What do you do when your customer’s inadvertent actions are costing you time and money?
Recently when waiting to board an airplane, I noticed just this situation. It’s in the airline’s best interest to get passengers on the flight as fast as possible.
But someone in Zone 2’s boarding group slowed things down by thinking that you needed to show a picture ID in order to board the flight. As you know, that’s the case. You only need to produce your boarding pass.
The problem is that everyone else in line suddenly thought that they needed to show an ID. In that moment, they all became lemmings. So the line was slowed by people scrambling to find identification. This is more challenging while holding a Starbucks cup, multiple carry-on bags, and a cell phone.
The gate agent, Carlos, recognized the problem and realized something had to be done. Airlines don’t make money from planes that are late or burn extra fuel waiting for slow moving passengers.
Carlos made an announcement. “Passengers do not need to show a picture ID in order to board the aircraft,” he said. After a beat, he added, “And I don’t want to see your smiling picture either.”
While the joke wasn’t spectacular, people laughed and stopped looking for their driver’s licenses. The line was soon moving much faster.
Carlos understood that when you need people to do something some well placed humor can be very valuable. Just barking out orders can put people on the defensive, making them move slower. Laughter may be good for the soul but it can also speed up a line.
Think about your business. Is there a process where you need to speed up your customers? Perhaps some well placed, tasteful humor may be just what you need.
