Monday, November 9, 2015

Sales Secret (41): When the opportunity to serve comes, grab it with both hands.

Hi,
I was traveling yesterday by Vistara Airlines from Varanasi to Hyderabad via Delhi. I was actually scheduled to travel the day before. But as the flight from Varanasi to Delhi got delayed by an hour and a half and that would mean me missing the connecting flight from Delhi to Hyderabad, Vistara rescheduled my journey to yesterday at no extra cost after talking to my client who arranged the ticket.

So, I stayed back in Varanasi for an extra day as requested by my client since putting me on another flight from Delhi to Hyderabad would have costed them much more. While checking-in at the Varanasi airport yesterday, I requested them for a complimentary upgrade since their delayed flight meant extra costs at our end. The Executive at the counter could have given me for both the Varanasi-Delhi and Delhi-Hyderabad sectors, as he was giving me the boarding passes for both. But he gave me the upgrade to 'Premium Economy' class only for the Varanasi-Delhi sector. When I inquired for the other one too, he misled me saying that it would be given at the Delhi airport. 

Upon my arrival at the Delhi airport, I met the Vistara Airline Executive at the Boarding gate and explained to him as well as his Supervisor about what had happened and requested for an upgrade. They made me stand for a while as if they were trying to do something, but excused themselves with a sorry that they could not upgrade my journey. The flight was half-empty. There were several empty seats in the premium economy class. And what would have costed them by upgrading me from Economy to the Premium Economy class? Just a Fruitie costing Rs 25! That's all. Nothing more! They give a fruitie as a welcome drink, and the seats are a bit more in the front than the economy class seats. They are from row 6 to row 12 or so. 

I was only testing them for their salesmanship and their orientation towards customer care. I knew I was not going to get anything special by this upgrade as hardly there was any difference between the economy and premium economy classes. I was actually giving them an opportunity to serve and retain me a customer. But they seemed to be blind towards it. It was due to their delayed flight that I had to stay for one extra day in Varanasi and also incur extra costs. I gave them an opportunity to compensate for that with a request for a simple gesture of upgrading my journey to premium economy class which would not have costed them anything. They could have grabbed it and helped themselves. But they let it go and missed the chance to serve the customer.

A great salesman grabs the opportunity with both hands when it comes. I hope the staff of the Vistara Airlines that is new in the business learn this sales secret faster.


To your sales success,
With love,
Siva
PS: Sales Secrets published earlier can be found at the link given below:

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