The Sanford Berenberg Experience: November 2012

Good Morning,

These last two months have been some of the busiest times I have had in years. Some wonderful and stressful times (insert Charles Dicken’s line here), and I hope to share more of what I have learned over these months.

Monday morning I started in New York and ended up back in my home in Louisville, Kentucky. Apologies to those I did not get to see or contact as my trip was jam-packed and I had little time to see more people than I had already crammed into my schedule.

Anyway, in a series of events, the planned 2 hour cushion of arriving prior to my flight diminished to just under 50 minutes. To make matters worse, when I went to the ticket kiosk in Terminal C, where I had arrived only a few days prior, I found that my new boarding pass said my flight was departing out of Terminal D.

Getting in line for the security check, after being told I can make it to the flight leaving, now in 45 minutes, I got pulled aside as one of my carry on’s was seen as being too big and had to be put in luggage. So I go to the counter and I asked the lady if I will likely get my flight which is now leaving in 40 minutes. My nervousness started increasing and I told her that I did not want to put my bag in luggage if I would not make the flight. She sternly told me that if I would let her finish, she would help me. So I shut up and listened. With the bedside manners of a block of marble, she told me exactly where I needed to go and what I needed to do.

I followed the instructions and made it to my flight with just over 20 minutes to spare and eventually made it home without a hitch.

As I went down to the baggage claim area in Louisville, I was standing next to a family who included an elderly lady who was visiting from out of town. A red cap had wheeled her to the baggage area and she proceeded to get up as expecting that his help was completed and she would walk back to the exit.

The gentleman who wheeled her into the area spoke up telling her that he was more than willing to wait for her luggage to arrive and then wheel her to her ground transportation. It was kind and gentle and comforting. The elderly lady then gladly sat back in the wheelchair to wait for her luggage to arrive. And the red cap’s last line made me proud of my new home city. He said ‘You’re in Louisville now, we take care of our passengers”. Then he and I then exchanged nods.

With the first customer service experience, the lady helped me, giving me exactly what I needed, but almost seemed rude and detached in doing so, doing nothing to assuage my concerns until what I time I actually reached my gate, in time.

With the second experience, the red cap was kind in his explaining how they can and would continue to help, which immediately helped calm the passenger’s fears.

Two approaches to customer service, with similar results, both effective, but both different.

While I appreciate all the help I can and often do get, I find that when help comes with comfort and care, it is much better received.

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
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