As I sat on my British Airways flight to Luxembourg at 8am I was focussed on preparing for my business meeting when my phone rang “is that Robert Fletcher?” came the voice of someone I did not recognise. It turned out it was the carer who helped my Mum look after my 100-year-old Father every morning. “I just arrived, and I found your Mum collapsed at the bottom of the stairs”- she said . My heart sank in a way I could never have imagined and never want to experience again. The more she told me the worse it sounded, an ambulance was on the way and she was not responsive.

My only though was to get off the plane and get to my Mum. The door was closed, and the plane had pushed back from the stand. I stood up and was immediately told by the crew to sit down. The crew member showed me they were concerned for me but also for the safety of the other passengers. As soon as we took off, he came to me and asked what the problem was. I explained about the call I had just taken and the fact that I was booked on the only BA flight back from Luxembourg at 21.25 that evening. I could not imagine being stranded in a Luxembourg for nearly 12 hours with my Mum seriously ill in hospital.

The crew member listened to my story and asked me to wait whilst he went and spoke with the Captain. He came back after a while and told me that the Captain was trying to arrange for me to be on the return flight, so that I could come back on the same plane. Shortly after he returned and confirmed that I was in fact rebooked on the return flight. I felt relieved at least that I would be able to return, but I was worried I would not be able to disembark, get through customs and immigration and back through check in again within the time-frame I know they turn aircraft around in these days. I shared this with the crew member. He assured me it would be OK.

As I was alone in my thoughts, I became aware of another person stood next to me, I looked up to see the Captain himself. “I am fully aware of your situation and my Cabin Service Director has told me you are worried; I promise you this” he continued “my plane will not leave Luxembourg until you are safely on-board”. I was truly grateful for his reassurance and turned my thoughts back to my Mum.

Shortly before landing the Captain returned. “Cancel what I said earlier, I have spoken with the authorities in Luxembourg and you don’t even have to get off the plane when we land, stay in your seat and I’ll get you back as quickly as I can”.

As soon as we touched down, I called the hospital in Swindon and spoke with the Consultant, it was the worst news, my Mum was desperately ill, and the prognosis was very poor that she may not even last an hour.

Good to the Captains word I remained on the plane frantically calling family to get to my Mum’s bedside.

It was a very long 2 hours until we were on approach to Heathrow just before noon. The Crew once again came to my support and explained they would come with me and fast track me through immigration, which they did. I was first off the plane and in my car at the pod parking within 30 minutes.

I raced down the M4 to Swindon and yes probably exceeded the speed limit in doing so.

I arrived at the hospital and rushed to my Mum’s bedside; my wife had already arrived with my elderly Father. It was at that moment that my Mum opened her eyes and for the next 90 minutes we were able to talk, she was lucid and we got to say a lot of things that perhaps many people don’t have the opportunity to say when they lose a loved one. She knew she was dying and whilst it was desperately sad, we also got to share some moments of joy and remembrance and say thank you for everything she had done for me and my children.

She slipped back into a coma, never to regain consciousness and sadly passed away the next day.

I look back and feel blessed for the time I got with my Mum and thank the crew for everything they did for me that day. Without their kindness and empathy, I would have been robbed of those precious moments with my Mum and their actions are forever etched into my brain. They were human beings who listened and empathised and reacted. They represented their company - British Airways, and created a loyalty from me for that organisation that will be hard to break. I realise that it was the actions of individuals not the organisation that I experienced that day, but nonetheless their organisation created an environment that empowered them to help and support me.

British Airways I will be your lifelong customer!

The bottom line about customer service, for me, is that we never know why people act and react in the way they do; what’s happening in their lives that affects their actions, and it is easy to dismiss people but great customer service is about listening to your customer, empathising and then making something happen.

I carry this with me now,  and as a Co-Founder of our company I want this example to form the basis of our culture, to run through our DNA and I will empower our teams and give them the time and space to listen, empathise and react to our customers. I hope that they will have the ability to do for one of their clients what the British Airways crew did for me that day.

Surely there is nothing more powerful than this in terms of serving a customer.