CUSTOMER SERVICE IS BAD AND GETTING WORSE

MUNCIE, Ind. -- When it comes to poor customer service, expect more bad experiences in the airline industry, says a Ball State University marketing expert.

Customer service complaints with the air travel industry are up 70 percent over the past two years due to confusing fares, crowded and oversold flights, delays, cancellations, missed connections and job actions by airline employees.

But poor customer service is the norm in most industries, said Ramon A. Avila, a marketing professor and director of Ball State's Professional Selling Institute.

"Expect rude treatment and expect companies to do the bare minimum because their bottom line is more important than a disappointed customer," he said. "We are witnessing the death of customer service in this country."

Avila is one of thousands of airline passengers to suffer long delays and other problems in recent months. During a December trip from Indianapolis to Salt Lake City, his family had to change flight plans, spent hours waiting in long lines and lost their luggage.

The airline industry has suffered negative publicity in recent months. TWA had most of its flight attendants call in sick to protest labor negotiations. Northwest Airlines had to shut down its Detroit operations due to a snowstorm, causing delays for thousands. American Airlines suffered a pilot work stoppage.

Because the airline industry has failed to police itself, it may take government intervention to improve customer relations. Vice President Al Gore and the U.S. Congress have threatened to step in unless the situation improves. The airline industry has been able to fend off passenger rights legislation, but Congress may force them to change, Avila said.

Most airlines base part of their advertising campaigns on how well they treat customers. Yet, thousands of American passengers regularly suffer from poor customer service without adequate compensation.

"I was told by a senior executive assistant of the airline that their objective is to win a majority of the passengers back by giving the least amount of compensation possible," he said.

Good customer service is the keystone to retaining and attracting consumers, and many companies are missing the point, said Avila, who has worked with companies on developing good customer relations departments over the last 20 years.

"One survey tells us that an angry customer will relate their negative experience to 72 people while a truly happy customer well tell about 12 people," Avila said. "Six outstanding events have to take place just to break even against one bad customer service experience.

"Recent events have convinced me that I should change my seminars to reflect the real goings on of customer service and how companies really go about not satisfying customers," he said. "The service in this country is terrible and corporate America knows it. And, they refuse to do anything about it because it affects the bottom line negatively."

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Avila by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (765) 285-5189. For more stories visit the Ball State University News Center at www.bsu.edu/news on the World Wide Web.)

Marc Ransford
3-30-99

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