Recent surprises

I’ve been surprised to identify two things about myself in recent years that I hadn’t uncovered previously:

1. The enjoyment I get out of writing.
That was largely identified through blogging. I’ve documented previously that I entered blogging to give people an inside look to what goes on behind the facades of a church ministry. But as my writing developed I found a sense of satisfaction in written expression and from the feedback I’ve received, an appreciation from my short list of readers. English, though technically not my second language, for all intents and purposes could’ve been my second language. From age 3-17, I was bilingual on a daily basis. The two languages really messed with my head and while I may have slaughtered both equally, my struggles with English were most evident in the classroom. English, grammar and writing didn’t come easily for me for some time, so this new found enjoyment in written expression has been a personal revelation.

2. That I really enjoy, maybe even love, people
My Hagerstown assignment has exposed this to exponential degrees. My heart for people existed previously, but was largely masked and hidden by the role I filled. Being face-to-face with people on a daily basis in Hagerstown has exposed what’s been covered for some 14 years. One, when I don’t interact with a lot people over the course of a shift, I miss the interaction. When I do interact with people, my co-workers comment on the amount of patience I exhibit and the fulfillment I get out of what I do. I really love people to a degree that I hadn’t identified previously.

I wonder what I’ll learn next and how God intends to put these new discoveries to use?

My First Christmas Outside the Bubble

Dating back to my own birth, if I’m counting right, this is my first Christmas outside the Christian bubble. Every previous Christmas, I was either a dependent of my parents who were in fulltime ministry or I was a matriculating student in Bible College or I was in fulltime ministry myself. Some observations…

I’m working Christmas Eve just like I did on most occassions when I worked at the church

The whole Happy Holidays versus Merry Christmas debate isn’t very noticeable, the majority of the people I’ve crossed paths with this season readily and openly greet one another with Merry Christmas! Maybe it is due to the fact that we’re below the Mason/Dixon line. Who knows?

Keeping Christ in Christmas may be a little easier now than it was before as I wasn’t planning for Christmas back in October like I used to do at the church. Christmas came normally on it’s own schedule.

I’m still fascinated and awed by the whole Christmas story. From the diverse perspectives recorded for us by Matthew, Mark and Luke, to Luke’s work of literary art in juxtaposing Zacharias and Elizabeth against Mary and Joseph to finding the Christmas story deeply embeeded in Genesis 3:15. I treasure the moments of meditating on these passages and sharing them with others.

I missed out on some of the special holiday services due to my work schedule and won’t get home in time tonight to make the Christmas Eve service.

There’s as much food at this time of year outside of the church as there was in it; and I still can’t figure out where it all comes from.

I’m grateful that Christmas is transcendent. It pays no mind to position or place of employment, has no regard for location on this earth. Wherever you are this Christmas Eve, whether at work or with friends and loved ones, take it all in, savor all that it has to offer, just as much as it offered on the very first Christmas through to today. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Customer Service – Know Your Competition

Who is the customer choosing between when they consider your service?
Against whom are they comparing you to?
That’s your competition.

In Hagerstown, Cape Air’s competition is the drive to Baltimore. That’s the standard of measure when a customer compares the financial costs of flying on us, it’s the bottom line. I hear them exclaim all the time, “By the time I add up the cost of driving and parking at BWI, it’s about the same price!” It’s important to identify the competition so you can focus on what’s most important to the customer.

In the case of Hagerstown, our service has to be of less hassle and more convenient than the drive to Baltimore; traffic congestion and construction delays play to our favor! The free parking, shorter check-in lines and 30-minute check-in policy are all specifically designed to challenge the drive-hassle-factor. We MUST be more convenient in order to succeed.

I’m even working on making our service more convenient when we’re forced to cancel a flight. Initially, we sent our passengers to Baltimore via cab. Unfortunately, the customer experience in a cab is less than desirable. I’ve found a local limo that will provide the same service at a higher level of quality. If I can get it arranged, even then our passengers will have a more pleasurable trip than if they were driving themselves.

Know your competition and every aspect of the service has to be strategically and specifically designed to offer a better option than what the competition has to offer.

Customer Service – It’s All About the Shoes

When serving customers and passengers, draw upon your firsthand experiences. When you travel, how do you like to be treated or would you LIKED to have been treated? Serve others as you’d have them serve you.

Put yourself in the passengers shoes:
They’re rushing to see a loved one whose life is in jeopardy; how would you like to be served in that situation?
They’re on their way for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation; what kind of experience would you want to have if you were going to Hawaii?
They’ve missed their flight, destroying their entire travel itinerary… you get the point.

