Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Passenger or Customer? Customer or Guest?
Transportation companies in Britain and America no longer call passengers, passengers. We are customers. When I asked the British bus company Arriva about this a few years ago, I was told that a focus group showed that people felt more important if they were called Customers. I will not mince words about this. In English vernacular, it is utter bollocks! I have asked several people what they prefer, and each prefers ‘Passenger’. Clearly, this is a case of the focus group being fed loaded questions.
As I see things, being accepted as a passenger puts more onus on the company providing me conveyance than if I was merely their customer. I am both, to be sure, but I don’t want it to merely be about service provided for money. A passenger is someone whose comfort and life depends upon professional and safe passage. I would feel more secure if I knew that the company transporting me felt the same way. I also didn’t like Virgin Atlantic calling a customer on my recent Transatlantic trip.
And I found a recent visit to an Upper West Side Duane Reade (that’s the number one Drug Store chain in New York City) to be entirely ridiculous. The checkout process ran very smoothly. Each time a customer – in this instance, I feel that word appropriate – left the cash register, the cashier called “Next guest please”. Next guest?!!! It’s a Drug Store ffs! I am not their guest! I was a guest when I stayed in a Paris Hotel. Or was I? When will Marriot, for example, start calling their guests customers, or residents…… or passengers!
Now that I think of it, I would prefer Duane Reade to call me a transient resident rather than a guest. As they didn’t invite me, offer me tea or put me up for the night, I feel this would be more appropriate.
Viagra Online
As I see things, being accepted as a passenger puts more onus on the company providing me conveyance than if I was merely their customer. I am both, to be sure, but I don’t want it to merely be about service provided for money. A passenger is someone whose comfort and life depends upon professional and safe passage. I would feel more secure if I knew that the company transporting me felt the same way. I also didn’t like Virgin Atlantic calling a customer on my recent Transatlantic trip.
And I found a recent visit to an Upper West Side Duane Reade (that’s the number one Drug Store chain in New York City) to be entirely ridiculous. The checkout process ran very smoothly. Each time a customer – in this instance, I feel that word appropriate – left the cash register, the cashier called “Next guest please”. Next guest?!!! It’s a Drug Store ffs! I am not their guest! I was a guest when I stayed in a Paris Hotel. Or was I? When will Marriot, for example, start calling their guests customers, or residents…… or passengers!
Now that I think of it, I would prefer Duane Reade to call me a transient resident rather than a guest. As they didn’t invite me, offer me tea or put me up for the night, I feel this would be more appropriate.
