Why Customer Service Matters in Business Aviation Maintenance Operations

By Bob Hobbi

This is an easy topic for everyone to talk about. Most of the time, everyone says “hey this is just common sense”. Unfortunately, someone much wiser than I said “yes but sometimes common sense is just not common enough”. For Example, Customer Service, in aircraft maintenance is easy to talk about but it is  often very challenging to act upon. In the last 10 years, we have seen many maintenance professionals and organizations that truly strive to provide great service and yet fall short. The reality is that it’s not simply our intentions that matter, but the perceptions of our customers, users and passengers.

There is a lot of talk about the “benchmarks”. We discuss with envy the Ritz Carlton and Disney models.  The success of these incredible customer service focused organizations is a result of their years of focus on customer service and organizational development enabling them to achieve the results we all envy and want for our own organizations. They have cemented their culture with Customer Service, as the key focus.  

However, in the Business and General Aviation industry customer service gets to be a little more complicated when it comes to day-to-day interactions, for example, at an MRO! The reasons:

1. In our day-to-day interactions with customers/PAX or users, every situation is unique and distinct. Therefore, we need to be very diligent with any type of customer service standards. “One size” cannot fit all when it comes to good customer service.
2. Organizations and individuals are still much more comfortable addressing technical or traditional issues and concerns. As a result, there needs to be a consistent effort in highlighting the Human Factors of Service. Training and ongoing coaching are the best tools.
3. Customer Service has been assumed to be a natural by-product. If we fix the aircraft, if we get them safely to their destination, if the flight attendant orders the precise catering, if the line service guy fuels the aircraft correctly, if we get the invoice out accurately and on time, Customer Service is 100% there. Right? Wrong! A large percentage of their experience that is based on how they are treated.
4. When it comes to Customer Service improvements, patience and stick-to-itiveness are paramount. It has to be a culture and not a set of rigid standards that from a check list or manual.
5. Often we play safety and service against each other. There is a simple organizational culture leadership tool. We have to get everyone on our teams to understand and think of Safety as a Primary Service that we provide. The most important Service of all is Safety.  Separating them is trouble and can lead to bad decisions.
6. Customer/PAX and users are much more sophisticated about our industry. When it comes to Customer Service, we are still celebrating basic and minimum deliverables. When it comes to A/C maintenance, we must be aware of the value of communication and informing customers and our internal teams.

In the past many years, we have learned there is one overriding truth to hindrance for all of us in delivering exceptional Customer Service in JUDGMENT. We judge our customers’ expectations too much. Let’s all accept the fact that we are providing services to the most demanding and discerning group of customers in any industry, which is the driver of all of our jobs and businesses. LET’S get over it.  Stop judging customers and their perceptions. None of us can serve people we have already passed judgement on.

Manage Your Customers

It is important to develop skills to manage customer expectations. Customers may be demanding and discerning but that does not necessarily make them difficult.  Difficult implies they cannot be pleased or at least satisfied.  Truly difficult customers do exist but for the most part if the needs of a discerning customer are met or addressed he/she will be pleased (or at least satisfied).  Don’t expect pleased customers to be high-fiving you and thanking you eagerly but if something is amiss you will hear about it and all the hard work scheduling, fixing, maintaining and flying will not matter.

In today’s environment with qualified technician shortages, supply-chain and parts shortages, unfortunately there are many occasions on which we cannot deliver the premium or even average service. It may not be our fault that parts are delayed. How we communicate this is paramount. Customers often have their own customers they are dealing with as well. We are naturally good at delivering good news and just as naturally bad at delivering bad news. This is an area that we can work out to help enhance customer service. Delivering bad news to customers well and in a timely manner is an important customer service skill to develop and prepare for by training.

This leads into “Know your Customer”.  You can only provide exceptional customer service if you understand their needs/requirements/desires.  Take the time to find out, ask them and to tailor your service every time as best as possible.  What one customer likes, another doesn’t.  Exceptional doesn’t need to be something huge, it can boil down to a good honest and informative interaction.

Though we know it when we receive it, good customer service is sometimes difficult to define. Organizations deliver different products and services, and the modes of service delivery vary by person. Yet, there are some common characteristics that define good customer service. Many books describe customer service, but the explanations are abstract and difficult to internalize. Readers are too often left with the question: How does this relate to me and my job-the things that I do on a daily basis? Frequently, there are no applications or exercises to give us the opportunity to draw on our own experiences, or to help us really create a picture of what we really mean by customer service.

Customer service is both an individual and organizational commitment. We all have different strengths that help us deliver excellent customer service, and that is where our uniqueness can flourish. At the same time, no person is an island. The contributions we willingly make to our organizations create a collective strength that individuals working toward selfish ends cannot achieve alone. It is the collection of individual efforts that, when added together, create a true customer service culture and make life and work more fun. Please check out NBAA Customer Service Certificate Program, it will help you.