Kudos to Alaska Airlines! A Happy Humanity Holiday Story!

With Christmas just four days away, by now you know all of the Christmas Carol classics by heart—backwards. You’ve made umpteen trips to mail your cards and packages, driven on every stalled freeway, circled for hours looking for a parking space and waded through throngs of people hoping to make someone happy. Along your jingle-bell way, you’ve encountered every customer service person who makes it clear he or she would rather be anywhere else than helping you. Their unwritten motto: “Sorry about that, next person in line!” Well, you haven’t met Linda.

“An Alaska Airlines representative is on phone. They found your lost luggage,” Jeanelle, my assistant, announced handing me my headset. I flew on Alaska Airlines back in April with luggage in tow. My first reaction was to dismiss the call. Jeanelle continued, “Her name is Linda and she’s calling on your home phone line.” Not business information. Well, that got my attention.

Now the story comes to life. Linda, the Alaska Airlines representative, had opened the bag and found one piece of mail and a party invitation from me. I asked her the address on the mail and recognized it as a street in the neighborhood. A few weeks ago, I had dropped off an invitation for a community party in the mailbox of new neighbors who hadn’t moved into their home yet. At the time, I thought they probably won’t receive it until after the party, but I left the invitation anyway.

After talking with Linda, I walked to the new neighbor’s house to find a relative inside. I asked if the owners had lost their luggage. She started to cry and said, “It belongs to me. I’ve been praying to get it back. Do you have it?” “No, but I know where you can find it,” I said with confidence. She had picked up the mail along with the invitation and tossed it into her carry-on bag. Someone picked up the bag by mistake and returned it to Alaska Airlines. With no baggage ID tags, Linda tracked down the rightful owner by contacting me off the community party invitation.

Don’t you just love a story with a happy ending? And don’t you marvel at how many pieces of the puzzle it took to come together?

Kudos to Linda! Because of her persistence, problem solving skills and follow through she added joy to someone’s holiday. In the process she also redefines customer service, humanity and thoughtfulness. Thank you, Linda!

Kudos to Alaska Airlines for employing and empowering someone of Linda’s caliber. All of us in business wish we had a Linda on our team.

Kudos to the “Good Samaritan” who realized the mistake and returned the luggage to Alaska Airlines to find its rightful owner.

GOLD STAR ACTION: Whether you run an airline, you‘re a sole proprietor or you lead a team of thousands, you have the opportunity to deliver amazing customer service. Empower your employees to think, take action and help your customers or clients. The lesson from Linda is the age old; “Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you.” As we approach the holidays, let’s put this Golden Rule into play. Imagine what a world it would be.

Stayed tuned!

Judyth

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