When Tech Shortfalls Thwart Customer Service

Last week, I took action to redeem some American AAdvantage Miles before they expired. I had enough for a domestic round trip ticket, and my husband had enough for a one-way segment. I logged on to aa.com to make reservations for my reward travel.

It wasn’t too surprising to discover that I could not book our reservations online as part of the same itinerary, because of different AAdvantage accounts and the round trip versus one-way redemptions. STRIKE ONE for American Airlines’ technology. Most of the airline systems (American’s included) are notoriously antiquated behind the scenes, and rigid in their functional capabilities. So I called their 800 number for help, already having checked award flight availability and mapping out an itinerary. I hoped American’s reservation agents might have capabilities unavailable to me on their web site.

Upon reaching an agent and explaining what I was trying to accomplish, I was advised that our reservations could not be booked as part of the same itinerary. OK – I expected that. But then the agent told me that there was only one award flight available for my desired travel date (a flight that did not work for us). I told the agent I had found additional availability online and began to provide the flight numbers, but was abruptly told that she could “see” only the one flight available. American’s reservation system did not show the same availability shown on their web site. STRIKE TWO.

Back to the web site to book our travel online. Here I discovered that Ron’s one-way award had to be booked separately from the one-way return for which we would pay a normal fare. So I made the two reservations and noted the different confirmation numbers. I then made the reservation for my round trip reward ticket.

When double-checking our three confirmed reservations, I discovered that I had made an error. I had booked my husband’s departure and return for the same date. Augh! Operator error. So I retrieved the reservation and submitted a modification for the correct date. The system then advised me that I would be charged $150 for the change. Angry with myself for the mistake, but somewhat resigned to paying the evil airline’s price, I completed the modification and provided a credit card to pay the additional $150.

The more I thought about my experience, the more upset I got. I called American and asked to speak to a supervisor. Much to my surprise, I was told that since I had found my error and made the modification within 24 hours, American would refund my $150.

Hooray, and STRIKE THREE at the same time! If American’s policy was to refund the change penalty, why doesn’t the system support that policy and not impose the fee in the first place? This limitation in their technology conveniently generates revenue from all the people who don’t bother to call and complain.

All’s well that ends well, except that I am reminded of several of the reasons I fly Southwest now instead of American.

The negative impact that ineffective technology can have on customer loyalty should not be overlooked by any business. Keep your technology updated to serve not only your operation, but your customers.

P.S.  I'm not paying for checking any baggage either.  So there.

How to Love Your Job

Sometimes it’s easy to love your job. Other times, not so much. After 28 years in a corporate environment, I learned a few things about how to make the best of the whole work experience by focusing on the things I could control. Here are my tips:

A PLEASANT COMMUTE: The work day starts when you leave your home. Enhance your commute by keeping your car clean, choosing a scenic route, playing music or listening to a radio show, and enjoying a morning beverage. (If you commute via public transportation, I recommend an iPod or a Kindle to help transport you to your Happy Place.)

PERSONALIZE YOUR SPACE: Whether you have a cube or an office, you probably have some options to put your mark on your work space. Make it a comfortable place to spend your time by adding meaningful personal touches, like art, a special coffee mug, and family photos. The neater you can keep your space, the more serene you will feel.

KEEP LEARNING: Work feels less like a rat race if you are learning something new and interesting every day. Cultivate an open and inquiring mind. Take advantage of any training opportunities your company provides. Seek a relationship with a mentor who is willing to share their wisdom.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE: Your position description specifies your responsibilities, but in reality there may be some wiggle-room in regard to where you spend the bulk of your time and effort. Try making small adjustments so that you can focus more time on the work you really enjoy. (Caution: You must still be productive and meet your goals, and can’t avoid work that is your primary responsibility.)

MAKE QUICK WORK OF ONEROUS ACTIVITIES: You can’t escape everything you dislike doing. Instead, grab those tasks by the horns and get them wrestled to the ground quickly and efficiently. Completion will give you a sense of relief, and allow you to get on with more interesting and fun work.

WALLOW IN YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS: You deserve to enjoy your successes. Communicate them to your boss, being sure to tell him/her what you learned in the process, what you are proud of, and what you really enjoyed about the effort. This upward feedback may positively influence the projects and responsibilities you are assigned in the future.

CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS: You spend a lot of time at work, and will be happier if you enjoy the company of the people around you. Some co-workers will become trusted friends. Others you can appreciate and respect in a professional light. Work hard at having an honest and open relationship with your boss. You don’t need the stress that mistrusting and disliking co-workers creates.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Love your job. It’s better than the alternatives.

