We the people are uniformly and without exception, living on the planet with the ability to make mistakes.
Business is run by humans. So by straightforward linear thought, businesses are not infallible either. If anything, the larger the biz, the more oportunity for glitch! Mistakes happen. So why do people become so indignant?
My flight at SFO (san francisco) has just been cancelled and we have been moved to a new gate and a new time. Without doubt this is irritating. It means for me, and many others, delays, missed connections, and possibly even missed events. I am just in from HNL (honolulu) on the red eye, with a total of 4 hours of semi-snooze in the upright position. I will land in ABQ (albuquerque) without time to shower and nap before my event this evening, unlike my original routing.
The cause? The plane is newly painted, and the rear door is painted shut! What a tale. The young and pompous cannot repeat enough, “How lame!” The gate agent whispered to me later, “I hope the painter doesn’t get fired.” To which I replied, “Yes, unless this is the 6th time s/he’s done it!”
This cost United a pretty penny. I am confident they are handling the problem, and don’t need my indignance to spur them into action.
Here’s to hoping I don’t make too many “dumb” mistakes this week myself. If I do, just remember, I’ll be fixing them straight away.
