Dear huge company merging with another huge company,

When we did a general Google of airline mergers, we were horrified by the results in terms of customer satisfaction; it was universally down. Not in the good way. Down like the economy, down.

We cannot in good conscience standby as you merge- perhaps headfirst into infinite Google Review disasters. Not on our watch. Not today.

Did you know that since 2000 there have been over 800,000 merger requests? Did you know we got this information from the Thomson Financial Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions, and Alliances? Did you know that mergers were such massive undertakings that produce such tectonic shifts in the economic sector that they warranted their own body of study and research? We certainly didn’t, but we do now.

It’s no surprise really- we’re sure by now you’ve seen our previous article that broke down the complications and innumerable facets in terms of a technological merge (if not, have at it: How the Digital Age Has Shaped Mergers as We Know Them ) but that’s merely the tip of the acquisitional iceberg.

Insert metaphor about poor merger execution sinking your metaphorical ship here

This is where we, the technological powers that be, warn that while you must be eager to implement changes that will lead to growth and prosperity, you must also be discerning with the newfound power you wield. It can be easy, in the wake of monumentous change, to miss the innovative forest for the traditional trees.

It stands to reason that the, well, reason you have customers in the first place, is because they generally like the service you provide. This is not to say there’s never room for improvement, but making sweeping changes just to make them? We don’t love it, and neither will they.

What they would love is the chance to be involved in the process. They’re likely just as excited as you are to see new offerings, and to witness the evolution of a company they love offer an even better version of what they’ve come to expect.

What they don’t want (and what often seems to happen) is to feel lost in the shuffle of chaotic change for change’s sake. The focus of any merger should always be to play to each company’s strengths in relation to the overall perspective of what the customer needs.

Part of this need is some forethought and preemptive warnings of change. Bonus points if, before implementing said changes, you seek out some customer feedback to truly tailor your new offerings to the desires of the traveling public you serve.

Your customers are, after all, why you fly in the first place. Not for accolades or extensive route acquisition- the goal must always be a better product offered in a better way for your passengers.

If you go off of the above, then the question that must be asked especially at the beginning, before a merge is even a twinkle in a corporate lawyer’s eye, is “why”? Is this merge even necessary? Will it be a vital stepping stone that paves the path towards your success and your customers’ satisfaction? Note that one validates the other; this is a symbiotic relationship, or at least it should be.

Instead of eschewing processes and procedures your customers have come to know and love merely because you are excited about a streamlined approach or innovation for innovation’s sake, again, ask why?

Communicate your overall vision with your consumers, and let them help you shape it. If customers and corporate stopped working on opposing sides, and instead considered the fact that both need the other, and together built a product they could both be proud of, wouldn’t that be the ultimate merger?

Know what these steps are paved with? Success.