Last week, three days before Christmas, I returned home to Denver from Manchester, NH after completing my final event of the year.
For everyone who has ventured into an airport on December 22, you’re all too familiar with the long lines, delays, and various other inconveniences and setbacks that accompany holiday travel.
Perhaps one of those setbacks occurred during security screening when a TSA officer took an interest in a particular carry-on bag containing a wrapped gift for mom. To your dismay, you and the carry-on bag in question are ushered to a nondescript stainless steel table where the meticulously wrapped gift is unwrapped by the officer to examine its contents.
As you gather the limp ribbon and torn wrapping paper around the now exposed gift, you’re already thinking about what you’ll need to do in order to rewrap the gift in time for Christmas. And you may also be thinking: “Lesson learned – I will never again attempt to bring a wrapped gift through airport security.”
But for those fortunate travelers who were passing through security at the Manchester Airport, there was no such angst. The airport had partnered with Paperchase to offer gift wrapping facilities after security for those gifts that were either unwrapped during security screening or purchased at the airport. This is a brilliant illustration of anticipatory customer service.
Airport customers don’t want to be lectured on the prudence of visiting the TSA website prior to traveling to review its policy pertaining to the transportation of wrapped gifts in carry-on or checked baggage. Instead, they will appreciate having recourse in the event their airport experience has been marred by this type of unexpected setback.
Now think about your business. What can you do, seasonally or otherwise, to anticipate and address potential problems that you may see coming that your customers may not?
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Illustration by Aaron McKissen.