Time to Hunker Down

The holidays are but a memory, the Super Bowl has ended the NFL season, and even January White Sales are a thing of the past. Spring Training and March Madness are a tantalizing month away. Most of the country is locked inside the grip of winter’s snow, ice, slush, gray, and chill. This time of year is kind of a bummer.

It’s a great time to hunker down and be productive at work! C’mon, what else is there to do? You have finished all the end-of-calendar-year insanity, like annual reviews, evaluation of performance against goals, bonus recommendations, and analysis of actual spending against budgets. It’s been over a month since you rang in the New Year with an exhausted sigh. Now it’s the Chinese Year of the Rabbit – so get hopping!

With a fresh budget, newly established goals, and fewer fun distractions, it’s time to hunker down and be productive. You’re already well into the first quarter of the year, and you need something to show for it. Be sure your goals are prioritized, that your team understands where to spend their individual and collective energy, and has bought into the importance of project deadlines.

Don’t forget… People may still feel a little let down after the end of the year. You can do something for them that costs you nothing. Express kind thanks for their efforts and earned results. Be specific about what you appreciate. They need to know that what they do is noticed, and not taken for granted. You would be surprised at the positive impact that can come from a little kindness and recognition. I once delivered hand-written, personalized Thank You notes to everyone on my project team. Many of those notes were displayed on cubical walls for years afterward.

Pulling together to accomplish goals and celebrating successes is what builds a team. Take advantage of the natural lull in the air this time of year to hunker down and get things done.

The Status Quo Has Risks. Protect Yourself.

It is not good to get too comfortable with and reliant on the status quo. Things change, risk is ever-present, and Sh!+ Happens. Sometimes we can ride out the changes, and sometimes we are blasted from our safe perches and required to take action and move on to create our own new norm. The challenge is to gauge the timing to our best advantage.

Today, the Eqyptian government led by President Hosni Mubarek is faced with a wide-spread, chaotic and violent rebellion demanding change. We provide an average of 2 billion dollars a year in aid to Egypt (second only to what we give to Israel) – primarily to bolster U.S.-Egyptian military cooperation. Imagine the changes required to U.S. policy if Mubarek’s rule is overthrown and a new ruler is disinclined to be allied with the U.S. The balance of power in the Middle East might change overnight. Mubarek is 83 years old. What was our plan for mitigating the risk of a change in leadership in Egypt that had to happen soon?

This isn’t a political blog, so let’s bring the subject matter closer to home with a different and more familiar scenario:

You’ve worked for the same company for years. Suddenly, the company is sold. Leadership changes. Over time, it becomes evident that values, priorities, philosophies, and other important aspects of your situation have changed as well. Your position is threatened by reorganization and outsourcing. Should you hunker down, take evasive action, conform to the new norms, or look for greener pastures? It’s a tough call to make – and harder to take steps when emotions intrude.

Be prepared for change, because change always happens eventually. You can’t always know or guess what is going to happen, and you need not always be looking over your shoulder, but you SHOULD:

STAY IN GOOD GRACES with your current employer. You will need the reference if you decide to move on. Be ethical. Be productive. Don’t let circumstances paralyze you and adversely affect your performance.  Rather, strive for new ways to make yourself indispensable.

KEEP YOUR RESUME CURRENT. Update it at least once a year, or more often if you gain new responsibilities, experience, or credentials.

CULTIVATE YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK. The majority of new job opportunities are found through networking – not through job listings. Creating a healthy network of people who know you and your work is vital to the health of your career – even when you are not looking for a new opportunity.

LEARN AND GROW. The world keeps turning. You’d better not be standing still. Stay current in your field. Read. Take classes.

EXPLORE THE JOB CLIMATE. Discreetly explore opportunities with other companies, through your trusted network, with the help of a search firm, or through job postings. Go on an interview. (It’s good practice, if nothing else.) The best time to look for a job is while you still have one. If you discover that you are lucky to have your current position, that’s good to know too.

When Hiring Contractors Makes Sense

You are faced with a project and a deadline that cannot be accomplished with the resources you have on staff. It doesn’t make sense to hire full-time team members to meet that need, only to lay them off after the crunch is over. In this type of scenario, as in some others, temporary contractors are the answer. How do you know when you should consider adding contractors to your team to achieve your goals?

