Rebel Edge UK

I love delivering great service. It’s far simpler to be aligned with your values and deliver great service when things are running as planned. It feels good to deliver quality work, to meet your customers’ needs, to work on process improvement. But I know the real test of values is how they show up when we’re under pressure. I work with organisations to make sure their values are part of their every day. Values aren’t a nice to have – they are a need to have. They define ‘how we do things around here.’

So, how do your values show up in your organisation when things go wrong?

Snow in Yorkshire caused disruption at the airport, meaning many flights were cancelled, diverted or delayed. My family got caught up with the disruption.

This was our first holiday booking with Jet2 who describe themselves as a customer-centric organisation who want to provide a VIP experience. Make memories, be present, work as one team, and take responsibility – these are their values.

Our holiday experience was overwhelmingly positive. Great flight times, transfers, communication and accommodation. All of their team members were friendly, approachable and helpful – I would 100% agree that the behaviours I observed and experienced aligned with their values. Everything was going great – until it didn’t.

So how did Jet2 respond when things went wrong?

They stuck to their values.

Communication was frequent. They called us the day before our flight home to tell us we were impacted by disruption. They provided as much information as they could. They were visible in the airport, handing out information and providing reassurance. When our flight was cancelled, they worked quickly to ‘rehome’ us for the night. Within an hour we were checking into a hotel with a hot buffet waiting for us. They told us what they knew and when they expected to know more.

They acknowledged the impact. They didn’t shift blame or responsibility. They could have. It’s not like they could control the weather – and that was the reason for the disruption. But, they didn’t. They took responsibility. They talked about how they are in close contact with the airport for updates, and did everything they could to minimise the impact on weary travellers.

It was an excellent experience. We did make great memories. We did feel like VIP. I’ve already booked some flights with them later in the year. Living your values can create value.

Values become even more important for government and public services where people don’t really have a choice of providers. If I have to suffer through an interaction, I can’t choose an alternative provider. If I vote with my feet, I’ll either miss out on services I need or be penalised for not engaging. Where’s the value creation in that?

I work with organisations to align their values with their purpose. I help organisations challenge the behaviours that don’t align with their values. I embed cultures where people will stick to their values, no matter what. I will help you ensure your values create value.

Your values are so much more than words on a wall – they define how we do things around here.

P.s. I am not affiliated with Jet2 – but credit where credit is due. Great service.