Moments of Truth

In 1986 Jan Carlzon, the former president of Scandinavian Airlines wrote a book, Moments of Truth. In his book, Carlzon defines the moment of truth in business as this: "Anytime a customer comes into contact with any aspect of a business, however remote, is an opportunity to form an impression." From this simple concept, Jan Carlzon took an airline that was failing and turned it around to be one of the most respected airlines in his industry. Some examples of moments of truth in Jan Carlzon's airline business are: when you call to make a reservation to take a flight, when you arrive at the airport and check your bags curbside, when you go inside and pick up your ticket at the ticket counter, when you are greeted at the gate, when you are taken care of by the flight attendants onboard the aircraft, and when you are greeted at your destination.