As a frequent traveler, I’ve always appreciated good customer service, but I haven’t always found it. Frustrated desk agents, unhappy restaurant servers, and disenchanted TSA agents: I’ve encountered them all. This past summer, I took a hiatus from travel when I had my first child, and I resumed air travel—with infant in tow—during the holidays. If I thought good service mattered to me before, traveling with a baby made it even more apparent.

Maybe it was the 6-month-old strapped to my chest in the baby carrier, but the service I encountered while traveling was unexpectedly above par. It was so good, in fact, that my husband, who’s not a comment card kind of guy, actually filled out a feedback form when the airline sent the request to his email. We even had a slight delay, and it still didn’t matter, because the desk agents, flight attendants and other people we encountered on our trip left us feeling very positive.

Customer service is the practice of treating people as individuals with different needs. As meeting planners, you are providers and your attendees are your customers. By focusing on them as individuals, you may be able to plan better events. In our first issue of 2012, we’re focusing on trends in meetings in the coming year, and one of them is focusing on your customers, not yourself. It’s time to make it about them.

We want to know what changes you’re making to your meetings and events in 2012. Comment here, or email your ideas to me at lhoppe@collinsonmedia.com.

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