Corporateinklings

Customer Care? US Airways Could Care Less…

Goodbye US Airways! You’ve been dumped – my son is “breaking up” and calling it quits. Here’s what you lost: one customer’s loyalty – and the thousands of dollars that goes with it…                     

It sounds stupid, but like most fights, it began with the small stuff: No online check-in, because someone on your team thought he was a terrorist. (The TSA didn’t agree, but that didn’t matter.) Then, you socked him for $150 to change a ticket and get onto a half-empty flight. Call to complain? Well, he tried. And the poor schnook on the other end of the line knew how to read the script – but not the customer: “Thank you for calling USAirways is there anything else we can help you with today?”

Cue United. More mistakes, like a 4-hour delay. This time, though, there’s an apology – and a real fix: $150 off a next flight. That’s pretty good. But they upped it – with two more options: 20 percent off economy plus for the year, 7,000 bonus miles. Sometimes, what people crave is the illusion of choice.

What did it cost? Not much – especially if the seats are empty anyhow. More interesting to see what United got: A new customer, with loyalty cemented. For now.

- Posted by Nina Gill

Loyalty Marketing 101

How much does Air Canada spend on its CRM solution? Whatever – it needs a refund. Or should start paying attention to it.

This is the airline with a near-monopoly on flights from Boston to Toronto, and prices to match. (Try $600 for the 75 minute flight if you want to book it without 2 weeks’ advance notice. JetBlue, where are you when we need you?)

 With even monopolies crying poor, this morning AC lobbed over an enticing offer: $89 one-way fares, and discounted books of tickets.  Jump fast, urged the email; prices go up after 72 hours.

 Since we have clients in Canada, and I have family there, too, I clicked. (Forget about how the site is ridiculously complicated, so you can’t even figure out what’s part of the offer, or the pricing.)

 It takes a phone call for the truth to come out. The discounted fares?  Only from Las Vegas.  And not to Toronto.  Too bad I fly only out of Boston, and only to Toronto.  With 3 trips in 100 days, you’d think they could have figured that one out.

Duh. Stupid email marketing, which is just another name for spam. Smarten up. Send less, and target more.

  - Posted by Amy Bermar