Will Training Improve Delta Air Lines Customer Service?

Delta Air Lines has not been doing so well in customer service. If you go to FightStats.com, you will see that for December 1, 2010 to January 31, 2011, the on-time performance rating for the 20 most active routes, showed the following results (the higher the number, the better; 5.0 is the highest rating possible):

• Delta Airlines had an on-time performance rating of 3.005.
• AirTran Airways had an on-time performance rating of 3.68.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, customer complaints at Delta were high in 2010 and with high baggage handling problems and canceled flights, the airline knew it had to work on things. Training can be a valuable component of any improvement process.

But if Delta is serious about improving customer service, the airline and its employees must see service as a valued aspect of their Delta culture–more than just an add-on. To integrate customer service throughout the company, the mindset of everyone at Delta must be altered. That process begins with everyone in the company taking time to reflect on what has historically been the distinctive values of Delta and what few additional values will enable the organization to compete and thrive. By stopping and asking all employees a few key questions, everyone can participate in identifying those values and then integrating them in all aspects of work. Customer service must be something important to each employee, and then the training can be used to hone employees’ customer service skills.

A day of training can be beneficial, but for the culture to change, it must start at the core. Not only should this culture assessment process decide if customer service is a value, the process should include defining the principles that make Delta customer service distinctive. There is a Delta tradition that those of us in Atlanta knew in the past. Maybe that unique Delta Southern Style or whatever employees want to call it, can be brought back, honed, and allowed to flourish again. Defining the Delta culture should be the first step. Then, Internal Practices like training, hiring, performance management, internal communication, work design, and systems for doing work must be aligned, as well as External Practices and Projections.

Delta can build a culture of distinction, but it must start from the core so that the values are defined and shared. Culture begins at the core.