Moments of Truth

HPMD Quotes & Sources

Jan Carlzon, the CEO of SAS Airlines, writes n his book, Moments of Truth:
"As SAS, we used to think of ourselves as the sum total of our aircraft, our maintenance bases, our offices, and our administrative procedures. But if you ask our customers about SAS, they won't tell you about our planes or our offices or the way we finance our capital investments. Instead, they'll talk about their experiences with the people at SAS. SAS is not a collection of material assets but the quality of the contact between an individual customer and the SAS employees who serve the customer directly ...
"Last year [1986], each of our 10 million customers came in contact with approximately five SAS employees, and this contact lasted an average of 15 seconds each time. Thus, SAS is 'created' 50 million times a year, 15 seconds at a time. These 50 million "moments of truth" are the moments that ultimately determine whether SAS will succeed or fail as a company. They are the moments when we must prove to our customers that SAS is their best alternative.
"... We have to place responsibility for ideas, decisions, and actions with the people who are SAS during those 15 seconds: ticket agents, flight attendants, baggage handlers, and all the other frontline employees." (Carlzon, Moments, pp. 2-3)
The moral of the story: perceptions are everything. During each moment you are in contact with a customer, you are the organization.

Short Quote:

"SAS is 'created' 50 million times a year, 15 seconds at a time. These 50 million 'moments of truth' are the moments that ultimately determine whether SAS will succeed or fail as a company. They are the moments when we must prove to our customers that SAS is their best alternative." --Jan Carlzon

Author:	Carlzon, Jan
Title:	Moments of Truth
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Volume:
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Publisher:	Harper & Row
Place (City):	New York
Publication Date:	1987
Pages:	pp. 2-3
Source Type:	Book
Quote Number:	29
Categories:	Customer Service, Empowerment, Leadership, Case Studies