"The plane was scheduled to arrive at Blue Grass Airport around 9 a.m. - and the agenda for the day was full. The groom-to-be, a resident at a hospital outside of Dallas, had a rare two days off, and his quick trip to Lexington had been planned so that he and his wife-to-be could address some of the last-minute details for their fast approaching nuptials. Within 24 hours, he would be headed back to Texas. Among the list of to-dos were picking up the attendants' gifts, checking the menu for the rehearsal dinner, being the final judge for linen color for the reception, and a few other tasks that may have very well been accomplished without him. Truly, only one thing demanded his attendance - the two-hour dance lesson, scheduled well in advance, to practice the time-honored first dance for the new husband and wife.
The flight was actually something the young man looked forward to. He'd have time to catch up on some much needed sleep. By the time he arrived, he'd be rested up for the day ahead. Boarding went well, and seated in the emergency exit row, he had plenty of room to stretch out.
They pulled out onto the tarmac - and sat there. A light on the cockpit dashboard had indicated a mechanical problem. The pilot apologized, but they would have to have it checked out, and he expected they'd be taking off shortly. Two hours later, the out-of-commission plane headed back to the terminal for a replacement.
Back in the Bluegrass, panic was setting in. They went with the light gold napkins for the reception. The bride's younger brother would make sure the initials on the money clips were correct, and he could even offer a male's opinion as to the reception dinner menu, but the dance lesson? There could be no stand-in for that. The jittery bride-to-be called the dance studio to see if the lesson could be moved to later in the day. Not a problem, assured the instructor, as long as they were finished by 5 p.m., when the decorating for an evening event would begin. Just give him a call when the plane landed, he said, and they would figure something out.
The young man headed to the bank of phones in the terminal to call his fiancé and let her know that he would be taking off as soon as a plane arrived. The estimated time was 1 p.m., which would cut it close, but with still enough time to manage a dance lesson. However, the bride-to-be's call to the airport for an update a few hours later informed her of a 3:30 p.m. arrival, making the dance lesson seemingly impossible.
The disappointment in her voice was palpable as she spoke to the instructor on her next call. There was only a moment's hesitation on the phone before he offered a solution: another location for the lesson. Why not the airport itself? There was plenty of space in the isolated corners it offered. He'd meet her there.
The plane arrived nearly six hours after the original ETA, but all were safe and sound, and the swinging hug exchanged between the betrothed couple brought smiles to the cranky and weary travelers as they exited the plane. Those who had to wait for other connections were treated to music offered from a boombox and a few tapes the instructor had brought. He'd also packaged a picnic lunch, and after a quick snack, the lesson began. Within the hour, the couple had mastered the steps and the pent-up tension from the mishaps in the travel schedule had been waltzed away. A quick shake of hands and a check at the counter for the departure time the next morning, and the couple were on their way to the dinner they had planned for the evening. The instructor, having taken the extra step - literally - in offering his clients service above and beyond, was headed back to help decorate the studio for the evening's event.
A few weeks later, the wedding went off without a hitch. The only change to the original plans was the addition to the guest list of two people - one of whom could probably have outdanced anyone else there!
Weddings seem to bring out the best in everyone, and so many of the incidences of great customer service come from folks helping out when things go wrong in their planning. I'd like to hear your stories, wedding-oriented or not, of great service in the hopes that they may be appreciated by others. Send word of your remarkable experiences to me at linda@bizlex.com.
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