What a Greyhound bus driver taught me about making people happy
The making of an epic customer experience
If you've never traveled on a Greyhound bus, you should.
It’s as though you've traveled a half-century back in time — where travel is slow and patience is as necessary as a suitcase. It’s a beautiful time to think and read, away from the myriad distractions of our modern age.
Today, I had the privilege of riding with one of the best drivers yet.
Here’s what I learned about delivering amazing experiences from his “welcome aboard” talk:
“Good morning and welcome aboard!”
Instead of simply reading off the required statement, my driver took the time to greet everyone with a friendly “good morning”. Though this may seem small and insignificant, the first words have a defining effect on the entire relationship. By setting a friendly tone, our driver immediately made at least half the busload like him.
“I’m sure you've heard this all before, but…”
We all have heard the safety regulations a million times. We regard them as an unpleasant necessity — like sailors eating hardtack. Empathizing like our driver did changes everything. By acknowledging our pain, our bus driver essentially said, “I know this is boring, but would you do me the favor of enduring it?”
This activates the Ben Franklin effect: Since we've now invested in our driver by doing him a favor, we’re now more likely to do him another favor in the future.
“Of course, you’re all welcome to use your mobile devices and MP3 players, but look around. In courtesy to the other people please use headphones.”
Our driver had the authority to simply tell us to use headphones, but instead he chose to use a potent combination. First, he gave us something (“you’re all welcome to use…”). Second, he introduced us to a problem (“look around”). Third, he made a simple request (“please use headphones”).
Instead of simply leveraging his authority to make this happen, our driver convinced us that we should wear headphones.
“Please let me know if the temperature is too hot or too cold, and I’ll gladly adjust it to make your ride more comfortable.”
After completing the required list of safety regulations, our driver extended a friendly offer to adjust the temperature if needed. Now, chances are pretty low that the temperature will ever need to be adjusted (it’s normally kept at a comfortable 75 degrees), but simply knowing that this is an option makes for happier riders.
“In case you didn't hear earlier, this bus is servicing to Oakland followed by San Francisco. If you’re catching a transfer to…”
By repeating the vital destination and transfer information twice in his talk, our driver precluded many potential questions and set our minds at rest that we were on the correct bus.
If you notice a common set of questions, look for a way to answer them before your customer has to ask. After all, for every customer who does ask, another ten are just feeling worried and confused.
“My name is Kenny, thanks again for riding Greyhound.”
Names humanize people. By sharing this personal piece of information at the end of his talk, Kenny gave us a way to relate to him. Suddenly, he was no longer another faceless bus driver; he was a friendly human being who helped make our ride a pleasant experience.
Anyone can tell you that Greyhound isn’t necessarily known for great customer service, but if you ever get the chance to ride the Greyhound with Kenny from Sacramento to San Francisco, sit back and take notes on how to make your customers happy.
Nate Desmond is a growth professional who spends his free time reading amazing books and training parkour. He writes frequently about growth marketing on his blog and lifestyle thoughts on Medium.
