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The JetBlue customer experience, sliding
Set the scene: onboard JetBlue flight 644, SFO, awaiting pull-out from the gate to taxi toward the runway.
The captain comes on. "Bad news, folks, there's weather in the New York area today. Practically shut down Kennedy earlier. We're looking at a delay of three or four hours." Groans.
Thankfully, we're allowed to deplane and wait at the gate. But within a couple of hours, irritated passengers start murmuring. "It's not true, you know. Kennedy was shut down for all of ten minutes, but it is accepting flights right now. Just not from JetBlue, because their operations ran late. It's their own fault that we can't fly."
"Delta and Virgin America flights just left for JFK."
"This happens to me every time I fly JetBlue."
"You know what's a great airline? Virgin America."
I check New York weather on my iPhone: sunny and clear.
Passengers stand in clusters, sharing information from cellphones and wireless laptops. Pretty soon the customers are telling each other that the flight will probably be cancelled. Then: the website shows the flight is cancelled. But no word from the JetBlue reps at the gate.
Finally the reps announce what everyone knows already: flight cancelled. Please stand in line to re-book. That's 152 passengers for two gate reps. "Or you can call our 1-800 number." Passengers in line yell back that the phone line isn't accepting calls. People are getting angry and momentarily mob the gate desk before a sullen gate rep restores order. One irate passenger yells down at the desk from a balcony as he heads out.
The last time I saw this low level of order and morale was at a Continental gate in the early 90s, at the bottom of its slide. This is not the reps' fault, nor the pilots' fault - they're all just following orders. But it is the fault of the organization. JetBlue is sick.
It's quite a change from just a few years ago, when I heard people on American Airlines flights talking about how good JetBlue was. Friends and family told me about JetBlue. Our Council members voted JetBlue a Copernican award. I praised JetBlue, too.
But all of that history, all of that "brand-building," means nothing in a world where the customer experience means everything. I mean today's customer experience. If those passengers could have torn up their virtual JetBlue frequent flyer cards to board a Virgin America flight right then to JFK, there would have been a long line at the Virgin America desk. The basics of the customer experience - on-time departure, on-time arrival - are so much more important than any marketing nonsense on a billboard or TV commercial.
I don't know when JetBlue changed. Maybe it was their switch to different equipment a few years back. Maybe it was the departure of the visionary founder David Neeleman last year. Maybe it's when they invested millions in ads this year, focused on the word "jetting."
Funny how no one at the gate said, "Hey, cut JetBlue some slack - at least we're jetting, not flying."
Let this be a reminder to anyone at a customer-focused company: customer experience isn't a one-time thing. It requires constant, constant, constant focus on the basics. A slick ad campaign counts for next to nothing, unless it describes the benefits of the customer experience. And it may even be harmful, if it diverts resources away from the customer experience.
Meeting the basic, key unmet needs of the customers in your niche is everything. Do it today, do it tomorrow, do it every single day of your operations, and then (and only then) you'll have a good chance to succeed as a customer-focused firm.
As for me, at that JetBlue gate: I was lucky to be near the front of the line, so I was able to rebook to fly back after a delay of almost two days. Who knows when the people in the back ever got home.
Back at home, I called JetBlue to inquire about compensation. Extra hotel, food, and cab charges cost several hundred dollars: what was JetBlue prepared to do?
Answer: nothing. Why? Weather. Or as the phone rep nicely put it:
"It wasn't our fault."
- - -
See also:
• Broken: JetBlue error message
• Evaluating organizations by their customer experience
• Copernican Awards 2005 recap
I had the exact same experience with Northwest two years ago. It's the industry, which is so broken that no one can distinguish themselves to rise out of this morass.
