We began our long journey home yesterday from the Scotland/Ireland leg of the Trucker Management World Tour (pictures from all training sessions to be posted over this week!), with the airline we were flying with from Cork to Edinburgh missing a chance to be exceptional and create cheerleaders for themselves in us.
When I checked in, I was informed that my bags were over the weight limit, which I expected due to the training supplies and books we were carting around, but for which I was forgiven by the same airline on the initial trip down two days prior. The check-in person quickly wrote out a slip and curtly sent me over to the excess baggage counter, where I was billed 105 Euros - about $140 CAD. Fair enough - they have their rules for good reason, and I "got away" with one on the way down anyway, so no reason to complain.
But when we boarded the plane, and discovered that the flight was less than one-quarter full, I was angered by the fact that I was still charged this when in fact I was helping the flight by having overweight bags (they actually had those of us in the first ten rows stay seated while the others departed to keep the plane steady, since there wasn't enough baggage weight!).
Anyway, fair is fair - I broke their rules, and so have no right to feel upset from being made to pay as a result. But, the airline missed a great chance to be exceptional in their customer service and turn me into a cheerleader shouting their praises to everyone I come across by not charging it to me, especially given the status of the flight.
Are you seizing every opportunity to create cheerleaders for your business?
(PS. redemption for the Glasgow airport after our unfortunate "left baggage" incident there on Friday (see "Slainte from Ireland" post) - the airline there didn't charge me the excess baggage charge either for the final flight home, where I was even more over the limits!!)
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