Working in the industry we have some experience of how the mechanisms work that the passenger may not be aware of. When we travel, with our connections, we can grease those gears to our personal advantage. Put that same effort into helping the passenger out.

With a pending blizzard, Cape Air cancelled flights for an entire day. Fortunately, the decision was made about 18 hours in advance. I called all the affected passengers and offered to get them to Baltimore on the remaining flights if it would work with their situation. And for those that did, I advised them to attempt to get out of Baltimore that night instead of waiting around for the storm to blow in. Why? ‘Cause that’s what I would’ve done.

It’s all about the shoes, put yourself in the customer/passenger’s position. I’d be frustrated if my flight was just cancelled. I’d be sick if I’d just come off a highly turbulent flight. I’d be worried about where I’d be spending the night on a bad weather day. I can’t fix most of those things as they’re not in my control, but I can draw upon a wealth of resources to compensate for them and coach the passenger through them with a plan.

Put yourself in their shoes!

Customer Service – Easily Misunderstood

It’s a sad sign of the state of customer service… You do your best to go above and beyond in not only anticipating the needs of the customer, but also gauging the expectations they carry with them so as to exceed them. But the customer takes it in a whole different direction.

In the customer service exchange a quasi-relationship is formed. To thoroughly assist a customer, you have to know somethings about them. What is your final destination? How are you getting there? These fundamental questions open doors to rabbit trails that begin to take you to the heart of an individual. The answers reveal something about them. A good-sized slice of the general population is blown away by the interest and care and they walk away satisfied. But there’s another slice that’s disturbing.

To some, that type of service is unheard of. And instead of taking it for what it is, someone who enjoys their job and wants to do everything they can to help a customer, they misinterpret it as something at a deeper level. And so what was a quasi-relationship of one person attempting to help another now takes a very uncomfortable turn into the awkward, borderline and even inappropriate realm.

There’s a fine line in this exchange and I’m wrestling with how to better define the boundary. In serving the same passenger each week, the quasi-relationship gets to an acquaintance, business friendship. The boundaries are implied and quietly understood. Pleasantries exchanged and an quick update maybe, but that’s about it. But when a customer asks to be your Facebook friend, wants to give you a parting hug, asks you to coffee, well, I appreciate the intent, but no thank you.

It’s a sad commentary on the state of customer service in our society when customers perceive that you’re hitting on them, when in actuality you’re just trying to do your job with excellence.

To retreat into the armored protection of just dealing with the necessities of checking a passenger in defeats the whole purpose. No, the challenge is to maintain our pursuit of quality customer service while looking to more clearly define the boundaries, defend them and stand watch that every word and action doesn’t convey a message we don’t intend to send.

It is indeed a sad commentary on the state of things today that excellent customer service can be easily misunderstood.

Customer Service – The VIP Treatment

Make ‘em feel like we are flying just for them today…

That’s the best experience I can fathom for a passenger. After all, one of the benchmarks of celebrity status is traveling in your own private jet. The general public is never going to own a jet, but we can give them the experience of having a team dedicated solely to flying them and serving their needs. At Cape Air we are equipped and structured to be able to offer that high a level of service to every passenger.

That’s also why I pay little attention to notices about proclaimed VIP’s and brass flying our route. We treat every passenger like a VIP, so there’s no need to be “warned” of someone important coming through. Our regular passengers, Arthur, Sarah, Ken all received the same VIP service that the CFO received.

As I like to proclaim to potential customers, every seat is in First Class and we offer the service to go with it!

What does that look like? One, anticipate what the passenger will need. They’ll need a quick orientation to the boarding process in Hagerstown as it’s a little different. They’ll need to figure out how to get to their connecting flight in Baltimore. If they’re going through another airport after that, it may be useful for them to have a terminal map for that airport too. Have they checked-in for their connecting flights? If not, see if you can check them in online. See if their other airlines have posted the gates they’ll be flying out of. If they’ll have a lengthy layover in Baltimore, point out where the good restaurants and ideal hang-out spots are. And finally, if they’re returning to Hagerstown, make sure they know how to find the Cape Air ticket counter in Baltimore as it’s not the easiest to find.

Two, get their name and use it constantly in the conversation. At check-in they transform from being a customer to being an individual. Always use their name.

Three, see if there’s anything else you can get for them… coffee? additional information? a delivery menu for lunch? The final trump card in any exchange with a customer is the question, “Is there anything else I can do for you today?” It’s the blank check the passenger probably isn’t expecting, but, when offered in true sincerity, is the grand slam of customer service.

The passenger should feel like royalty during their Cape Air experience. We’re flying for them today, they’re dominating our attention for the few minutes they are in our care and we’ll go to whatever lengths are feasibly possible to accommodate their needs, wants and wishes.

