I find the recent actions of Steven Slater, the ex-JetBlue flight attendant interesting, but what has me captivated is the huge response from media and the general public. The situation reminds me of good and bad lessons of customer service discussed at a conference I recently attended, based on Bill Price's book Best Service is No Service.

Price evangelizes customer service as one of the most important business tools to create customer loyalty. Further, he suggests that a company can stand out by doing simple things such as eliminating unnecessary customer contacts, listening to and reacting to feedback, and that by doing this a company can begin to stand out from the crowd.

This is exactly what JetBlue seemed to do to its industry which had been plagued with failings in customer service. Those who know JetBlue will recall that they were a new entrant into an industry dominated by Goliath-sized airlines like American Airlines and Delta. Though, along with great prices, and flights that served niche travel needs, their real secret weapon, seemed to be their customer service agents, most who worked from-home and provided incredible value to JetBlue clients, as detailed by Fast Company in 2004. In a matter of years, JetBlue appeared to be the David with a model ready to slay the Goliaths.  

Ironically, overnight, Steven Slater became the symbol of the company and brought issues of customer service into the limelight again.
So, did the outburst hurt the company’s reputation for superior customer service? While the jury may still be deliberating on the details, the media is having a hay-day with this event as evidenced by Jimmy Fallen’s "Took Two Beers and Jumped” jingle. The events may soon turn Steven Slater into the next reality TV star.

But, back to the point. Customer service isn’t about canned responses or never messing up. Those things happen—and did to JetBlue back in 2007 when passengers waited on the tarmac for more than six hours—but when a company has a history of making good decisions based on the needs of their customers and fixes mistakes, people are willing to forgive the occasional missed flight, a lost bag here and there, and yes, even a public outburst that ends in a couple of beers and a ride down the emergency slide can turn into a media opportunity for JetBlue.

And now, just for fun, a reenactment of a recent encounter with a major airline (not JetBlue), because airline humor never gets old.
Scene:  Husband and Wife trying to change seats in order to sit together on a flight that is not full.

Attempt 1
Husband:  Can you help me change seats on this flight?
Person who looks like a gate agent:  I’m sorry, sir.   You’ll have to wait for the gate agent to do that.
Husband:  You’re not the gate agent?
Person who looks like a gate agent:  No.
Husband:  Okay… Thanks.

Attempt 2
Husband:  Are you the gate agent?
Different person who still looks like a gate agent:  Yes.
Husband:  Can you help me change seats on this flight?
Different person who still looks like a gate agent:  I’m sorry, sir.  You’ll have to wait 25 minutes to do that.
Husband:  Aren’t we boarding in 25 minutes?
Different person who still looks like a gate agent:  Yes
Husband:  Okay…  Thanks.

Attempt 3
Husband:  Can you help me change seats so that these are together?
Same gate agent as Attempt 2:  Yes, I have two seats together in an exit aisle.
Husband:  Great.
Same agent as Attempt 2:  It is in economy plus so it will just cost $29 per person
Husband:  No, thanks.  Is there anything in economy non plus?
Same agent as Attempt 2:  I don’t know.  I’ll check and I’ll call you.
Husband:  You’ll call me?
Same agent as Attempt 2:  Yes
Husband:  So I should just sit down?
Same agent as Attempt 2:  Yes
Husband:  Okay…  Thanks.

Conclusion: Gate agent never called.  Thank goodness for in-flight movies.