I had a similar experience on United in June coming back to Washington D.C. from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our first flight was canceled due to mechanical failure. Our new flight through Chicago sat at the gate for 4 hours before finally canceling due to weather. Being an international flight, the worst part is that we ended up having to go through customs 3-4 times in one day. Any duty-free goods had to be returned and refunded each time. The United desk only had 1 attendant on duty, so the lines were equally long as yours. But, since United doesn't have a presence in Halifax, we actually just waited in line to talk on the phone to some United rep in order to rebook. It was a mess that also resulted in additional meals/hotel fees. Since our original flight was canceled due to the mechanical errors, it was their fault, so they issued $150 vouchers when I called about it later, but wouldn't actually send a cash reimbursement. Even so, a voucher isn't much consolation when I'm in no rush to get back on a United airplane.
The whole air industry is sick, and I suspect it'll get worse before it gets better. From now on, I'm traveling by car/train whenever it's feasible.
Great post. I can recall other brands that rested on their laurels only to loose their clients by taking them for granted. I clipped this onto my SocialMedian. :O)
I can empathize…nothing bonds people closer than a negative flight experience. However, it’s not just Jet Blue’s fault. Why not look at the history of the industry and take into account that our government has subsidized it from the very beginning. This is an industry whose participants are not incented to do right by the customer because it’s sole purpose seems to be to create and maintain jobs for Americans.
Can you imagine if the market were allowed to be opened up internationally, and we were flying airlines by companies who had philosophies of improvement like Toyota or Honda airlines? (affordable price, basic amenities, customer first) Think of the incredible service you get on international flights like SAS or Virgin, compared to the complacent staff of Delta, with whom I missed a family wedding because I was sitting on the tarmac for 4 hours. They didn’t even care…and were completely unprepared to deal with handling the re-ticketing of an entire flight.
I’m beginning to think that it’s our national values (subsidizing failing businesses to avoid a revolution from stock holders) that are contributing to the situation we are in. If I could avoid it, I would not continue contributing to enabling such a poor experience.
Hoo boy, similar thing happened to me last week when I tried to fly from Boston to Richmond. Unlike most other airlines, JetBlue will not book you on the next flight to your destination (on a competing airline). They just leave you to figure it out yourself, even though a traveler stranded at an airport has *way* less power and information at their fingertips than the person behind the counter.
Thanks for relaying your experiences with JetBlue. I've been considering using them for regular trips to NYC but after hearing horror stories from others and reading your post, I'll pass on JetBlue. Companies who show such disregard for their customers' experience don't deserve our business.
I too was a big fan of JetBlue. When I first started flying JetBlue in 2002, I preached the gospel of the JFK to Long Beach flight as the alternative to LAX. As they expanded to Las Vegas and Southern Florida, I flew it more and more. Nobody in my professional or social circles was immune to my praise for JetBlue.
Then I got stuck at JFK for 13 hours waiting for a flight to take off. Then I was stuck on the tarmac at Ft. Lauderdale airport due to operational delays at JFK (like those described above). Last night, when trying to book award travel, I was told that I would have to book two one-way tickets in order to create the desired itinerary. When I explained that this would have the unintended consequence of making me go though heightened security (one way tickets are an automatic pass to have your bags ripped open by a TSA officer), I was told that going through airport security would be good for me...
Needless to say, I am hoping for a big Delta comeback!
Every airline has a list of passengers for every flight, and yet I have never seen a ground crew use this information to call up passengers to re-book instead of demanding that people wait in line, which is not only uncomfortable, but also tends to reward the worst, pushiest behavior on the part of the passengers.
Lucky you didn't have to wait in the line too long, but for the people at the end of the line, this part of the bad experience is absolutely the airline's fault, even in cases, unlike yours, where the cancellation isn't.
Couldn't agree with you more. Once a company begins to lose focus on a foundational element like good customer experience, you know something is wrong.
I've seen it countless times where a company goes after the "next shiny object" only to allow the basics to fall to the wayside. And then wonder why customers are leaving them.
Ironically enough, I read this post while sitting in the airport, having been here 4 hours already due to JetBlue delays and am waiting on a flight that will ultimately be cancelled. The airline knew of the delay but after even after repeatedly asking, they would not admit it.
