I think it’s fascinating to see American Airlines perspective on us Customers as they “capture it” in their recent press release regarding the creation of a new “Leadership” position, the Managing Director - Customer Experience.

As a frequent traveler on American Airlines, I can tell you first hand that American Airlines isn’t missing a few beats on the delivery of a Successful Customer Outcome, the company’s inability to deliver SCOs is endemic to the management and operations of this business.

Yet American Airlines - while indicating that “yes, Virginia there is room for improvement” by the creation of this new role - offers to us a rosey view of what they see as their commitment to us, the customer.

“we’ve simplified fare structures…” - huh? I know AA just added a “no-value” ticket class to their already incomprehensible array of fares and fare pricing schemes. I know that on a trip last month it took three AA agents to sort out all of the fare codes to get flight change made for our party…

“We have easier-to-use phone reservation systems…”

OH MY. Have you had the pleasure (horror) of being subjected to AA’s new voice only call response system? Yeah, ok. I think I’d rather stick my head in a den of rattlesnakes…

So what is driving this need to create a position just for managing that customer experience thing? Well…

“Our customer value proposition, however, becomes increasingly more complex each day…”

yes, that would definitely make a difference. But then it’s that complexity that got us into the mess were already in so if it is continuing to grow I can PROMISE YOU that Customer Satisfaction will CONTINUE to wither on the vine.

But I think even more telling is the statement

“Customers continue to tell us that we need to do a better job on all fronts or they will take their business elsewhere.”

….uh, ok. If CUSTOMERS ARE TELLING YOU THAT YOU HAVE BIG PROBLEMS.

So while I certainly applaud any business that takes steps in what appear to be the right direction I have a real issue with this glossing-over of truth. American Airlines (as do most US airlines) have earned their extremely poor customer service ratings because they are trying to run a 20th century business model in the 21st century, and it just won’t work.

American Airlines truly has endemic customer service issues. They are everywhere. Woe be it to the traveler who has anything out of the ordinary happen because when it does the nightmare is likely to begin.

While I certainly hope this move by AA actually does some good I fully expect it to improve nothing. The steps AA has taken (that I know of) in 2007 have significantly decreased any resemblance of an improved customer experience so it seems to me that there is little chance a “Managing Director” has the remit to change what really needs changing.

For now the one reason that I fly American Airlines remains that from DFW there are more flight options with AA than with all other airlines combined. That has held a good portion of my business - begrudgingly - for the last 2 years.

With the decrease in customer orientation and satisfaction I have personally experienced this year I now look for any other airline to fill my travel needs before resorting to AA. So while AA sees themselves (according to their press release) as a customer-focused company that has taken recent, valuable steps in improving their customers’ experience, I see them as customer disaster zone that should be avoided whenever possible. Seems there is something amiss in these views, doesn’t it?

So Mark Mitchell has now been appointed the Managing Director - Customer Experience for American Airlines…

…Hey Mark , give me a call or drop me an email so I can get you into one of our CPP classes,
I guarantee that you’re going to need it :)