Customer Service Under The Volcanic Ash…
Customer service takes on new meaning when you are far from home and don’t speak the native language.
We were in Italy when Iceland’s volcano erupted, thousands of miles away. I was blissfully unaware of this event, and never imagined it would impact our travels. Then, the evening before our scheduled flight from Venice to Amsterdam, we learned that volcanic ash was drifting over the airports in London. There might be flight delays as a result.
Still, this sounded like a minor problem – one that wasn’t likely to impact our flight into an entirely different airport. Right?
We decided to confirm our flight, just in case. When it became apparent that our morning flight would not depart to Amsterdam, we elected to rent a car and make the drive across four countries – the scenic route would be an adventure.
We packed our bags, checked out of the Venice Hotel, and rode the water taxi to the city’s transportation center.
Thus began three days that are now imprinted in my mind as a blur of starts and stops, confirmations and cancellations, scheduling and waiting, and rescheduling again. From car rental companies to airlines to bus and train stations to hotel clerks, we experienced a multitude of customer service interactions in a short period of time. Here’s what we learned:
- Natural disasters bring out the best and worst in people.
- In general, people are less friendly under stress. Don’t expect sympathy from a hotel clerk who has been turning people away for three days.
- Some people care more than others, and it shows. One car rental representative just shrugged his shoulders and made no suggestions. The travel agent who booked our German airline flight was so helpful that we returned later to bring her flowers. (Ok, this flight was cancelled, too, but she tried.)
- Long lines aren’t always best. In the Venice train station, the shorter the line, the higher the price — and the better the chance that your train will still have seats available.
- Starbucks’ baristas are always friendly and helpful. Everywhere. I want to know more about their recruitment and training systems.
- Some companies communicate better than others. Air Italia has stayed in touch — no refund yet, but I’m hopeful. The German airline, not so much.
- Good service always comes with a smile. A sense of humor may be your most valuable travel accessory.
Simply put, some people understand customer service, and some don’t. One hotel manager in the “adventure” portion of this trip said it nicely: “We are all just guests on this planet, after all. We need to treat each other with respect, and know that we can’t always be in control.”