Southwest Inconsistency

Southwest Airlines recent media campaign has been very effective in differentiating itself from other airlines, essentially calling other airlines "onerous" policies such as fees for bags, food, drinks, and other things "ridiculous." It's because of these ridiculous policies that I've become a very loyal Southwest customer - these days I fly Southwest exclusively.

But tonight I experienced one of the most ridiculous policies ever with Southwest. I was flying from Chicago to Reno, with a connection in Las Vegas. I arrive Las Vegas at 8:15pm. My scheduled flight to Reno is at 9:50pm. However, I discover that there is an 8:55pm flight to Reno. So I go to the gate. I ask if there are seats available. Sure, the agent says, but it will cost me $143.00 extra. What?!?!? Then he tells me that if my 9:50pm flight is 15 or more minutes late, then he can put me on the earlier flight without charge - but my 9:50pm flight is only 5 minutes late at this time. So no can do. So we're at the point of arguing over 10 minutes. You gotta be kidding me.

Now, SWA has conditioned me that if I want to take an earlier "originating" flight, I have to pay extra if I have a discounted ticket. I'm fine with that. That is reasonable. However, extending this policy to a connection that I had no control over (as it turns out, the 8:55pm flight is an "illegal connection" because it is less than 45 minutes from the arrival time of the previous flight -- that's why swa.com didn't include that connection when I booked) is stupidity in terms of brand consistency.

So now I'm cooling my heels in Vegas, with nothing to do but flame SWA for their ridiculous policy. And this is after my I watched my business partner (three weeks ago) do what I tried to do successfully as he connected from Chicago to Vegas to San Diego.

Increasing Preference for Self Service

Research by NCR suggests that customers prefer doing business with companies offering self service. According to a news release, the survey’s results show that 85 percent of global consumers, and 79 percent of Americans, are more likely to do business with companies that provide multichannel self-service via a mobile device or at self-service kiosks. The survey’s results suggest consumers prefer the flexibility of self-service as they change their purchase decisions and behavior in the midst of a challenging economy.
http://kioskmarketplace.com/article.php?id=22683&na=1&s=2

Grandma DTV Customer Education

I was at an innovation session yesterday to generate some creative ideas for customer experiences and customer education regarding customer adoption of new technology. The facilitator started the session by playing this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w34nNux4Xw.

The message was clear - we're not going to be designing an experience like this.

Aria Nuances in Chicago

After getting a great deal to stay at the Fairmont hotel in Chicago, I decided to eat in their restaurant called Aria. When I entered the restaurant, the hostess greeted me, asked if I was a guest, and took my name and room number. Then something strange happened. As she was about to lead me to my table, she asked if I would like a magazine. Huh? I said no, and indicated I had my own reading (notes from a meeting), and we proceeded to walk to the table. As we walked, I ask her, "Did you ask me if I wanted a magazine because I was eating alone?" "Yes," she replied, and we discussed a bit about why she was trained to do that as part of the customer experience, which to me was a brilliant deduction by the designers. After all, what is more awkward than eating alone and having nothing to do.

The food and service was very good, and I began to notice other things. The service staff seemed to walk at a very measured, relaxed pace. It was a very odd gait, but it essentially had an effect of slowing the whole place down and providing a more relaxed atmosphere. I couldn't tell whether the service staff was on drugs, or if it was part of their training to enhance the nuance of the experience - to bring a calm to the environment. If so, very cool.

The Cheese Shop

On a recent visit to my brother in Philly, I ventured into a cheese shop in Chestnut Hill. Of course, the Monty Python sketch about the Cheese Shop with no cheese was ringing in my head, but I avoided the temptation slip into my closet John Cleese attitude. My brother and I bought some cheese, had a glass of wine, and noticed a funny sign by the cash register that read, "Customers on cell phones will not be served." Of course, I inquired about the sign. After all, my students a semester or two ago did a great piece of fieldwork on how other customers and stores normalize devient customer behaviors. So I asked the clerk to explain.

"If a person is talking on a cell phone, we don't serve them," said the clerk. "I had one woman talking on her phone pointing frantically to the cheese she wanted. But we cut and slice the cheese to order. So she can't tell me what she wants. So I go help other customers."

An interesting example of how a store creatively uses subdued punishment to norm customer behavior and get customers to perform.