One Christmas, on a Southwest flight heading home, I squeezed my bag in the overhead bin and settled down for a catnap. We were airborne for perhaps ten minutes when I was approached by Joyce, the head flight attendant, demanding that I open my carry-on bag.
"Me?" I asked her, dumfounded.
She nodded solemnly and pursed her lips.
"Either you open it, I or I will."
What?s going on? I thought to myself. As Joyce lowered my bag into the aisle, a muffled cry escaped from within. Uh-oh. I suddenly realized the problem. I scrambled to explain, as surrounding passengers craned closer for a peek.

A Bit of Background
Nestled in my bag was Sing N? Snore Ernie, a lovable doll from Sesame Street, sporting striped pajamas and bunny slippers. A squeeze of his hand triggers a routine of yawning, singing (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) napping and snoring. At the end of his nap, when he awakens, he shouts "I feel GREAT!" There was one slight problem. Motion-sensitive Ernie shouted "I feel GREAT!" whenever my suitcase was jostled, often shouting three or four times in a row. Once accustomed to this glitch, I became immune to his cries ? and that?s how the trouble started.

Or so I thought. Bill, the flight attendant, asked if he could show Ernie to the captain. Well, okay, after all, this was Southwest, where anything goes. Bill had been gone for about ten minutes, when, suddenly, over the loudspeaker, in his best television newscaster voice, I heard Bill announce:

A Lesson in Customer Service
Later that evening, I reflected on the events of the day. I?m a small business owner. What if Ernie had been a customer? Have you ever tuned out a customer?s complaint thinking, "Yeah, yeah, I?ve heard it all before." Yet your competition across town (the lady across the aisle) is willing to listen to what your customer has to say. And what about Bill, who gave Ernie free reign at the mic? What happens when the media with their microphones allows your client to air his story? Who gains control of the message then?

A good customer will, like Ernie, give you feedback. If you?re lucky, he?ll also tell you when he?s unhappy - but probably only once. Customer service studies show that unhappy clients don?t stop doing business. They just stop doing business with you. With cross-town competition ready and eager to service his needs, you need a program in place for vigilant customer care. It?s so easy to become complacent with familiar faces ? small gripes seem trivial, not worth the bother, yet it?s the little things, the pebble in the shoe, that drive people crazy.

Think about it. When you need a good mechanic, piano teacher, dentist, accountant, etc. where do you begin? with your family, friends and business associates. Good old fashioned word of mouth is fifty times more powerful than advertising.**

Back to Basics
Thank you Herb Kelleher, for reminding me about the basics of business. I doubt the Ernie Episode would have occurred anywhere else but Southwest. Another airline might have produced a hasty apology, and a quiet return of the doll. In other words, an opportunity for fun would have been missed, no personal connections made, no insight gained.

A Whole Lot More Than Peanuts
Herb?s folks gave me something to chew on that day.

1. Listen, really listen to your customer - with your ears, mind and heart. What are you missing? Or worse yet, choosing to ignore?
2. Coddle, appreciate, and love your customer. Keep his image before you as you plan your business. (In other words, carry him on your lap.) His word of mouth creates connections far beyond your sphere of influence. He?s waving your banner for you. Help him carry it.

*Kevin & Jackie Freiberg, Nuts! Southwest Airlines? Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success
** Jeff Gitomer, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless