I fly JetBlue frequently and have always had a wonderful experience. In fact, I like them so much I am a shareholder in the company! Unfortunately, over the last week they have had a slew of negative publicity due to lengthy flight delays and numerous cancellations. However, I really appreciate the efforts that CEO David Neeleman is making to "right the ship" and speak to his customers directly.
So on Monday, I felt the need to send a letter to Mr. Neeleman letting him know that as a shareholder and believer in JetBlue, I understand how hard they are working to regain customer loyalty and that I was still a loyal customer. I also explained, that as a person who works with senior executives on dealing with the media in times of crisis, that I understand how difficult the negative press can be.
What so impressed me, however, was that I sent the letter (and a copy of
my book) FedEx on Monday and by Wednesday I had already gotten a phone call from the CEO’s office! They thanked me for sending the letter and book and told me that they were passing it along to corporate communications.
A couple of things stood out at me:
(A) Despite all of the craziness over the last week, they responded to my letter the moment it arrived
(B) They communicated clearly that they were directing the letter and book to the appropriate channels
(C) They must have a fantastic PR department!
It’s great to see a company that makes customer service a top priority!
Using "New Media" to get their message across was also a very smart move. Check out David Neeleman’s recent YouTube apology that is creating major buzz in the blogosphere:
Andrea – It always amazes me in the competitive world of commodity air travel that companies do not get that a little kindness goes a long way to win loyalty. And horrid service results in the explosion of wom buzz.
On the other side of the equation, the goodwill that jetBlue cultivated over the past 7-years has paid off. Yes, people are angry, frustrated and disappointed in the brand, but so many customers are willing to forgive and more forward in faith that jetBlue has learned a lesson that will result in even better customer care.