Unless you're
reading this column for the first time, I don't need to tell you
that I'm a huge proponent of technology. I book my flights and
hotels online, pay 90% of my bills by phone or Internet, and often
buy movie tickets from automated kiosks in order to avoid long
lines.
But every now and then, something happens to remind me that there
is still quite a bit to be said for the "human element"
involved in making things happen. I was reminded of this last
month during a brief visit to Florida.
I was en
route to Jacksonville to meet up with some friends for a long-weekend.
Due to a bizarre series of events, I missed my flight out of Cincinnati.
No big deal,
I thought. I'll just catch the next flight out.
The next
flight out… To Florida… On the busiest day of the week…
During Spring Break... WRONG.
The heavy
volume of Spring Break travelers meant that it was going to be
nearly impossible to catch another flight that day. I was put
on standby for the next flight out, but was warned that my chances
were not good. The first flight out for which the airline could
guarantee me a seat wasn't for three days.
At some point
that morning, I decided that flying standby was a lost cause.
Feeling adventurous, I decided to rent a car and drive down to
Florida. I booked a vehicle, and then returned to the check-in
counter to let them know that I would pass on the standby flight,
but that I still intended to fly back to Cincinnati on the same
ticket.
WRONG AGAIN.
Having never
been in this situation before and perhaps being somewhat naïve
when it comes to the inner workings of the airline industry, it
came as news to me that if you miss your flight down, the airline
(at least the one that I was using), must "re-issue"
a new one-way ticket at an additional charge. In my case, this
additional charge amounted to almost $300.
Driving 12
hours down to Florida is one thing. Driving 24 hours to Florida
and back in a four-day span is quite another. And given that I
was on a budget, I really wasn't keen on the idea of handing the
airline another $300 of money which had already been earmarked
for buying drinks for the numerous women I was sure to meet in
Jacksonville. Feeling more than a little frustrated, I spotted
an available customer service agent and wandered over toward her
to see if she might be of any assistance. She introduced herself
as Pam and greeted me with a warm smile.
After I explained
my plight to her, Pam double-checked the departing flights to
make sure there wasn't some way I could get a flight out that
day. When she came up empty, she tendered the first bit of good
news I'd heard all day. Since I had been a victim of bad circumstances
and lousy timing, Pam offered to ask her supervisor if it would
be ok for me to fly back on the same ticket.
A moment
later, the supervisor appeared and greeted me with a handshake.
After we spoke for a few minutes, he authorized me to fly back
to Cincinnati on my existing ticket at no additional charge. He
also provided me with his business card and telephone number,
and urged me to call him personally if I had any problems whatsoever.
A dozen hours
later, I completed the drive to Florida. Three days after that,
I flew back to Cincinnati without any problems.
Had it not been for the human component involved with these transactions,
I probably would never have made it to Florida. As much as I love
computers and the Internet, the cut-and-dry world of technology
doesn't allow for the type of creative solutions that Pam and
her supervisor provided me with. You can't ask a computer to "bend
the rules" for you or "check with its supervisor"
when dealing with a touchy situation.
To be fair,
the Web does seem to be making some progress in the customer service
arena. Many service-related sites have implemented 24-hour policies
when responding to e-mail inquiries. Additionally, a growing number
of businesses have introduced real-time messaging utilities as
an alternative means of communicating with customers. Still, it's
a far cry from what you get when talking to a person face-to-face.
My experience
was a reminder that this is not a black and white world. There
are always going to be issues and obstacles which demand the kind
of judgement calls that only a human being is equipped to make.
Regardless of how advanced technology becomes, there's always
going to be a need for one-to-one interaction with outgoing people
like Pam and her supervisor.
Now, if only
they could find my luggage.
