfy two additional dimensions: service in the “fix-it” sense, and, the most intangible of all — “value-added” service.
The quality of a company’s “fix-it” service is a key factor in a consumer-oriented society. When a problem comes up that does not fit the procedures book, the service person is expected to use some discretion to find a way to work within the system on the customer’s behalf — in other words, to probiem-solve. If something goes wrong, as it often does, will anybody make a special effort to set it right? Does anybody try to offset the negative effects of an error? Or do they simply brush you off and mumble something about contacting the customer relations department? Does anyone even deliver a simple apology? After all, when a service is improperly performed, it cannot be “recalled.” Therefore, if it cannot be repeated, then reparation or apologies are the only means of recourse for customer satisfaction.
“Value-added” service, perhaps the most critical component to ensure repeat customers, can be associated with simple civility when delivered in a face-to-face context, but it is more than that. In fact, it is more easily understood in experience than in definition; you know when you see it. Value-added service is offering that extra glass of water half way through the movie, offering to stow a coat without being asked, or a reassuring smile; it is the willingness to do something for a customer as a person. When the customer walks away thinking “that was a nice experience,” then you know value-added service indeed has been provided.
The next time you walk through the aisle of the cabin, think about these simple concepts. What kind of service are you providing: help me, fix-it, value-added, or all three? If we are to differentiate our product from that of other airlines, then we must do these things
better than others..Who, me? Yes, each of us can influence how Pan Am treats its
l customers — and we must guard against just following the rules in the rulebook for their own sake. A customer is the only competitive edge we really need.