If you’ve traveled anywhere by air this spring and summer, you know flights are getting canceled left and right, and reliability has gone down the tubes. Delta Airlines is personally driving me insane, but when I did some research, I learned other airlines are doing much worse.
I’m going to use Delta as a model (for good and for bad) on how to rebuild trust with your community. In Delta’s example, the community I refer to is their frequent fliers. In your case, it could be your staff or your loyal customers.
Something happens that is outside of your control. Market and environmental influences such as oh, I don’t know, pandemics, wars, and inflation which have created a perfect storm for the airline industry. Your conditions or influences might be different. We can do our best to prepare but things go wrong.
It can be especially frustrating because you want to point fingers. You want to say, “Hey, it’s not our fault!” But know you know that never works. It comes off as defensive and tone deaf.
As a leader, we have to accept some accountability and commit to change. We will be judged for our adaptability to changing conditions and how we handle problems more so than the incident that caused the problem. It’s our reaction, not our action that will be most remembered. To think of this in the most simple terms, recall a time when you were stood up for a meeting. If the person is genuinely apologetic, it’s a lot easier to let it go than if they become defensive and tell you you sent the wrong time over. The latter only serves to inflame.
In the end, people want to be heard and seen. So, let’s learn from Delta CEO Ed Bastion.
Some key things I’d like to highlight before we get into it:
As a leader, I believe our top priority is to maintain a connection with our audience and connection comprises three key pillars:
- Empathy – Be a human – show us that this matters to you.
- Inspiration – show us how the future will change. What you are going to do about it and why we should stick with you.
- Proof – Give us some accountability, show us some track record.
Following are excerpts (full letter here) from a letter Ed Bastion sent to frequent fliers interspersed with my comments:
The summer travel season is well underway, and I share the excitement of so many of you who are returning to the skies as restrictions lift and entire regions of the world reopen. At the same time, I know many of you may have experienced disruptions, sometimes significant, in your travels as we build our operation back from the depths of 2020 while accommodating a record level of demand.
What it really says: Holy cow we dropped the ball. AND I’m super bummed about it too because I’m just like you. I am excited to travel again, too.
Best practice: State the problem and situation upfront. Acknowledge the problem. Show that you care.
Next:
If you’ve encountered delays and cancellations recently, I apologize. We’ve spent years establishing Delta as the industry leader in reliability, and though the majority of our flights continue to operate on time, this level of disruption and uncertainty is unacceptable. You choose to invest your time, resources, and loyalty with Delta and you’ve rightly come to expect a world-class experience on every flight, and that includes the best reliability in the business.
What it really says: We are sorry. This doesn’t align with what we aspire to be (but it’s not as bad as it sounds – a lot of our flights are actually on time)
Best practice: {EMPATHY} Apologies are hard. But you will be judged more on our reaction than on your actions. People become more indignant if you don’t acknowledge it.
Here comes the stuff you wish you could say but don’t know how to do in a way that doesn’t sound defensive:
Despite the historic challenges facing our industry, Delta’s team of 75,000+ professionals around the globe remain focused on providing the very best care for you and your loved ones. I want to thank them for their continued professionalism, resilience and the truly outstanding service they continue to deliver on a daily basis. Thanks to their efforts, so far in June we’ve flown over 96% of our scheduled departures, with more than 80% of our flights arriving within 14 minutes of their scheduled arrival time. I’m proud of the work of our team in the face of the many obstacles we’re up against as air travel re-emerges and even prouder of our determination to reduce cancellations and further minimize delays.
What it really says: Despite what you think, we aren’t doing that bad. AND: Our people are working really hard despite the fact that you are beating them up on a daily basis.
Best practice: {PROOF} Show appreciation for the people doing good work. Stand up for yourself and your people. Share statistics or stories that will bolster your case without being defensive. Just don’t outwardly say, “it’s not our fault.”
Then, and most importantly,
Here is what we’re doing about it: {INSPIRATION}
RESTORING RELIABILITY
Things won’t change overnight, but we’re on a path towards a steady recovery. Steps we’ve taken include offering more flexibility for your travel plans and adjusting our summer schedule so that when challenges do occur, we can bounce back faster.
What it says: The problem is pretty big and deep and will take some time.
Best practice: Be honest, transparent, and manage expectations.
<I’ve removed a couple of paragraphs here outlining the changes they are making so you don’t experience this again. Find the full letter here.>
The environment we’re navigating today is unlike anything we’ve ever faced, but Delta is no stranger to challenging times, and our commitment to you is as strong as ever. We won’t stop until we’ve made things right, and we’ll never stop improving for you.
INVESTING IN YOUR TRAVELS
Delta has also been investing in digital tools to help you conveniently manage your travel if plans change. You can save time by adjusting your flight directly in the Fly Delta app or on Delta.com, or by using our Messaging feature for more assistance.
What it really says: Yeah, we know you can’t get a human on the phone. We can’t get a human to sign up for a job interview. We’re trying to make it so you can make your changes online.
Best practice: Tell them what you’re doing about it.
The Fly Delta app is also a valuable, time-saving tool for checking in, tracking bags, navigating the airport and receiving real-time alerts for boarding as well as any changes to flight schedules.
What it really says: Please for the love of God, stop calling us.
Best Practice: Offer alternatives, next steps, or actions – what can people do?
We’re excited to see you returning to the skies, and every flight is an opportunity to earn your loyalty and trust anew. On behalf of our global team, I want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we work throughout the summer and beyond to get you to your destination safely and restore the world-class reliability that you deserve and have come to expect from Delta.
What it really says: Seriously. We’re trying to fix it. Hang in there with us.
Best practice: Thank people for their input, their patience, and the opportunity to have this discussion. (Remember, many people will silently leave you, and having an opportunity to engage is far better than the alternative.)
Take care out there.
Some ways I may be able to help you and your team:
Need Guidance And Accountability? Take a big leap: I advise purpose-driven individuals who want to make a big change, level up their career, start a new chapter, or launch a thing. I still have a few spaces available in August for my Take a Big Leap Advisory program. Respond here, and we can schedule a time to discuss.
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Contact me for details.
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