Thursday, April 25, 2013

Traveling brings out the best and the worst in people.  I have watched fellow travelers act rudely toward others, including their family members.  Most often, however, they respond with poor demeanor to the workers in the travel industry.  I admit, there have been times when I have been nonplussed at the inattention I have received by a travel professional while traveling.  Everyone who travels has probably seen the service worker with a smile rigidly fixed on their face who seems to do their utmost to make the travel experience miserable for the traveler.  They are, to be sure, living within the rules and constraints put forth by their employer, but seem to take a special joy in causing havoc in the traveler’s life. 

I began traveling by air at about 1:40 AM this morning (for the temporally challenged, that is a little after midnight).  This is common in Alaska because that is when many flights leave, theoretically arriving just in time for a new day somewhere else, dragging of course.  We arrived in Phoenix for a sleepy 4 hour layover and boarded again for another 5 hour flight.  On this flight, we were blessed with the complete opposite of the the travel industry professional I described before.  Our flight attendant was tall, pleasant, and the most attentive I have ever had the pleasure to be attended by.  He fussed over us like we were royalty, never getting in the way, but always available and eager to please.  On meeting  Robert on our arrival, he remarked that he must have had the same attendant last week, because it was indeed, remarkable. 

I attended a seminar many years ago and the speaker described the ideal customer interaction as a “Disney” moment or a “Nordstrom” moment.  I listened and have, from that time, made it the policy in my office that the patient is the most important person in the office.  Not me, not the staff, nor anyone else.  That policy makes it fun to go to work and wondrous to watch as my employees try their best to make the experience for our patients (and their parents) a happy one, and we take criticism very seriously.  This US Airways flight attendant shows that spirit in all he does, and his attitude alone makes me willing to fly US Air again.