Dear Airline , the art of selling is a skill that must be learnt . It is not automatic that a flight attendant whose primary focus is customer safety and customer satisfaction and has been trained on the same , will know how to sell tea , sodas and snacks . Do they have targets on each flight in terms of revenue they must collect ?
COACHING
Is Customer Experience A Thing Of The Past ?
By Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia
A few days ago , I had the opportunity to take a flight to a city just an hour away . It was still dark as I called for a cab to take me to the airport . The app was functional , I hardly waited 2 minutes before the cab came to pick me up . A very smooth ride it was to the airport , and no incidents at all .
At the entrance to the terminal was a queue of people , all waiting to get into the terminal . Security was thorough , so I assumed it was just about the relevant checks at the door . As soon as I was past the entrance , I was greeted by a sea of people . I assumed it was a busy time of morning . Several flights going to different destinations were lined up on the information board .
The jostling began for the plastic trays that would allow personal items to go through the scanner . People were forced to remove their shoes and walk on a cold and unswept floor past the permanently beeping human scanner . The larger scanner was manned by just one person , who kept stopping the machine and sending both the luggage and the owner back through the machines , causing more confusion .
Once past that point , the next step is usually the check-in counter . Online check-in is an option , and I made use of it the previous evening , with no luck at getting a boarding pass . The user experience was also not friendly at all . With limited options , I joined the line . There was no order in the terminal with people lining up anywhere and everywhere . Apparently , one was supposed to magically know which line was for which destination . The attendants on the ground seemed to have no clue what was happening .
Several minutes passed , and it became obvious there was no movement at all . More and more passengers piled up at the scanner and eventually into the terminal building . The airline staff and airport staff looked unperturbed as the place got packed with human beings . No explanation , no order , nothing . Standing in the queue gives one a chance to observe consumer behavior . There were just three open counters for this airline , and its competitor airline had no one queueing at their counters .
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Dear Airline , the art of selling is a skill that must be learnt . It is not automatic that a flight attendant whose primary focus is customer safety and customer satisfaction and has been trained on the same , will know how to sell tea , sodas and snacks . Do they have targets on each flight in terms of revenue they must collect ?
Fifty five minutes later , one step forward and way past the boarding time , a chap came in to replace the check in attendants . Suddenly , the queues started moving . The supposed system problem seemed to have disappeared and check in began in earnest . Not a single explanation or apology was offered . The flight was delayed by 30 minutes no one seemed to care that when the ‘ P ’ of Process is not working , it is not the problem of the customer , but rather a direct impact on the airline ’ s corporate reputation .
Dear Airline , under the ‘ P ’ of Promotion sits a very useful tool called Public Relations which contrary to popular belief , is not about managing the media but about managing stakeholders especially your customers .
Very many passengers seemed to have chosen this early morning flight in order to be at their destination at a specific time . Judging by the number of phone calls being made , and explanations being overheard , they took time keeping very seriously .
Dear Airline , a gentle reminder that positioning is not about how your marketer positions your brand , but rather the space that your brand occupies in the mind of your customer . The marketer can position the brand with all the relevant tools of communication but should your support departments not align with the positioning statement , it is a total waste of time .
Finally , the aircraft took off , and on reaching cruise altitude , there was an announcement on refreshments . The statement went something like this . “ We shall soon be coming round with refreshments for sale .”
Now if you were a passenger on that
58 MAL56 / 23 ISSUE