Question: The TSA folks seem much more pleasant lately. What happened?
The TSA has been in the news for quite some time, and not always in a good way. I am not sure what caused this, but little by little their people seemed to be less friendly and they seemed to dedicate fewer people to airports. Just what happened to this relatively new organization formed to make flying safer?AN EXAMPLE OF CUSTOMER DIS-SERVICEWhen we came back from England and my wife and I arrived at a New York airport, the TSA folks didn't seem to be happy. In fact, the first person we met was yelling at groups of people because they weren't lining up behind a white line (which didn't exist.). What brings a person to lose emotional control and not understand she or he was asking us to do something we couldn't understand?ANY ORGANIZATION CAN TURN THINGS AROUND IF THEY WANT TOToday, however, was different. I was in the Fort Myers Florida airport waiting to catch a flight to the Midwest. The TSA folks were exceptional. They were smiling, talkative and friendly. Suddenly I felt some joy in preparing for a flight again.Maybe the local TSA manager at that airport had a chat with them. Or maybe the national TSA leaders sent out a memo encouraging them to do things a little differently. Whatever happened, the outcome was great.IT CAN ALWAYS BE A NEW DAYAs an executive coach, I am sometimes brought into organizations where people think they are "too far gone." In almost every case, I discover that is not true.Remember, no matter how rough things are in your organization, a few tweaks from someone looking with "outside eyes" may be all it takes to turn things around for the better. I see it every day. ACTION STEPS FOR THIS WEEK
- What have your customers been saying about your organization lately? (Have you asked them?)
- Do you always have comment cards or an on-line survey so they can tell you what they think?
- What percentage of feedback do you act on?