Give them the VIP treatment!

Customer Service – You’re only as good as the next customer

In the service industry, you are only as good as the next customer. It’s a bitter reality to accept, but it’s dead-on. The next customer has no knowledge of how well I served the last, and frankly, they probably don’t care. All of the unique ways I may have helped plane-loads of customers over months and months may build a positive reputation, but if I’m unsuccessful in serving the particular needs of the NEXT customer, all of that history is worthless.

Each customer provides a fresh opportunity. They come with needs specific to them, they approach with whatever is going on their life at the moment. They have a specific destination in mind, assumptions of how they’ll be served and how it’s all going to work. They’ve made assumptions about me and the type of service I’m going to provide. I have to be ready to answer the bell.

Each customer presents an opportunity. If I was unsuccessful in serving the previous person, it’s a good thing, a fresh start. If I succeeded with the previous person, it’s a fresh start anyway.

If it’s true customer service, success is determined by the customer. And it’s dependent solely on how well I can take care of my next customer. Who will I have the chance to help next?

I’m healthier than I was a year ago

I have less stress on a daily basis. Dad’s moving into the nursing home was an immediate release of stress in my life and in our home. My job today is less stressful than my job a year ago. I didn’t fully appreciate the amount of stress the job was contributing to my life. Even the church we attended was adding stress that I hadn’t gauged accurately; Church today is stress free.

I’m down to a better weight class this year than I was last.

I get outdoors for periods of time most days and am not stuck behind a desk. Plus, I’m doing physical work every so often, so I’m more active.

I get to interact with people, I have to interact with people, it’s the core of my job now and those exchanges almost always lift my morale.

Who knew I’d feel healthier through all of this? It wasn’t listed on the explanation of benefits.

A hero is one who walks a consistent path without wavering

It’s taken the better part of three plus decades, but I’ve really come to appreciate men and women who’ve gone about their business, day-in and day-out consistently living out their faith. They’ve done so with little fanfare, very little limelight, just being consistently faithful. In many respects I was surrounded by a cloud of such witnesses for much of my life. Today some have already received their eternal reward while others are in the twilight. I would imagine that so focused where they on their own journey that they are barely aware of my noticing them. All these years later, as I continue to work out my own salvation, they are heroes to me: Allen, Severns, Walton, Arvan, Hufstetler, Habic among others.

Emulating Mr. Severn, I’ve sold pencils two for five. I’ve desperately wanted to re-enact the puppy sale like Mr. Allen, but my 2nd grade memory didn’t capture the script. I tried to play basketball like Mr. Habic. I ran over Mrs. Arvan’s flower garden. But more importantly I strive to live out my faith as consistently as each of them have without wavering, for a lifetime.

Oh that I may be found just half as faithful. I thank God for having the opportunity to witness their living examples.

Rejoicing in God’s Orchestrations

Three hundred and sixty five days ago, events were unfolding that, while traumatic for me at the time, I was convinced were somehow part of God’s perfect plan. And now, a year later, I am able to sit where I am and perform the duties that I am solely because of that plan that was executed with perfection.

 

I received a call that Friday morning that Dad had fallen at the day services program that he attended each weekday. They had him resting most of the day and recommended he be checked out by his Doctor before the weekend. The Doctor diagnosed it as a bruised hip, and strongly cautioned that Dad would likely have repeated falls if we both weren’t extremely careful. It was in those moments that Dad’s care needs began to exceed that which we were able to provide and unfortunately, over the next two days he had two additional falls. In the midst of one of those falls, his injury went from being a bruise to break.

 

We went about Monday as usual, getting Dad ready to go to the day services program and me for work, not knowing that it would be the last time he would leave the house. That evening he had x-rays, was diagnosed with a broken hip. By 12:30 in the morning he had been admitted to the hospital and had taken his number for hip replacement surgery. The hospital staff were forthright with their prognosis, it was a necessary procedure, but the complication of his lacking mental acuity would likely mean a very difficult rehab and likely only a semi-successful recovery if that. The surgery was successful, but the recovery took us down the path of  releasing him into the care of others; ending our nearly four year commitment out of obedience to the teachings of 1 Timothy 5:4.

 

Had God not orchestrated all of that when He did, it would have been impossible for me to pursue the other employment opportunities that I’ve been able to experience in the time since. More specifically, there would be no possible way that I could be gainfully employed with my current employer as I’m away from the house and from Lancaster County in excess of 12 hours a day.

 

Though it seemed like I was walking through a thick fog as I tackled each day, my confidence in His leading did not waiver. And as I now look back on the road behind I rejoice in God’s orchestrations.