Here’s how Finnair ‘delighted’ their Delhi bound customers this morning:

Would hate to think what they’d do if they flew to Sheffield Doncaster airport on Yorkshire Day!

‘Lack of strategy’ according to Forrester’s annual State of Customer Experience report 2011.

We agree, but strategy in itself – even if it is bold, differentiated and customer-centric – won’t guarantee success.   Where we see most companies fail is in the execution.

In our work with brands around the world we see that there is a lack of coherent thinking about how brand positioning, marketing, customer experience and employee experience fit together, and, dovetail they must if you are to be successful.  Many of you will be thinking about how to how to execute your customer experience strategy in 2012 so let’s see what we can learn from a topical example…

A tale of two airlines…

There are two major Asian airlines that have recently posted their 4^th quarter results for 2011. They share some common features; both employ very attractive flight attendants dressed in smart red uniforms; both operate state of the art aircraft with the latest in-flight entertainments systems; both re-defined air travel in their respective markets and shook up complacent competitors; both have enthusiastic customers and are rated tops for service in their markets; each are is led by a flamboyant entrepreneur each with his own Formula One racing team. And perhaps not unsurprisingly, Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic inspired both.

THE CHALLENGE: We invite retention problems, loss of market share, and loss of good will when we consistently ignore big problems that gall our consumers ... and assume that they must be wrong when they complain.

A "SIZE" PROBLEM IN THE SKIES

Most US air carriers have inadequate policies for dealing with issues arising from being the seatmate of a "passenger of size”.

#940 in the Project comes from across the pond:

Guests in Room 118 of London’s Cadogan Hotel, the site of Oscar Wilde’s arrest for gross indecency, will find a complimentary replica of the writer’s smoking jacket available to wear — epigrams not included.

Here’s an account from Sebastian Lander from the Mail Online:

It was here at The Cadogan Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge that the infamous author was arrested in 1895, charged with ‘committing acts of gross indecency’. One floor down from me, in Room 118, a reputedly half-drunken Wilde sat waiting for the police to arrive after refusing to flee, and ended up with two years’ hard labour at Reading jail.

Read more »

#926 in the Project was submitted via tweet by Steve Curtin @enthused:

A picture in Lockerz by Niki Leondakis (President and COO of Kimpton Hotels) tells the story:

“I just luv these cut flowers hanging in my shower at Nine Zero Hotel in Boston.”

Here’s another cool feature of Kimpton’s Nine Zero you have to see . . . to believe.

Your Product is now Your Marketing

DoubleTree has a new commercial showcasing their signature purple goldfish:

Good Day Sunshine . . . with a warm chocolate chip cookie

The commercial according to DoubleTree, “illustrates the simultaneous experience of travel with the little things our hotel team members do every day to create a rewarding experience for our hotel guests.”

JetBlue Flight 504 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Newark, New Jersey was diverted to Bradley International Airport in Connecticut at 1:30 on Saturday because of a freakish snow storm affecting the East Coast. Passengers weren’t allowed to deplane until 9:30 that night and were forced to remain on the tarmac and in the aircraft for seven hours with no food, water or working bathrooms.

The situation already reeks of terrible customer service, but the airline industry often has their own particular spin on egregious situations which somehow is supposed to explain any and all miserable experiences passengers are forced to endure – of course for the sake of our safety. When a dozen passengers called 911 hoping to get an answer why they were not allowed to leave, there were no explanations given. When an unidentified pilot called for help to JetBlue and asked his own company to provide a tug and a towbar, no one from the company responded with any help.

When the plane first landed the passengers were told the plane would de-ice, refuel and fly to Newark. During the seven hour debacle, no logical answer was ever given by JetBlue.

Here’s an interesting take on gathering and responding to customer information and “behavioral data,” as it were–right at the front-line level. Affinia Hotels–a nine-location group operating in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington DC–has just introduced a “Tender Loving Comfort” (TLC) program. The initiative is led by the company’s Chief Comfort Officer, Christina Denihan, who “will be interacting with guests, overseeing a TLC Crew at each hotel, sourcing unique items to be offered brand-wide, and serving as a curator of comfy content on the social networks,” according to a release.

As well, the hotels sponsor a daily Comfort Hour, with snacks and access to a “Comfort Cart” that sports new amenities, such as tech gear and new pillows, that customers can test and rate. “Top-rated amenities will be rolled out across the brand via MyAffinia, the company’s online customization program.”

What’s most interesting–and here’s where the “behavioral data” comes in–is how the “TLC Crew” is trained. “Earlier this year, Affinia Hotels partnered with Body Language Expert Patti Wood to train all front-office managers, guest-service agents, bellmen, doormen, housekeeping staff and concierges to be comfortable engaging guests, and to know how and when to approach and respond by giving them space, a simple smile or expediting the check-in process, depending on their needs.”

All in all, this is an intriguing mix of gathering data and information to insightfully engage customers with relevent and responsive customer service and personalization.