• You are managing a project that requires skills you don’t have internally (and you don’t have time to learn them).
• You simply need more hands and heads than you have, due to time constraints.
• There isn’t anything to be gained by your team doing some tasks themselves (their expertise adds no specific value), and your people’s time is better spent on other things.

• It’s cheaper to hire help than to pay your people to do the work. Remember, you pay 20% + for benefits for your full time employees.

• Your project requires a spike in activity that doesn’t continue later into the schedule.

• When you want to “audition” a candidate for a permanent position.

But BEWARE:

• Don’t spend time and money educating contractors to do things that would enrich the skills and experience of your team – unless your team can partake in the education as well. Otherwise, your people will resent the heck out of the situation (and you).

• Avoid giving contractors work that your team considers “choice”, like working with new, cool technology, traveling to exotic work locations, or getting exposure to executive management.

• Don’t give contractors the same benefits/privileges as your employees, unless you want to risk a lawsuit.

• Don’t treat your contractors like slave labor. They are people too and deserve your respect. Besides, you may need them again someday.

• Be sure there is a transfer of knowledge/learning from your contractors to your employees before the end of the contract. Don’t let the knowledge walk out the door, or you may have to buy it back again later.

From Success to Success

The Seattle Seahawks surprised many football pundits over a week ago when they beat the New Orleans Saints in a Wild Card game, winning a berth in the playoffs. They played over their heads, behind their veteran quarterback Matt Hasselback, who had a career-defining kind of day. As a lifelong Bears fan, I was hopeful that after the Seahawks’ efforts and emotional high last week, they would suffer a letdown and play badly. I was not disappointed. Yesterday at Soldier Field in Chicago they took a beating by the Bears who ended their season. Lovie’s Bears played really well, and Seattle didn’t have enough gas left in their tank to rise to the challenge.

Corporate leaders are responsible for managing their teams in a way that encourages a string of successes. It’s important to celebrate and acknowledge wins earned by individuals and groups, but there must be a calculated focus in how this is accomplished…with an eye on cranking up for the next challenge. Played correctly, the momentum from one success is fodder for the next.

First… The team culture should include a group understanding of their purpose and long term goals. Each individual should believe in where the team is headed, and be able to visualize and articulate what success would be.

Second… When important successes are realized, take time to celebrate. Recognize the specific achievements of the team and individuals – loudly and publicly. Thank them for their work. Be sure that the “Powers That Be” are aware of what has been accomplished and its contribution to larger corporate goals.

Third… Stop patting yourselves on the back and dissect your success. Discuss it, analyze it, and criticize each step. Acknowledge where you could have done more/better. Counsel individuals that didn’t carry their weight during the project, and ask for greater effort next time. Make this motivating.

Fourth… Plan how to take the skills and experience of the team and apply them to the next challenge. Define and document what success will look like. Set new goals. Make sure people know what is expected of them. Cheer them on their way to their next celebration.

Don’t forget to provide leadership along the way. The best coaches are able to change the game plan during halftime if the original game plan is going awry. Be flexible and adapt quickly to changes. Recognize your “Player of the Game” and find a way to make the most of their skills while they are hot.

Now get out there and win one for the Gipper.

Respectful Coexistence

The terrible events in Tucson this past weekend have made many of us think about our desire for peaceful coexistence. We wish that our differences could be expressed and debated in a civil manner, without vituperative spewing, threats, and other extreme and violent behavior. Let’s let tolerance and respect for other people and their views drive our behavior and interactions. Overcome polarization with open-mindedness, thought, and an eye on important goals. I’d like to see us apply some values, intellect and effort to minimize conflict over differences and find common ground that allows us to move forward constructively.

Our challenges are broad, in our personal lives, in business, in our communities, and politics. But we have choices we can make in all of those arenas. We control our own behavior and are responsible for our actions. We choose to participate in our communities and shape them into places we can be proud to live. We elect our politicians, and are entitled hold them accountable to represent us conscientiously.

The business world is reflective of many of the issues exhibited in our world today. In a well-run corporation, ethical leadership, effective management, clear goals, policies and procedures, the application of laws, and human resources programs help govern the chaos. Individuals mostly “behave”, at least in part because they don’t want to harm their careers, lose a paycheck, or be humiliated in front of their peers.

Each of us can make a difference at some level. Be caring in your personal relationships, respectful and constructive in your work environment, cooperative with community efforts, and active to make your voice heard in politics. Let’s all lead by example, and make clear what we expect from our fellow civilians and our governments. We’re smart enough and good enough to make some changes.