Have you ever been stranded at the

Airport? How was the mood?
 
Coming back from a business trip in

Florida last Sunday, I was getting caught in the turmoil of Atlanta's delays and

canceled flights.
 
It began in Sarasota. I was waiting to

board the plane, when they announced that the flight from Atlanta would be

delayed for 30 minutes.
 
No problem, that would give me some time to

keep working on my study about Jack Welch (former CEO of GE). Having my nose in

my books, and my eyes on my laptop, I heard the announcement that the flight

would be delayed another hour, which would make me miss my connecting flight in

Atlanta.
 
Voices got loud, and everybody ran to the counter to

express their frustration. Poor Customer Service Agent! I really didn't envy

him.
 
To my astonishment, he kept his calm, and in a very kind,

compassionate voice, he informed everybody about all the options. He artfully

controlled the situation! Everybody came done, and the mood turned into a fun

ambiance.
 
I joined two ladies (Judy and Carol) in their mid

seventies that seemed to be quite adventurous. For the next hour, I was in for a

treat. These two ladies knew exactly what life is about: Family, fun, passion,

love for travel, friendships, etc., and they looked for opportunities in every

situation.
 
These two amazing ladies reminded me more of teenagers

than ladies in their mid seventies. I enjoyed every minute of my waiting

time.

After a pleasant flight to Atlanta,

we arrived in the middle of the storm. Flights to Europe were canceled again due

to the Iceland Volcano - other flights were delayed.
 
Chaos and

angry people!
 
By now, it was late, and we had to stand in line at

the Customer Service counter to learn what hotel we would stay at, and what the

next flight options would be.
 
The lines were long, and it would

take quite some time until I would reach the counter.
 
I couldn't

pass up this great opportunity to meet new people! Immediately, I involved

people around me in some exciting conversations and learned a lot about them

while moving forward in line.
 
After getting vouchers for the hotel

and meals, I was on my way to the shuttle stop.
 
Angry and

frustrated people pushing to get on shuttles. Three shuttles with my destination

left already, and a few of us were still left standing in line. I needed to make

use of this time - so I invloved the rest of the group in some amazing

conversations. By talking to these people, I met some who were working for GE

for a long time. They were a part of Jack Welch's team, and they didn't mind to

give me an interview about the former and current culture of GE. I was in

Heaven! Here I am, in the middle of studying Jack Welch, and I get the chance to

talk to people who worked for him.
 
One of the shuttle drivers who

drove passengers to other hotels picked up on our positive attitude and offered

us to drive us to our hotel, even though it wasn't his destination. He just felt

like being around positive people in the middle of this chaos. We graciously

accepted his offer.
 
Arriving at the hotel, we learned that the

Airport double-booked hotels, and that "our" hotel was already full. Instead of

creating a hostile situation, we all were working with the receptionist, who, in

return, set us up with a nearby hotel.
 
All was fine!

 
By now, it was almost midnight, everybody was hungry and

thirsty.

Checking in at the hotel, we

learned that the only options for food and drinks we had were the vending

machines - and they were out of service.
 
The rest of the team was

tired and decided to forget about food and beverages, and go to bed since we had

to get up again at 4:30am to get back to the Airport.
 
People who

know me are probably waiting already for my spin of the situation.

Coming!
 
If somebody tells me it can't be done, I take the challenge

to show them how it can be done.
 
The kitchen at the hotel was

already closed, and the bar was just closing. Taking a chance, I spoke to the

kitchen and bar team and explained them our situation. I convinced them that

they would play an important role in going the extra mile in customer service by

opening back up the kitchen and the bar for the late "stranded" ones. I must

have made a good point. They all agreed to work WITH us, and we all ended up in

a win-win situation. The hotel receptionist showed good collaboration by calling

all the late "stranded" in their rooms to inform them that the kitchen and bar

just opened again for them.
 
The night ended with a great gathering

in the hotel bar. We may have been stranded and got the

run-around, but we ended up meeting amazing people and experiencing outstanding

customer service.
 
Next time, when you get stranded, think about

this:
 
 
1. Be kind and respectful to your customer service

agents, and they will work with you to find the best solutions for you.
2.

Use the waiting time to make new contacts. You never know who you meet...
3.

And finally: Be a part of the solution - not the problem!