On the way to Dublin, our flight from Charlotte to Dublin was unexpectedly canceled. Although this is a minor set back, it does provide an opportunity to learn about how businesses handle certain situations, and how this can affect/be interpreted by the customer. That being said, I will discuss the people management and customer service aspect of the service industry in situations we have encountered so far, both the good and the bad.

First, we will look at the positive experience and how a company handled the situation well. A couple days ago we were at an airport at midnight when we learned that our flight was canceled. Having 17 people with no place to stay, we immediately started calling hotels to set something up. This isn’t the easiest scenario for a hotel to accommodate, and it took some time, but eventually we found a place to stay. It was at Hyatt Place. By the time we get to the hotel, it was 1 o’clock in the morning. Immediately upon entering the hotel, the staff greeted us and asked if we needed anything. With our luggage still being at the airport, they provided tooth brushes and tooth paste to everyone that needed it. The next day when we had nothing to do, they provided a deck of cards for us to play with and recommended going to Top Golf (see picture). And probably most important, the employees at the hotel went out of their way to make sure we could stay in the same room during our time here since we had to keep extending our visit while waiting for a flight. Not only did they do all of these things, but they were geniuelly nice about it. All of the employees I have talked to so far have been very courteous, especially the lady at the front desk. Overall, I think this does a good job of showing how effective good customer service can be, because after this experience I can definitely say I prefer to stay at a Hyatt Place hotel in the future.

As far as the negative experience, and the lack of customer service, there is no better example than the airline we were flying on, American Airlines. First, we assume that the flight being canceled was because of a mistake on the airlines part. I understand that this happens, but the way they handle the situation was less than professional. First, we didn’t ever really get a formal announcement that our flight was canceled. You would think that they would announce it to the terminal, but most of us found out our flight was canceled through their online schedule. After that, we couldn’t get our bags, so we had to go to the hotel with nothing to wear/shower/freshen up with. This was then followed by hours of being on hold with the airline, only to get a less than helpful response from people purposefully being difficult. They did eventually get us a new flight, but haven’t really offered anything else in reparation, which is atypical of airlines who are so at fault. Overall, I definitely would not fly on this airline again, and would encourage others to do the same.

From this scenarios, we can see how essential good customer service can be in the service industry. It can really be the difference between gaining or losing a lot of customers.

I have also learned things about myself so far on this trip. First, I feel that I have adapted to the situation well. Obviously, I wasn’t happy about our flight being canceled and missing out on three days in Ireland, but I quickly realized there is nothing I can do about it and started planning out how I was going to make the few supplies in my carry on last. Also, I feel that I, as well as the other students on the trip, have done a good job making the most out of a bad situation. These last couple days have been hectic, but it has been fun getting to know each other and doing things together. Lastly, I feel that as a group we have responded to the situation professionally. Both the adults and the students have been appreciative of the generous hotel staff. We also have displayed an appropriate attitude towards the airline, even when they haven’t been doing the same.