Working in Customer Experience research, I often take note of great and poor examples as I experience them. It helps me do my job better. Here is my latest in relation to the concept of good and bad profits.

My family and I were due to fly to the US in July, a long anticipated trip for which we’d booked flights a fair while back. As COVID-19 took hold, the realisation slowly dawned on us that we would not be going.

Now I won’t name the airline, I think they were all behaving in the same way anyway, which in itself does to some extent nullify the impact of accumulating bad profits.

On the face of it, the offer of ‘travel vouchers’ is fair and just. It certainly abides by the ACCC guidelines. However, when you dig deeper, this ‘kind offer’ is designed to lock you in with no ability to gain a refund later having accepted the vouchers. This cloak and dagger approach certainly leaves a bitter taste, and from what I have heard, does not endear anyone to the airline, particularly those who took the offer.

Now I fully understand the commercial aspects of why this was and is being done, but it does still represent bad profits. Yes, it secures the revenue now, but what about in 5 years’ time.

Now the good profits! Our particular airline, albeit perhaps with their hand forced, has now cancelled flights well ahead of schedule rather than wait for 7 days before departure in trying to force you to take the vouchers. This allows refunds to be taken. As I waited on the phone for the refund to be processed, I felt good about the airline, they were putting customers first. Yes, they won’t get my money now, but most likely will when we rebook our trip next year or the year after.

Building good profits can be hard, but it secures the long term future not just the now.