Ryanair isn’t the problem. It’s a symptom of something bigger.
My recent flight home from Tenerife with Ryanair left me wondering: when did customer experience in the UK fall so far?
I’m not talking about gourmet meals or luxury lounges. I’m talking about the basics: A smile when you board, a seat that doesn’t feel like a punishment, or a hot drink that doesn’t cost more than it does at a five-star hotel.
Instead, what I experienced was staff who looked like they’d rather be anywhere else, passengers treated like an inconvenience, and a culture that felt devoid of care or connection.
Now, I get it. It’s a budget airline. But it wasn’t even a cheap flight. And more importantly, it reminded me of something I care deeply about.
Customer experience.
During my time as CEO of DPD UK and now as a Strategic Advisor, I’ve seen firsthand that putting the customer first isn’t just a slogan. It’s the reason we succeeded. We built a culture where service mattered, gave customers real control, and invested in our people because happy teams deliver better service.
This Ryanair trip felt like the opposite of that. And it’s not just them. Across so many UK industries now, from retail to transport to public services, there’s a worrying trend. We’re cutting costs at the expense of care. Stripping out everything that makes an experience feel human.
And we’re getting used to it. We shouldn’t be.
Customers are not just data points. They’re people. And when you treat people like they don’t matter, eventually, they start looking elsewhere.
So this post isn’t really about Ryanair. It’s about something bigger. A quiet erosion of standards. A race to the bottom.
I believe we can do better. I believe we must do better.
If you’re a business leader, ask yourself: when was the last time you experienced your own product or service like a customer would? Felt the pain points, faced the silence, or sat in the waiting room.
If the answer is never, then you’ve lost connection with the people who keep your business alive.
We talk a lot about innovation in the UK. Maybe the biggest innovation we need is a return to care.
Let’s talk. What’s the best or worst customer experience you’ve had recently?
Have we let standards slip too far?