A Practical Guide to Airline Customer Service. Colin C. Law
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Название: A Practical Guide to Airline Customer Service
Автор: Colin C. Law
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Маркетинг, PR, реклама
isbn: 9781627346948
isbn:
Recognize airline customers’ hierarchy of needs
Understand customers’ expectations
Identify tangible and intangible customer services
Identify an airline’s internal and external customers
Airline and its nature of business
During the development of the aviation industry in the early 20th century, an airline was a transportation company that offered transportation service to the customers by air. Air transport was not common at that time as people were afraid of flying due to the many accidents that had occurred. The general public still preferred to take trains and ships for long-distance travel. The main goal of an airline in the early years was to carry customers from one place to another place safely. With the low market demand, the majority of airlines at that time were either established by the government or partially funded by the government. According to the report of Airbus Commercial Aviation Accident 1958–2015, the number of accidents decreased steadily over time.1 As the industry became mature with improved technology, air travel has also become the safest mode of travel. Today, air travel is one of the most important transportation systems in the world.
Figure 1-1: Airbus—A Statistical Analysis of Commercial Aviation Accidents 1958–2015 (Source: Airbus).
An airline is similar to an ordinary business in the service industry; the majority of the profits are from customers. After the deregulation of the airline industry in the 1970s, governments minimized their control of state-owned airlines and allowed private companies to establish their own new airlines. As such, airlines are free to enter the industry and intense competitions are created.
Customers’ demand and expectations of airlines have vastly changed today. In the early stages, safe operation was the main expectation of the customers. As many airlines have improved their safety records, customers began to expect more from an airline company. Today, other than basic safety needs, customers are also demanding for comfort and top-notch services.
The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has defined that an individual’s needs are segregated into multiple levels. We are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some take precedence over others. Our most basic need is the first thing that motivates our behavior and once that is fulfilled, it is our natural instinct to seek to move up the hierarchy and satisfy the other higher needs. Based on the same principle, an airline’s hierarchy can be used to demonstrate customers’ expectation of an airline.
Figure 1-2a: Airline’s hierarchy of needs.
Airline customers’ hierarchy of needs
Airline offering safe transportation services is the minimum expectation of customers. This is also identified as the basic needs of customers in air transportation.
When the safety needs are met, customers’ demands are then expanded to facilities at the airport and on-board the aircraft. Customers evaluate the airline by the types of hassle-free facilities available at the airport as well as the in-flight entertainment system, seat sizes and selection of meals served.
This is then followed by personal service or customer service. The way that customers are being served has a direct influence on customers’ satisfaction level toward an airline. This includes the satisfaction with the interaction between customers and service agents, and service agents’ problem resolution abilities.
Once the personal service need is fulfilled and customers are satisfied with the airlines’ service, their intention for return repurchase is motivated and customer loyalty is established.
The very top of the hierarchy extends to long-term desires. Customers establish a long-term relationship with airlines when they are unlikely to change suppliers. In this instance, they feel important as they have become a VIP for the airline. This also reflects the customer’s status within the airline company. The privilege status creates a stronger motivation for customers to return to the same company for their future travels.
Fulfilling customers’ personal needs are not sufficient today as airlines are looking toward generating and retaining loyal customers. Loyal customers help airlines to secure and create a stable income for the company. The larger base of loyal customers generated by an airline, the better revenue it is likely to achieve. Many airlines today are putting a lot of efforts on satisfying customers’ personal need and to motivate them to move up to the ‘loyalty’ and ‘status’ portion of the hierarchy.
Applying the model
To achieve customers’ satisfaction, it is essential to understand their expectations. An airline company is offering services to thousands of customers every day and customer has different expectations when in face with different situations, and their needs are not always the same.
Safety
Customers fleeing from an earthquake disaster or situations pertaining to armed conflicts expect an airline to offer a safe transportation to take them away from the affected areas. These customers have low expectations as their main travel purpose is to get to safety. Safety needs are the principal concerns and other needs are not as important to these customers.
Facilities
Customers travelling with their families on vacations will evaluate the type of services offered by the airline before making a decision. This is to ensure a comfortable ride. More often than not, these customers expect food to be served on their flights, some form of entertainment to be provided during the flight to keep passengers entertained, and someone to assist them during their entire journey.
Personal service
Customers who have been traveling with the same airline several times expect service agents at the airport to remember them by name and know their seating preferences. In this case, the standard of service offered by the service agent needs to be the same, if not better as compared to their previous travel experiences.
Loyalty
This applies to customers who fly so often that they decide to fly with the same airline whenever they need to travel. They make their decision largely based on their satisfaction with an airline and the services that the service agents offer. Even though there are other airlines operating similar service with a lower ticket price, customers are still willing to pay more using services from the same airline as they are very satisfied with what they are getting. They also offer recommendations to their friends for the excellent service offered by the airlines.
Status
These customers have gained a high status in the airline. They have flown so often that service agents at the airport and on the aircraft remember their travel details. All the service agents know their travel preferences and have them prepared in advance. These preferences include the following observations: Customer A always arrives at the airport for check-in 1 hour and 10 minutes before the flight; she has no check-in baggage; she always chooses seat 11A by the window and that she always has a Krug Champagne during her meal and a black coffee after that.
What are customers expecting?
Air travel is becoming more common today and customers СКАЧАТЬ