Taking Airline Customer Service to New Heights

Особый подход

When travelers’ expectations are not being met, everything from buying a ticket checking in to security screenings to baggage to the actual flight can all be improved. It’s a challenge that represents a great opportunity: the company that can provide the best experiences will stand out among the crowd, giving it a competitive advantage that will lead to customers choosing them when they travel over the competition.

А вы знаете?

There’s only so much that can be done to improve the experience of travel on a commercial flight. Things like security regulations, weather delays, and airport infrastructure, and sometimes even lost baggage are simply outside the control of the airlines. However, there are some very simple things savvy airlines are already doing help to the experience a little smoother:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate. Whether it’s through text messaging, email, or a free mobile app, airlines can keep travelers in the know about things like delays, ticket changes, weather predictions, wait times at security, locations of baggage terminals, and more. While people will certainly never be happy about having to wait, they’ll be a little less frustrated if they’re given prior notice.
• Get feedback. Sending surveys at various touch points, such as after buying a ticket or interacting with a flight attendant, will provide valuable insights on how to improve the travel experience.
• Take social media seriously. Many PR disasters can be avoided by simply taking a customer’s complaints on social media seriously. Monitoring mentions on social media, particularly those that detail extreme situations or come from people with many followers, can help rectify a situation before it spirals out of control. Plus, there’s the possibility of customers praising your response to their followers (free advertising!). Some even do it on the day they travel.

Время для решения

People will always need to fly, but at the very least they can choose an operator they’ve had positive experience with, has good ratings, or the best overall buying process. Making the choice to invest in support can help mitigate the pain of lousy airport food and weather delays.