I’m writing from Guatemala…. just arrived. Long story short – our group of 25 didn’t make the connecting flight from Dallas to Guatemala City.
What I learned from the experience: American Airlines operational supervisor Lynn Allen and her boss Jerry Smith truly exhibited calm and graciousness in a very difficult situation. They illustrated customer service in a crisis, and I will happily share this story in future programs.
Imagine 25 people who can’t agree if they are going to Guatemala or asking for a refund and going home. Imagine trying to rebook 25 people in the midst of travel delays and weather problems (Dallas airport actually closed because of storms).
SIX hours….. we spent six hours getting everyone rebooked.
Today Lynn came to our gate to thank me for helping her last night. I thanked her for remaining focused on our goal: to get to Guatemala safely and as soon as possible
Although some people in the group chose to focus on asking why American didn’t hold our original flight for 25 people, I chose to focus on “what can we do about it?“
Your focus will bring success or failure.