I walked through the airport security at Tampa International Airport and immediately reached in my back pocket to grab my credit card so I could buy a bottle of water before boarding my international flight.
Upon opening my wallet my credit card was missing.
I searched frantically through my wallet, bag and pockets and still it was no where to be found. My international flight was taking off in an hour and 20 minutes and I was stranded with no credit card.
How can this be happening to me?
After my brief 2 minute search I went into panic mode and called my wife thinking that somehow I had left the credit card at home when I called the credit card company to let them know I'd be flying internationally.
My wife gave me a 3 minute session of verbal abuse and then agreed to speed home and look for the card and try to bring it back to the airport. With her agreement, I rushed to the gate agent at the Air Canada service desk to explain my unusual and irritating situation.
The Air Canada gate agent asked me some questions, wanted to know how far away I lived and then kindly explained that they would be happy to board me very last, however they couldn't hold the flight just for me. She ended the conversation by saying, "I'm sorry, but if you live 20 minutes away, I don't think your wife is going to make it in time."
As you might imagine I was on the verge of hysteria. Frantically, I called the credit card company to plead with them to ship me a new card to my final destination. I even called FedEx to understand how long it would take to ship the card to me if my wife found it. All of my efforts were unsuccessful.
In a true race against time, my wife updated me minute by minute. She ended up finding the card at home in another pair of my pants (women are really good at finding things dumb men leave behind).
With my wife still at home and the flight taking off in just 20 minutes I started to loose all hope.
But then, out of no where a thunderstorm rolled in.
The flight was completely boarded, I was the only passenger for the flight left standing in the terminal. Watching the thunder and lightening outside, the Air Canada gate agent came over to me and said, "How far away is your wife now? The flight has been delayed 10 minutes and I think she might make it."
With this glimmer of hope I called my wife and told her to drive even faster because now there was a real chance that she might get there in time.
Upon confirming that my wife was only about 10 minutes away, the Air Canada gate agent explained that even if she got there in 10 minutes I still wouldn't have time to go through security, get the card and make it back. She then told me they planned on sending one of the Air Canada employees out to my wife's car to pick up the card and bring it to me at the gate.
What?!? They were willing to send one of their own employees out to get the card for me?!
With my wife on my cell phone and the Air Canada gate agent on her walkie talkie we arranged the timing perfectly. As my wife was driving down the ramp to the airport passenger drop off, Air Canada contacted their employee (Jim was his name) and he went running out in the pouring rain to get the card. My wife told me later that she literally cracked her window, handed him the card and he took off running.
By this time it was just raining, not thundering so they were finally ready to take off. Then suddenly, Jim (Air Canada employee) came sprinting (I'm not kidding) down the terminal, soaking wet, carrying my credit card like the Olympic torch above his head.
He came running up to me, breathing heavily and put the card in my hand and simply said, "here you go".
People who were all standing around that new my dramatic story started clapping and the gate agent who helped me originally said, "OK - Get on the plane! We need to take off!"
I thanked them all a thousand times and then went running on to the plane and sat down in my seat. Moments later, the flight took off.
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This story is completely 100% true and it's not about restaurants, food or the restaurant industry. So why does it matter on this blog?
Because if every brand, industry, company, or organization treated their customers like this the world would be a much better place.
Air Canada doesn't know me. I'm not one of their most loyal customers. I don't spend the most money with them.....in fact this is the first time I've ever flown on their airline.
However, no matter what my circumstance they treated me like I was their most valuable customer and they went to unusual extremes to make my experience perfect. Even though the mess-up had nothing to do with them in the first place.
Imagine if every restaurant, every airline or every hotel treated you with this level of service? How would you respond?
I can honestly tell you that this was the most remarkable service experience I've ever had. Every opportunity I have to fly Air Canada I will take advantage of, because on that one day they saved my life and I won't forget it.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
How Air Canada Saved My Life
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sometimes, Lettuce is Better than Steak
I've never been a big lettuce fan.
It's ok in tacos, however from a general lettuce perspective (salads, etc). It doesn't really do anything for me.
On my last visit to Fleming's my server asked me if I would like to try their new lettuce wraps as an appetizer. From the look of disgust on my face it immediately became apparent to the server that I had zero interest in paying for anything wrapped up in a leaf of lettuce.
In an attempt to change my opinion, the server described the great level of detail Fleming's goes to in order to make the lettuce wraps. Jam packed with lump crab meat, avocado, bacon, egg, tomato and chives, he claimed they were irresistable.
Now realizing that he wasn't going to take no for an answer I gave in and ordered the lettuce wraps.
When they came out to the table I examined them with speculation before taking my first bite. They were beautiful on the plate, cold, crisp and fresh looking. Not knowing how exactly to eat a lettuce wrap I carefully rolled it up and stuffed as much in my mouth as I could without dropping any on the plate.
The lump crab meat complimented the crispy cool lettuce wonderfully and the dipping sauce on the side made the perfect taste sensation. Needless to say I ate every last bite of the lettuce wraps and after the whole experience was over I must admit they were the best part of the entire meal.
Yes, you heard me right. I went to Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and I'm writing about their lettuce wraps...bizarre. The bottom line is that sometime (only sometimes) lettuce is better than steak.
Don't worry though - I have no plans of every switching teams and become vegetarian.
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