Eagles Don’t Flock

January, 2008

I used to give a talk about service personnel (ducks quacking away with their rule books), before that role became an oxy-moron. Now service is a lottery ticket roll of the dice.
My father ran the Boston station for BOAC for almost 35 years and there was a time when airlines hired and trained professional passenger service agents (as opposed to the out-sourced rent-an-automaton they have today.)

As the gap between passenger and staff knowledge began its ever steepening climb to the oblivion we now face, as a business traveller I would routinely ask to speak to someone paid much more money than you to take the kind of sh** I am about to give you. I long knew from example and experience the futility of talking to a duck.

As this person sauntered back to the giant swinging doors, I would say, “please stop! No. Don't go through those doors” (because I know that it's a giant duck pond back there and all I will ever hear or see from that room is a bunch of quacking and feathers fly through the crack).

“I would like for you please to go or call upstairs to the airline executive offices” (one could clearly see these high above the counter). “I want to speak to someone from upstairs” (because upstairs is where the eagles, like my Dad live).

After a few more minutes of quacking, I'd eventually get the person from upstairs to come downstairs. We'd have a cordial conversation which 95% of the time ended the same way. The eagle executive would say, “they did what?” with a quizzical look on his/her face. They would then step over to a terminal, punch two or thee keys and poof, problem fixed. They would return to me. Say, “sorry for the inconvenience, here's an upgrade, why not head up to the lounge for a drink on us for your inconvenience?”

Eagles serve, ducks complain. There is a simple rule of thumb when working with a company (or government entity). I always ask to see all of the rule book procedure manuals 1st. I view the company as a living organism where the health of it is directly related to the degree of respect and trust paid to each other and the customer. So, in a well functional organism or company rule books are not necessary. We know how to behave and work and play well with others.

In a dysfunctional organism or company, (say a body fighting cancer where there is always a battle and the cancer will kill the host body unless brought under control…) where there are myriad sets of rules and regulations and tribunals and complaint procedures… rules are unenforceable. They were either put in place to hide behind or because there is no trust.

I began my career working for the USA's oldest chartered bank – The First national Bank of Boston chartered in 1784 and now merged three times into oblivion. The blue-blooded Chairman handed us our regimental eagle ties (it was the logo) when we became officers. I remember it like it was yesterday when Mr. Hill shook my hand, congratulated me and said, "Denis, remember one thing, eagles never flock so don’t waste your time sending ducks to eagle school, we NEVER will, young man."

Amen.

(From tbd.com)