Each Go-Tripper is a Customer Experience Custodian

Yuvaraj Srivastava - Group Chief Human Resource Officer

 

“Every single interaction, the most minute details of the interaction you have with the customer, are an opportunity for you to create something remarkable.” – Joey Coleman

 

11.25pm: ‘Sir, I need your help. I am stuck in Lucknow and my flight to Indore has been cancelled. I urgently need to reach for an interview. I can’t reach anyone on the customer care line. Can you please help me?’

 

I had joined MakeMyTrip as the head of HR, only about six months back and late one night, I received this message on LinkedIn. The young man was panicking and seemed desperate. I wasn’t sure what I could do for him. I read the message and hesitated. 

 

I was new and didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. I could reach out to someone in the customer delight team, but would it be the right thing to do so late at night? It would be one thing to try to help him, but it could also completely backfire if we weren’t able to solve his problem … on the other hand, imagine if we could.

 

11.30pm: ‘Hi, I will try my best to help you. Can you share more details with me? Like your flight ticket and your mobile number?’

 

He replied almost instantly. He really was quite desperate to get on a flight to Indore and his problem seemed genuine. What else would drive a person to reach out to someone on LinkedIn in the middle of the night?

 

I reached out, a bit hesitantly, to Geeta Eral, the head of the customer delight team. I explained the problem and shared the screenshots with her. And then I waited. By 11.45 pm, a customer support executive had been assigned to resolve this case. I, too, was constantly in touch with the young man over messages.

 

At 4 a.m., I finally received a message from both him and the customer care executive, confirming that the issue had been resolved. The young man would make it in time for his interview, albeit a little exhausted by the events of the previous night.

 

This instance has stayed in my mind for many years for two reasons—it showed me first-hand what role we play in another person’s life; from helping them create memories with their family over a holiday or ensuring they make it on time for an important life event. The second big learning for me was more a realization than anything else. I realized that I was part of a company where customer ‘care’ is not just defined by a department but is an intrinsic part of its culture. Since I felt deeply aligned to this value on a personal level as well,  I knew that I was home.

 

10.05am: ‘Sir, how are you’

11.00am: ‘Hi, I hope you are not stuck at an airport again?’

11.02am: ‘No, sir, just wanted to say thanks for all your help that day. I got the job. And I am an MMT ambassador for life.’