A guest post to Caring.com’s senior care industry blog — part 1 of a 2-part series about delivering excellence in customer service. Next up: We’ll cover how these airline industry insights can be applied to customer service at senior living communities and home care agencies. Please comment below to join the conversation.

Welcome Aboard

In this day of highly commoditized air travel, how does any single carrier distinguish the passenger experience to build loyalty in our cost-conscious society? Is there a more intensely criticized industry? Could there be any possible learning from companies that seemingly struggle so mightily in the eyes of the public?

As most of my family, friends and colleagues will attest, I’m one of those frequent travelers who seldom has much good to say about my all-too-regular flying experiences. (I’m not alone: airlines rank in the bottom 15% of industries for customer service, according to the 2015 American Customer Satisfaction Index.)

Today was different. As I deplaned this afternoon, I had unusually positive feelings about my flight, and I thought it might be worth my time to understand why. As I reflected on my experience, it came to me that most brands, including my own, could learn something from today’s observations.

Four Ways to Build Brand Excellence, One Customer at a Time

1. Make a Personal Connection. 

   As passengers entered the aircraft, I noticed how each cabin crew member welcomed passengers aboard. No less than three of four attendants made eye contact with me and as many other customers as possible during the customary chaotic boarding process. It was more than the obligatory “welcome aboard” we’ve all become numb to — it was a genuine connection that made me feel as though I were a special passenger, even though I was sitting in the back of the plane. (That kind of service is rare: while 80% of CEOs believe they deliver an excellent customer experience, only 8% of their customers agree.)

2. Pay Attention to Unique Customer Needs. 

   One of my fellow passengers in the cramped rear of the aircraft was particularly tall. One of the attentive crew members noticed he was struggling to even place his knees within the confined space. She immediately approached a fellow airline employee occupying a more roomy exit row and made arrangements for my very tall fellow passenger to take the crew member’s comfortable seat.

3. Deliver on Your Promises.

   Admittedly, I’m one of those customers who isn’t easily pleased. Often, just for the fun of it, I find great challenge in creating service opportunities for those assigned to help me enjoy a particular experience. I suppose that’s why I dine alone a lot. Today’s request was rather simple: after enjoying my morning caffeine fix of diet soda, I needed just one more cup of coffee, decaf please. Well, my friendly attendant totally forgot my request until we were descending. (That mistake could have been costly. One study found that it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative service experience.) However, my attendant completely turned things around when she showed up with two cups, a handful of star snacks and an unnecessarily extended apology.

4. Show Appreciation. 

   Upon arrival at the gate, I noticed each attendant getting into position to thank as many passengers as possible during deplaning. This distinctly different cabin crew didn’t do the usual cabin clean-up duty or engage in all-too-often negative airline bashing employee chatter — every member of the crew patiently said their good-byes with genuine smiles, and even more noticeable, a grateful tone in their voices.

Following these seemingly simple, yet meaningful patterns of behavior will transform most perceptions of our brands if applied with the same consistency, sincerity and passion I experienced today. There is something to learn from the airline industry — at least today.