This article offers an opportunity that can be learned by those working in the solar industry. It began with a storm and was followed by ongoing federal investigations. We’ll talk about how infrastructure is critical for delivering a high-quality customer experience and how ignoring your processes could result in catastrophic outcomes. Let’s discuss the recent travel disaster and determine how much the solar industry could take from it.
Tis the Season
Traveling during the holidays is an exercise in patience since the increase in traffic comes with worsening conditions for the weather. Suppose you are brave enough to cross the significant transit majors of the nation between November and December. In that case, delays are not uncommon, Cancellations are not unique, and luck and bad luck can determine which passengers will get to the destination. But this year’s holiday season was different – “once in a generation” winter weather was a blizzard across most of the Northern United States, and flight cancellations were increasing because the weather conditions were becoming increasingly unusual.
This is a tragedy for those affected, but it’s not an actual incident, nor does it serve as an opportunity to learn. The story is based on one particular airline, which appeared to be canceling more flights than other airlines. The issue grew worse, and increasing numbers of passengers affected by the lessons were made evident. It is because there could be a straightforward, visible, easily observable, and solvable solution to the problem at hand, a solution that could have been put into place if priorities had changed throughout the months and years preceding the incident, as you can observe the storm was merely the force that threw down the dominoes. However, they were planned long before the event.
Flightpocalypse
So, what transpired this winter to turn a typical travel issue into a major failure on a national scale? In the weeks following Christmas, Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 17,000 flights, far more than all other carriers. Southwest specifically announced the cancellation of around 70 percent of their flights, in contrast to the 10 percent or less canceled by other airlines, such as Delta, United, and American. What was evident during the week, when hundreds of travelers had nowhere to go, it was clear that something had gone wrong with Southwest. There were reports about state of operational emergency messages and flight crews stuck with no accommodations.
The winter weather was an apparent reason that Southwest was to blame; however, aging systems seemed to be the most likely cause when examining the situation. People familiar with the scheduling software utilized by Southwest identified internal flaws as the root of the problem spiraling out of control. As the issues worsened, Southwest could not investigate and address the situation as their system slowed to perform. As the tipping point approached, it was clear that no solution could be found, and the consequences could cost the company thousands of dollars.
Solar Industry, Listen Up
This is where the solar industry and any other customer service business must be watched closely. Customers affected by the cancellations had to deal with the failure of a system that they could not see or interface with. The internal processes you use aren’t the kind of flashy marketing strategies. However, you can be sure the customers of your business will be conscious of the effectiveness or inability of your systems when they begin to affect the experience. Evidence suggests that the strategies that failed during the Christmas season have been similarly affected since October 2021, indicating enough time to consider investing in solutions. However, these investments weren’t prioritized, and many customers suffered during the holiday.
The main lesson the solar industry can take from from this experience would be concentrating on system integrity and systems. Here at Simply Solar, We’ve developed specific technology to help our teams and help them deliver the best customer experience possible. We hear about the effectiveness of well-thought-out systems every day. However, they are challenging to demonstrate the results they produce since, well, it’s the way it is! However, we’ve learned that customers can tell quickly if there’s an issue with your internal processes. Therefore, it’s worthwhile to invest in tools that can help customers create success, even if nobody ever notices them working. Great customer systems are a magic trick you can pull off, and nobody will be able to tell! When the scheme falls into pieces, everything breaks and is burned.
If you’re considering solar energy and want to learn what it’s like when a business invests a lot in its customer experience, schedule a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable solar experts today!