March 2007 Who's To Blame?

I recently read a comment on the editorial page of The Cincinnati Enquirer which simply astounded me.  As I read it I wondered if the writer was one of few, or one of many who shared his sentiments.  It was published on February 25, 2007, and related to some of the unfortunate airline delays that had occurred due to the horrible winter weather blasting the country throughout February.  See what you think.

The many stories this past week about airline flights being diverted, delayed or cancelled shouldn’t surprise anyone. 

 

Most of the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the flying public.  These are the same folks who have demanded cheaper fares and have caused every airline to cut staff and salaries, although they are traveling on the equivalent of 1985 fares.

 

As a retired employee of the third largest airline, I challenge any traveler to show that the product that the airlines make, market or sell is at an adjusted cost equal to that of the same product in 1985.

 

While I don’t condone or agree with the actions of the airlines involved with these reported problems, all I can say is welcome traveling public, to the airline industry that you have created, and one that the airline workers have seen coming have been dealing with for many years.

I don’t know about you, but I just could not get over the first line of the second paragraph, “Most of the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the flying public.”  The translated message I took from this was: “It’s those stupid customers that are causing all our problems!”  And it sounded as if the writer meant it.

What is your initial response as you read this?  Are you as flabbergasted about his remarks as I was? 

We all know that most of the major airline carriers have taken a beating over the years.  It is without a doubt a tough industry, plagued by many difficult challenges.  Is it possible that the prevailing mindset of people in the airline industry is, in fact, that their current plight is the customer’s fault?  Could they genuinely believe that customers are indeed the ones to blame?

Now personally, I do not believe that mindset is the general consensus, in spite of the personal horror stories we could all share about our “mis-adventures” in flying.  So rather than dwell on the shortcomings of the airline companies, let me purposely shift gears and pose a more relevant question. 

Is “blame the customer” a mindset that exists within your company?  If you answer absolutely not, are you absolutely sure?

Funny thing about customers, they seem to always want more than a company can provide, in terms of features, services and price.  And they vote very quickly with their business, so if you don’t satisfy their needs, they usually have a number of other alternatives who will.  That means you lose.

And it is precisely that pressure that forces every business to continue to improve the value it presents to customers.  That is the pretty much the crux of our free enterprise system.  As we all know it is hard work to satisfy customers and continually stay ahead of smart competitors. 

In fact, it is really hard work, and that may be the source of the problem.  Sometimes, it is simply easier to just blame someone or something else.  So once again, what is the prevailing attitude in your company—to be inspired and challenged by the endless demands of those pesky customers, or to blame their unreasonable expectations for all your woes?

Customers care about and will pay for value.  And they can find differentiating value in many areas, including your product or service offerings, brand, quality, price, the buying experience or the overall relationship they feel when dealing with you.  They care less, if at all, about your internal processes, procedures, politics, pricing models and everything else that might make life inside the company easier or more manageable for you.  They also do not believe you are entitled to stay in business just because you think you are. 

Creating innovative and profitable ways to continuously add value, while keeping your competitors a step or two behind, is nothing short of a monumental task.  It will be an on-going struggle, so be prepared.  And recognize that the moment that blaming begins, especially blaming the customer, the energy needed to grow and win is greatly impeded.

In our overwhelmed, overworked, never-enough business world today, it is easy to understand how “blaming others” can take root.  It is also the responsibility of leaders to ensure it does not.  As a leader you must be vigilant in keeping your people focused on winning customers, not blaming them.  And winning requires you to listen, understand, demonstrate patience, and ultimately respond in extraordinary ways to your customers’ needs and wants.  No one ever said it would be easy.