At the end of the day, for all their investments in technology and process, an airline is only as good as its frontline employees. Relaxing with a ginger ale and John Grisham novel in Seat 2A on a United 737 today, I got a good dose of positive customer experience. About one hour into the flight, Don, the cheery flight attendant, thrust a business card across to me. It was from the captain. "Thank you for flying United!" he had scribbled on the back, addressing me by name. "Please let me know how we can improve your experience!" On the front, the captain had underlined his e-mail address.

In its simple way, this little business card made me smile; it made me feel appreciated by this large faceless corporation to which I (and my company) give thousands of dollars every year. At the beginning of the flight, before we had pushed back from the gate, the captain had stepped into first class, looked us all in the face and welcomed us on board. He told us a little bit about the flight, the weather in California (where we were headed), and that we would be well cared for on our journey. This little act by the captain, coupled with Don's great service in the cabin, made for a very memorable flight. Cost to United? Nothing. Returns for customer experience? Priceless.