Become a Problem Solver

A number of years ago, I was flying back to Detroit, Michigan on Delta Airlines. After landing in Knoxville to connect with my transfer flight, I checked in at the airline counter and was unpleasantly surprised. At the time I had boarded my originating flight in Dallas, my baggage had been improperly checked to Chicago. Realizing there were only a few minutes before the plane on which I was connecting would be leaving. I anxiously asked the agent if my baggage could possibly be transferred to this flight. He said, “Mr. Borg, (I like being called by name) I’ll see what I can do.” He then left the counter. He still hadn’t returned when the final boarding call for Detroit was given. I reluctantly boarded and sat despondently waiting for the plane to leave without my baggage. Unexpectedly, the pilot announced that our flight would be momentarily delayed while they transferred a passenger’s bag to the flight.

The door suddenly opened and onto the airplane walked the agent I had spoken to earlier. He looked around the airplane, saw me sitting in my seat, and came over to me. He knelt down next to me and as I looked at him I could see beads of sweat on his forehead. (I knew he had been up to something!) He said, “Mr. Borg, I want you to know I have personally transferred your bag to this plane. You will be able to pick it up in baggage claim in Detroit. Have a great flight. At the Detroit baggage claim, my bag was the first one to arrive on the conveyor belt. Now that’s what I call service! This agent figured out a solution to my dilemma. He was a problem solver.

By becoming a problem solver for our customers, we are communicating to them that we value them as human beings as well as patrons. The important point to remember is that as we make our customers satisfaction a priority, we become more valuable to them and our company or organization.

By: Tom Borg