Last week when flying out of San Diego on JetBlue, a long line of us waited at the counter for over 50 minutes with questions. The representatives stared at us from the gate, being sure not to make eye contact for too long. They didn't even address the first person in line before boarding the flight and explaining that noone would be at the counter to answer our questions. Poor poor service.
Ah yes ... the flying and airport experience today :) -- a experience from our travels in China recently -- http://www.apogeehk.com/articles/TheAirportUserExperience-TravelDelaysInShanghai.html
Even as the Councils were voting JetBlue a Copernican Award in 2005, I was wondering about how sustainable their great customer experience was. For one thing, people were raving about the new planes -- well that can't be a lasting point of differentiation. And people loved their singular focus on a handful of routes -- also not sustainable.
Alas, the star has fallen and the new darling is Virgin Atlantic. At least they came up with the Premium Economy concept: more legroom and upgraded service for me and cheaper than business class (and more money for them than economy) -- that's probably sustainable.
They all need to learn a few things from Asiana and Korean. They treat passengers like they actually appreciate them.
I was stranded by Jetblue for 2 days during this storm also -- stranded at Kennedy. Yes, the weather was bad, and yes, Kennedy had various delay programs in effect, but for me, the real issue was how poorly Jetblue reacted to the problem in their own house.
The customer service desk line was hours long with victims of 52 cancellations. The 800 number was not taking calls. And down in baggage claim, I seriously thought I was going to be trampled by a VERY angry, pushy, screaming, cursing mob. And the Baggage Service Staff's response? Lock the office door. "We'll handle you one at a time, if you get in two orderly lines," they told us...even though handling the group on a flight-by-flight basis, or providing general answers like "your bags are gone, just accept it" to the masses would have been far more helpful.
Basically, I agree 100% with this article. I was an early adopter of Jetblue's happy mission and new spin on flying. I signed up for their credit card, loaded up points and free flights, but after having no less than three very ugly experiences (this recent one not even being the worst), my days with Jetblue are over. Very, very over.
Reading Marc's column this week reminded me of a similarly poor customer experience I had while going to the movies last weekend. My fiancé and I went to see Batman at an entertainment complex located in Westchester. This facility has been operating for at least 8 years and in addition to a multiplex theatre, the complex boasts residential and commercial accommodations, restaurants, retail space, a big box supermarket, parking facilities and more. In fact, according to their website the complex comprises 1.2 million square feet! Yet there appears to be 0 square feet of basic customer service.
We decided to catch an early Sunday afternoon show in order to beat the crowds. Occurrences of any one of the following problems would have been annoying, but we experienced them all in one visit within an approximately four hour time frame:
1. Parking - Visitors must pay for their parking using automated vending machines, however these machines have never worked very well. They only take dollar bills and coins, yet it is almost impossible to feed a dollar into them. There is no debit or credit card option. This results in long lines at the machines. Theatre goers run the risk of missing their movie or, if they give up in frustration, getting a ticket. I don't understand why a company would make it so difficult to get paid.
2. Movie Ticket Machines - Using the machines is supposed to be a convenient alternative to waiting on line at the ticket window, however it would have probably been just as easy, at that particular day and time, to go the live human route. The screens are confusing to begin with. For the machine we were using, it took a long time for the screens to even load, so we had to guess if our transaction was going through properly. We were afraid we would inadvertently order too many tickets or cancel the transaction altogether.
3. Restaurant - One of the restaurants at the complex is a well known chain, currently advertising their wares, at least in the greater NY area. Since we had managed to arrive at the theatre about an hour ahead of time, we figured we'd get a quick bite to eat. The restaurant was practically empty. There could not have been more than four other parties in the place when we got there, yet it took 30 minutes to get our food. I can't imagine it takes very long to prepare the kind of food they serve at this sort of a chain. We began to wonder if we would make our show on time.
4. Theatre concession stand - After finishing our knuckle-whitening meal at the restaurant, we made the mistake of trying to get some popcorn and beverages at the theatre's concession stand. Again, due to the hour, there were relatively few people on the lines, yet they were all moving very slowly. With only three parties ahead of us (none of whom appeared to order anything particularly complicated), we waited 10 or 15 minutes to be served. This almost did make us late and we were running into the theatre as the previews began rolling.
