The Lasting Effects Of The Customer/Listener Experience

If you’ve had any chance to fly commercially lately, you know the “adventure” it has become with weather delays, last minute cancelations and depleted staffs. I had an experience a couple of weekends back that made me think I may have been a guest on “Punk’d,” but it also left me with some definite opinions based on each experience I had that particular weekend. I will refrain from using any product names to focus on each situation and not the entity.

I was going to Orlando from Nashville for a Friday night to Sunday morning to attend an old college friend’s celebration of life. Flight, car and hotel.

My flights to and from Orlando were something out of a Seinfeld episode. One had a takeoff time change five times, and the other, back to Nashville, involved an aborted takeoff, a supposed flame in an engine and, then, thank God, a new plane.

Through all the mess from each flight, no passenger, and I mean NO ONE, complained or seemed inconvenienced. Why? Absolute transparency and constant communication from the airline’s flight and ground crew every step of the way. Two weeks later, by the way, same airline and almost the same problem and the same result. Once again, great communication kept us all calm.

Now to the hotel. Because of my late flight, I did not arrive until well after midnight. Not only did they save my room, but they had some snacks and a couple of bottles of water in the room waiting for me. Somehow, they knew it was a long night for me. Good research, service and customer care.

Finally, the car rental turned out to be a combination of bad service and communication, from the hour it took to get my car to the pickup truck I was given for no reason. (Now there’s a picture – me in a pickup truck going to a funeral!) NO explanation. NO communication. Not a word! When I left the rental area, there was still a long line of visibly disgruntled customers. No one had explained to them what I found out from an employee in the lot– they had no cars! Would have been a key fact to know when I approached my truck!

Of the three I described, who do you think will get my business again? If you said the airline and the hotel, you are a winner! My customer experience was the total reason. And you can bet that rental car company will NEVER see me again.

Now – think about what your listeners experience whenever they have an issue with your station/cluster. We must handle their questions, concerns and complaints as quickly as we handle song requests and contest participation. If a personality leaves, be up front about it. Communicate about it as best as you can within the legal boundaries, of course, but listen to them and address their concerns immediately.

If a concert/event must be canceled, communicate the information in every possible way to make sure the message is received – on air, online, social media, etc. Don’t leave them hanging!

If a contest goes awry or a personality has gotten a bit out of hand with a bit or a topic, own up to it and tell them how you plan to rectify the situation. Don’t hide! Let them know you hear them, and let them know you care about what they think.

ALWAYS keep your listeners in the loop. Bad things will happen, but will be forgotten if you communicate honestly and quickly. That’s how loyalty is built and, bottom line, RATINGS!

“Taking Your Radio Presence To The Next Level. Be it an artist, radio programmer or on-air talent. Coaching and mentoring down to your foundational level”

Contact me:
John Shomby
Owner/CEO Country’s Radio Coach
jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com
757-323-1460
https://countrysradiocoach.com