The Misadventures of Sarah Little

Sarah Little PhoneSmart Secret Shop and Customer Service Specialist relates that some companies could use our Mystery Shops and quality control evaluations.

Welcome to the PhoneSmart call center blog and insider view of the self-storage and secret shop industry.

At 4:30a.m. on a Saturday morning I woke my baby up and my sister and I, along with the baby, went to the airport. We were on standby for an early flight to L.A. Of course it was the busiest travel day of the year, and all the planes were booked.

Having never flown standby before, we were unsure of the procedures. As we walked up to the boarding gate, 2 hours before the first flight left, I explained to the attendant that we were on standby and asked her to tell me what the procedure was. She snapped, “Just have a seat and I’ll call your name.” A little miffed, I took my seat.

About and hour and a half later the other passengers were getting on the plane. After there was no one left but my sister, baby and I, I walked up to the desk and asked if we’d be on the flight. Again, the attendant, with rude posture and rolling eyes, snapped at me, “I said I’d call your name if you were on the plane. It’s full and there’s no way you will get on this flight or the next!”

Very frustrated, my sister and I walked to the next concourse to wait for the next flight. I decided to call the airline customer service and ask about the occupancy of the flight we were waiting for. I also let the gentleman know how rudely we were treated. He politely apologized, and said he’d put us at the top of the stand by list for the 10 a.m. flight. There were, however, no seats available as the flight was overbooked. He explained that at least 3 people would have to miss their flight in order for us to board.

We sat there hoping that a plane somewhere else was delayed and that the passengers connecting to the 10 a.m. flight to L.A. would miss it. With our fingers crossed, we waited for another 3 hours.

The baby had enough of the airport. After a rude early morning wake up he was in no mood for sitting in the airport terminal. We had to get on that plane! Finally, he fell asleep for about an hour. Ahhhh, peace and quiet.

My sister and I were sitting across from a couple that was also on standby trying to see their daughter over the long holiday weekend. We cordially chatted about our destination and all the things we’d do while we were there. But secretly we each hoped that our names were higher on the list than the others.

9:45….my heart was almost pounding. The next flight wouldn’t leave until 1 p.m. I couldn’t wait for another 3 hours and I was sure the world would end before 1 p.m. if I had to wait any longer.

Every ticket holding passenger, those lucky folks, had boarded the plane. It seemed like the end, but just then the attendant called out, “Heath Gerling”. Heath? Who was this Heath that was higher on the list that the gentleman on the phone promised that I’d be first?

It was then that my sister, Heather Gerling, stood up and said, “Do you mean Heather Gerling?

The attendant followed with, “Sarah Little and Isaiah Little”. Oh joyous day!!! I made it. Fumbling around with my bags I leapt to the gate and boarded the plane. I could’ve kissed someone!

Four hours later… We arrived at LAX. The baby handled the plane ride ok; the stewardess played with him almost the entire flight. He was ready to take a long nap though; I was ready for him to take a long nap.

Our uncle was supposed to meet us at the airport to take us to Anaheim, which is about 45 miles away. I looked around at all the faces, but they were all unfamiliar to me. Where was he? I called my cousin who said they had forgotten until the last minute that they were supposed to pick us up. They didn’t have a car because everyone had taken them do run errands for the wedding on the next day. He said it’d be about 1 to 1 ½ hours before they arrived. (Which really meant about 2½ hours- they are always late.)

There was no way the baby was going to hang in there for another 30 minutes, let alone 2 ½ hours.

$120 later… we arrived via taxi at our hotel. It was my first, and hopefully last, taxicab experience. They are ridiculously expensive. It was not at like the movies. I expected to get in and tell the driver our destination and he’d immediately know where to take us. That was not the case. He had no idea where to take us. I had to call my cousin and get step-by-step directions. (What kind of taxi driver doesn’t know the city?)

The next morning, the morning of my cousin’s wedding, the baby had a high fever. He’d been up all night and I finally put him in bed by me. He was fussy and lethargic. It was clear that he was ill. I gave him some Tylenol and tried to get him to eat some breakfast. Nothing was working and he looked so pitiful. Finally I decided to take him to the Urgent Care.

A few hours later I arrived back at the hotel with a large sack full of medicines and Pedialyte. After a few hours he was feeling a little better; he’d at least tolerate sitting in a red wagon and going down the aisle during the wedding.

By the time we got back to Missouri I was thoroughly exhausted and convinced that traveling across the country alone with your infant child is never a good idea. After a trip full of unfulfilled expectations I must say that the airline and L.A. altogether let me down. I expected great service from the airline attendant who was so rude, and I expected the cab driver to know where I wanted to go- how was I to know where to go when I was in a completely foreign place?

When it comes to customer service there are expectations that your customers want you to meet. Do you know what they are? Do you meet them? How do you overcome their experience if you fail them? Your goal should not only be to create revenue, but to guarantee that you bring in profit by gaining customer loyalty.