Promising and delivering

As much as I was looking forward to an interesting trip to the US – in part for my annual ski trip – I was not looking forward to flying economy on United Airlines in a full plane!

My expectations were in fact very low. I had not pre-booked my seat (very silly) so had to take what I could get, and I persuaded myself that after all it would only be 13 hours out of my life! The sort of consolation one looks for in the face of discomfort.

I have generally flown Qantas, but have found increasingly the lack of service and the impersonal culture of the airline headed me in the direction of United – influenced of course by a great deal!

It is disappointing for me to be disenchanted with Qantas, as the Qantas Club life membership, which I have had for 20 years, is great in terms of queues and lounges at airports around the world.

I have to say the United experience turned out to be very different to what I expected – all due to the staff. The stewards were charming, they could not have done more, their attention in fact changed the whole nature of the experience. Yes the food was not great, the space was tight and the aisle seat difficult, but the service was handled with friendly smiles and a “nothing is too much trouble” attitude.

Interesting how a people’s attitudes can change ones experience with a company, and turn a “I never want to spend my money with that company” to “yes I would do that again”. The amazing thing about this is that it does not cost more to employ someone with a great attitude — it’s simply about finding “can do” people as opposed to “it’s just a job” type people.

What is it that makes people behave in such different ways? One with an attitude of really looking after a customer and the other clock watching and total disinterest in the customer?

Is it entrenched in human nature? Is it caused by a company’s culture which starts at the top?

Qualifications are just part of the reason we should employ, the bigger key to me is attitude.

Either way it seems to me that we have to seek the people with a great attitude and nurture that through the way we behave – life and business is so much easier if we find the “can do” people and profits fall out of a “can do” attitude!

Marcia Griffin’s latest book, High Heeled Success (pictured left), is a frank account of building a business from a solitary sales person to a multi-million dollar business with 4,700 sales consultants around Australia and New Zealand. Contact Marcia to purchase. Marcia’s latest venture is skin care company griffin+row.