Reading Response #3
I think Jet Blue handled the aftermath of the crisis effectively and ethically. David Neeleman's apology on youtube was necessary, but definitely sincere. It was also very good strategy, and one Luntz points out in the reading. The way Mr. Neeleman apologized was obviously visual (Rule Eight) which had a stronger impact on the consumer. If he had just offered only a written apology, fewer people would respond to it simply because that is less personal. Drafting the Customer Bill of Rights was a excellent step in assuring passengers that they will be compensated if a problem like this happens again. This leads into the problem I have with the way Jet Blue handled the crisis itself.
First of all I understand that Jet Blue does not control the weather. There were other flights cancelled and delayed during the storm. However, for a company that prides themselves on customer service and satisfaction they did not seem to address the concerns of their customers in a timely fashion. A section from the Luntz reading that addresses this is Rule 9, Ask a Question. In dealing with the chaos of the day did any of the executives ask themselves, "Would I want to be stuck on a plane for eleven hours?". This is obviously a rhetorical question but as Luntz points out it makes the reaction to the question more personal. The airline provided reasons for holding passengers and delaying flights, but I think steps could have been taken to ease the situation. For example, a lot of the personal comments made by passengers described a lack of information. If they had been more informed perhaps they would have better understood the severity of the problem.
In responding to this situation one section from the Luntz reading sticks out to me, "Consistency builds customer loyalty". Jet Blue had a good reputation before all this happened, so by taking steps like the Bill of Rights, they are showing consistency in their believe of customer satisfaction. In my writings for next week the readings and research will be valuable tools in creating a professional, effective press release.
Comments
Reading Response Comment
I agree that out of the Lutz reading one of the best 10 rules is Consistency builds customer loyality, is definetely one that needs to always be kept in mind. As long as you are consistent within your company you should be able to suceed. I believe that after the crisis Jet Blue will be consistent and attract and keep customers. Being consistent within everything is usually a good rule to keep. Consistency, a good consistent, is very looked upon. Customers will always come back, as long as everytime they do, they are treated the same if not better than before. In a course I took this spring I was taught that all business must run on customers, and now I believe why this is so true.
Alayna Willis
Reply to Response
I would agree about Neeleman's decision to advertise on YouTube was a great idea. That website has an incredible amount of daily hits and the advertising potential is endless. Luntz does make some very good points that are applicable to this dilemma. The quote above from Luntz regarding the rhetorical question is a great one. I dont think anyone would want to be on a plane for eleven hours (in the air or not)! BUt a good point was also addressed about the weather. The did not have control of the weather, but neither did the other airlines and they didnt have the same outcome as JetBlue. Preparation would have been very beneficial in this case.
I concur that Neeleman's
I concur that Neeleman's media apology was necessary and very effective. This method is more personal and can be viewed by more people. Inaugurating the customer bill of rights was effective plan to regain credibility and confidence within the company. I agree with your statements, but I believe that JetBlue will be even stronger than before and will give better customer service. Their integrity is at stake and the CEO realizes that his name and his job is at stake will definitely see that his staff will take all the necessary steps to improve its status. I believe that Luntz's quote that "Consistency build customer loyalty" is demonstrated well prior the crisis by Neeleman. Neeleman uses the golden rule of treating others as they want to be treated and is following through with his vision of bringing humanity back into the air. Through letters, media videos, bill of rights compensation, and a promise, he is proving that customer satisfaction is utmost important in his mission to improve communication.
Comment
I agree that the CEO has taken a great action to the public. However, I see somwhat lack of timely response when the crisis struke. Even if the weather problem is not something they can make a plan ahead and handle directly, they could make the inconvenience the least by communicating with the passengers effectively. I also think that the Luntz article was helpful to realize the importance of effective and timely communication. With help of those rules stated by Luntz, I will focus on concise and effective writing.
reply
I think that the reason that the company seemed to lack of timely response was that they were evaluating the best way to solve this problem. Since they had no control over the weather and were impotent to take immediate action, they had to sit down and think on how to manage the crisis. The customer bill of rights definitely took time to develop, since this bill had to be decided by the top management of the company, which complicated the process. I think that they made their move against the problem as fast as they could which was very impressive if you think about the magnitude of the problem.
Reply Reading Response Week 3
I don't believe that Jetblue airline has been in business long enough to show true consistency.