When you live almost 5,500 miles away from your hometown, you tend to spend a lot of time flying, experiencing varying levels of hospitality and thoughtfulness throughout the process.
One flight I’ll never forget is when I was flying with my mother on an ANA flight from Tokyo to Okinawa in 2010. The flight was smooth, the seatbelt sign was off, and for some reason, my mother needed to stand up. She looked around and grasped the seatback in front of her for support, but before she could stand up, a cabin attendant came rushing over.
Back then, I did most of my flying on an international carrier known for poor customer service. So, my initial reaction was that the flight attendant was going to admonish us for some unknown faux pas. Much to our delight, however, the flight attendant was simply concerned that my mother might need some assistance and wanted to ensure that she wasn’t inconvenienced.
Anticipating the needs of your customers is one small act of thoughtfulness that can make an unforgettable impression.