5. Restrooms - After the movie was over, we went to use the restrooms. Both the men's and ladies' rooms were entirely shut for cleaning! Apparently the floors were being disinfected and the toilet paper rolls had to be replaced. It would be 20 minutes before the restrooms were open again. It should also be noted that we learned of the existence of additional restrooms from another customer, rather than the attendant who was cleaning the rest rooms. This, in the middle of the day (it was about 4PM when our movie let out) in a multiplex theatre, showing a record crowd drawing film such as Batman (on at least 2 screens), in its second week!
Thankfully, the actual viewing of the movie passed without incident, but as you can see service delivery of other key points in the overall theatre going experience was highly fragmented, adversely impacting the main event. As initially noted, this facility bills itself as an entertainment complex (rather than a stand-alone theatre), yet fails miserably in providing a seamlessly, integrated customer experience. I will think long and hard about going to this complex in the future.
I find it ironic that the site is called Good Experience, yet you don't inform the user what is required information. And when you don't enter the required information, the site removes the comments you've entered previously when redirecting you back to the comments section. I had a comment on this, but instead of re-typing -- i'll ask you to fix this Good Experience issue first.
"It's not our fault" is the same response I got from the front desk at the Best Western in Fort Washington, PA when I arrived at 11:30 PM with a credit card guarantee on the room for late arrival -- only to find out they'd given away my room and had nothing left. I booked online on the service Best Western links to its site, which apparently never communicated the details. "So it's not our fault," the front desk manager informed me. Anyone in a service industry who utters those words should be fired on the spot.
Yes. Yes. Yes. This post is so on target. For the past 4-5 months I've been flying on United because I needed to build up some frequent flier miles for an international trip. This past weekend I was going to SF and decided to go back to my old favorite, JetBlue. I saw the same nightmares. While my 830pm flight was on time, the 6pm before it was canceled and people were scrambling. A guy I met in line had done the 'on the runway for 5 hours' thing. I considered myself lucky to get to SF with no issues. Weather was fine by the way. On the way back however, my flight WAS canceled. Again for weather. They offered to take my 1230pm flight and put me on a 1030pm red eye. Not fun. Luckily I was able to have my business choose from Delta, Virgin, or United to quickly and easily book me on a 1pm flight. Seems they didn't have any issues with thunderstorms. This is not a spam post (would I have written that much?)... I am a fan of this blog and get the newsletter, primarily because we cover similar topics. I did a similar post on JetBlue recently on my marketing blog, which Good Experience readers might enjoy reading:
http://tinyurl.com/6lou8p
Keep up the good work Mark.
- Jim Hopkinson
Just thought everyone would enjoy this:
http://collateraldamage.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/when-ads-become-reality-jetblue-charging-for-pillows/
In fact, everyone will enjoy
http://collateraldamage.wordpress.com
OK, service is bad. Really bad.
But how many of us have fueled this problem by low-ball fishing for the 'best' prices on tickets.
If the focus from the consumer is on price price price, then the focus of the company will be on margins margins margins.
A counterexample, from an airline not mentioned above. On a recent Southwest flight from Chicago, we were fully loaded (using their new and improved approach to lining up) when a catering provisions truck hit the underside of the wing of our airplane. (I believe this was not a Southwest vehicle.) In less than ten minutes, someone was there to examine the minor damage and decide that we had to change planes. Before we could finish groaning, the attendants told us where a fueled and empty plane was waiting for us (two or three gates away), explained what the off- and on-boading procedure would be, and emphasized what we could each do to make it go more smoothly; further, the stowed baggage was already in motion to the new plane. The entire passenger list was unloaded, lined up, reloaded, and underway less than fifty minutes from the incident; we landed about thirty minutes late, if I recall. AND, before I had a chance to contact Southwest to praise them for their quick and smooth response to an unexpected event, they sent me a letter with an apology and a $150 travel voucher. This is typical of the service I have received flying Southwest the past five years; I am a believer!