Very rarely do I sleep late or through my alarm, but even more rarely do I win at poker, which I had done the night before and it took me most of the night to do it, waiting for the elusive Big Slick.
When I woke up, money stuck all over me from my outrageous poker winnings ($50 CDN, about $48 USD by the way) I was already dangerously late and I scrambled to get to my phone to call Air Canada.
Think about how out of luck most people would be if they woke up about an hour before the plane boarded and had to call a toll free line … the hold music, the prompts: “Push 1 to upgrade, Push 2 to check on the status of your flight, and Push 3 if you are totally screwed.”
What a horrible feeling. I am not accustomed to this. I am a professional traveler. My bags are packed the day before. I pack like I work on an assembly line. It’s a process. This was a crazy feeling – this was panic mixed with a little helplessness.
Could your clients live without you?
What we all value and appreciate when we frequent specific businesses is being recognized. We don’t want to have to plead. We don’t want to have to point out that we are important – we want to be important from the moment we walk in the door.
If not for my status with Air Canada my day would have been pretty awful – instead it’s just a great story about client service.
I have access to call an Air Canada Concierge who picked up the phone on the 2nd ring. Her name was Dana. “Call me when you get close and I’ll meet you at security with your boarding passes.” Dana told me to relax, that even if I miss my flight I could catch the very next one and still make my connection to Orlando Florida if I could get to the airport quickly.
Think about how often your clients call your office and speak to your staff, or walk into your office or your store – Would they consider your staff a concierge? Does your office respond quickly and promptly to calls? Are you proactive to solve your client’s problems? Do your clients understand what your process is for delivering your professional services? Do you do whatever you can, the little things, to improve the client experience?
I couldn’t live without Air Canada Super Elite Status – I consider them a partner in my business. On numerous occasions I have arrived at the airport to find a flight cancelled, and I never panic because I know that the Super Elite desk is already working on the problem, they typically have it solved before I am even aware there has been an issue. They wait with a sign that has my name on it and hand me my new itinerary and I am on my way.
And then the hand off …
Dana was waiting, my boarding passes in her hand, upgraded seats, and the kicker – a filled out custom form. She walked me to the front of security, and I made my flight. When I landed in Toronto, there was yet another concierge waiting for me at the end of the jet way, and she made it really easy by holding a sign with my name on it.
She was in contact with the gate via walkie talkie (do we still call them that?) so they knew I was enroute. I was escorted through customs, and once again to the front of security. I made my connection to Orlando without issue. I was saved.
Had I not been an Air Canada Super Elite member my day would have been completely different. I would have had to scramble to get to the airport, and I would have been full of uncertainty and worry. Then I would have spent a long time sitting in Toronto waiting for my next and only option to get to Orlando which is much later in the day, and I would have been praying for clear skies, no storms, tornados, or mechanical issues. I would have been counting on everything going right – I would have needed to get lucky.
Make sure your top clients feel like partners.
I have a lot of clients – speakers bureaus, investment firms, banks and I try my best for all of them. However I have one key client that I do anything for, and when they ask if I can do them a favor, the answer when possible is always yes. They have Super Elite Status with me, and I spend quite a lot of time trying to figure out, on their behalf, how they can get more value out of their relationship with me.
Essentially I spend time thinking about how I can work more, or do more, or bring more to the table without them having to pay more. I’m looking out for them. I am protecting them, and therefore myself. That’s my job.
When you start to think about yourself as a partner in your client’s success, you take a very important step towards becoming an invaluable asset. A franchise player. A key piece of the puzzle. An essential partner.
The Big Slick.
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