Lesson learned from Alaska Airlines

So part of this wonderful adventure I'm on with KPMG right now involves flying to some more or less middle of nowhere destinations, on planes so small that I would usually be highly uncomfortable on. I love flying and and everything that goes with it, but let's just say that I am a little more used to not seeing the plane blades so up close and personal.

My flight from Vancouver to Seattle, on the smallest plane I have been on in, well, ever (and trust me, I have been on many), was one of the most pleasant experiences I have had flying. The whole crew (consisting of a lady names Lisa and a gentleman named Chris) were the definition of customer service. They greeted us, they said hello, they read the safety instructions.

But...

They also went WAY beyond that. They sat down and chatted with every person on the flight. They asked questions. Real questions from how are you doing today, to how is your dog doing, to how has your day been so far, to where do you want to travel next to, to what is your BHAG is (yes!!! Chris had just finished reading Good to Great. Needless to say, I was impressed).

Guess what happened at the end of the 25 minute flight? (Yes, we arrived 45 mins early).

Customers were happy. Customers were grateful. Customers walked away with increased satisfaction. Customers were impressed. Customers gave unsolicited feedback.

Customers.

Isn't that your goal?

What's holding you back from greatly exceeding the expectations of your customers, friends, family, or yourself?

This short and small flight (12 customers on the flight) at 9pm could have been a write-off for Alaska Airlines. They could have just read the safety instructions and told us when to leave the plane. Instead, they made it an experience.

Take every moment you have with your customer/friend/family/yourself and turn it into a worthwhile experience. If every moment counts, then surely even the small ones can make a huge difference.