Service – its about attitude, Virgin

Off to LA on V/Virgin Australia in business class.  Last time, you may remember I raved about the service and the food and the lie-flat bed.  This time – not so much.  Nothing horrible, but the interior of the planes are looking a little tired. The seats seem firmer than 12 months ago, and the service had that by-the-book quality rather than being instinctive.

One example: on boarding the plane we needed some assistance with something, and asked the first uniformed Virgin person we saw. She immediately said – ‘Not me, I’m not on this plane’. What she really meant – as she obviously was on the plane – was that she was not part of the cabin crew of this plane. But instead of saying and doing something like – I’ll just get someone to assist you – she just walked off.

This is no biggie – the problem is, that then when someone does the full kneeling down to you at your seat, and thanking you for flying with Virgin thingy – it just sounds insincere, rehearsed and by the book.

Note to service industry: Service is not about procedure – its about attitude.