On the way home last week from a conference in Pennsylvania, my flight was delayed about 45 minutes from departing. Now that’s certainly not the first time that I had to sit on a plane and wait for it to leave the gate. The usual reasons are some mechanical or technical problem, or even a weather-related issue. I was told, though, that this delay had to do with a conflict in information about the weight on the aircraft, and I received this information by overhearing a conversation between our flight attendant and an off-duty flight attendant who was sitting in the seat in front of me.
I understand that the weight and balance issue on small aircraft is extremely critical. I’m not questioning that issue. My frustration that day, along with all my fellow travelers, was the way the situation was handled. I felt that if the customer service had been different, especially an improvement in communication, the number of disgruntled passengers would have been much fewer. If the flight crew had told us exactly what was going on and how long the delay was expected to continue, I think passengers’ attitudes would have been more understanding.
I felt that this was the perfect example of how organizations could greatly improve their level of customer service simply by being more open and honest and giving their customers a realistic timeframe about the expected delivery time. I believe that customers are much more understanding and trusting when they get consistent and candid communication.