A Tale of Two Travel Agents
Two travel agents at American Airlines. Two experiences. Two vastly different outcomes.
Round One: “This is Pamela, how can I help you?” “I need to change my flight to China for next week. My ticketed flight has been canceled.” Pamela responded rather harshly: “Do you have an hour? This transaction is taking at least that amount of time.” “I only have 45 minutes. Can we start and see how it goes?” We spent a good 5 minutes just discussing whether to begin! Pamela proved to be unfriendly and unhelpful, yet I plowed forward. But, I inadvertently disconnected her while she was finding my travel record. Must’ve been cosmic intervention.
Round Two: “This is Tina, how can I help you?” I explained my situation. Tina laughingly said, “Let’s see if I can book you on this other route.” She solved my problem in 5 minutes. I was incredulous.
What’s the difference between Pamela and Tina? Their attitude and communication skills. Even if Tina had not been able to solve the situation quickly, the outcome would have been positive.
Attitude and communication skills affect every encounter. Ask your customers!
