According to Statista research, in 2021, more than 2 billion people used planes, and predictions state that in 2025, this number will increase to 4.66 billion. The popularity of the airlines increases the need for high-quality customer service within the industry to meet the needs and expectations of a growing client base.
his article explores real-world examples of exceptional customer service and how to achieve it. We will share a few stories from airlines with the best customer service and their approach to enhancing customer satisfaction. Ultimately, these insights will be valuable if you aim to deliver best-in-class customer service for your customers.
Statistics in customer support show that 85% of customers are ready to switch companies to the one that offers a better quality of service. Happy customers more willingly recommend services to their families and friends, and, as a result, positive experience stimulates business growth. But what exactly defines excellence? Let's look at the key elements of the best airline customer service.
Customers want to get fast responses and confirmations, whether it's information about flight schedules or any changes in their order. Quick reactions and the ability to promptly fix issues are key factors for building trustworthy customer relationships.
According to our experience, communication is the base for long-term loyalty to the brand. Customers will be calm and sure about your service if you keep them informed before, during, and after the flight. Knowing what to expect is vital for travelers to get all real-time updates, including information about flight delays, gate changes, or any other possible concerns.
Possible issues and challenges are the part of the process you cannot avoid. The key factor is how quickly, smoothly, and efficiently your company can handle it. Accurately adjusted systems will help identify problems and assist before inconvenience escalates. Automated AI-powered solutions can help the customer support team by sorting and routing requests to available specialists and speeding up the resolution.
Human staff is the heart of customer service, and their preparation, training, and knowledge level determine how well they can help customers. Empathetic and well-prepared staff can anticipate customers' needs and easily handle unexpected situations with confidence and care, ensuring a positive experience. That is why preparing and teaching them how to act in complex cases with angry and frustrated customers is crucial.
Customers want to feel that they are the center of the company's world, and you can make this possible by prioritizing their experience and impression of your brand. Flexible booking opportunities, accurate compensation procedures, and information help show the goal of putting customers first and demonstrating the reliability of the airline. Customization and personalization always serve to show importance and focus on their needs.
In the airline industry, customer service is a crucial part of the overall travel experience as each request and assistance is an opportunity to impact customers' impression of airlines. As a professional customer service provider, we can define two main reasons for CS's high meaning: loyalty building and travel experience. Let's check both of them and their impact on passengers.
When travelers know they can rely on the airline during their flights, they are likelier to stick with the brand for future travels. High-quality customer service builds trust and loyalty. It motivates customers to share their positive reactions with others, including relatives and friends, and leave posts and reviews on social media. A good impression encourages repeating the experience and reusing the company's services, ensuring revenue.
Travel can be a source of joy and stress, and customer service has the power to make the trip a positive and unforgettable memory by assisting at each step, from booking a flight to leaving the airport. Customers feel less stressed when they have everything under control via up-to-date information about delays, flight changes, etc. When customer support teams understand and react to individuals' needs, travelers feel more valued and respected.
If the customer faces such unpleasant situations as flight cancellations or lost luggage, prompt and responsive customer service can lower stress by providing precise assistance. If anything unpredictable happens, customers need to be sure that the problem will be fixed, and the customer service mission is to take the situation under control and quickly find a resolution.
We believe that the best way to see the value of customer service is to review real-life examples. Here is the list of airline companies prioritizing customers to create outstanding experiences at each contact step with their brands. Each of them has its unique approach to passenger satisfaction, so let's see how their experience can help you raise your level of service.
As a global company, Alaska Airlines aims to create a service that people will love. It is one more example of a close connection with their customers that underlines the importance of fast, simple, and informative help. Their customer support makes sure that travelers will be able to reach their assistance everywhere. They have functional FAQs, access from mobile applications, round-the-clock availability of a Twitter account, and a direct line to the human service team.
Alaska Airlines applies CSAT surveys to study customer satisfaction levels through multiple channels. Such an approach to customer service shows their concentration on travelers' needs and wish to provide all-covering help 24/7.
This national British airline company chose another way to win customers' hearts: concentrating on their engagement during the flights. If other businesses prefer to reach customer satisfaction through communication, British Airways removed the cabin barrier, offering the same quality of service for both classes. They provide free reading materials to all travelers, irrespective of their class, so that passengers can choose newspapers and magazines to their taste near the gate.
Wizz Air is one of the largest airline companies in Central and Eastern Europe. Wizz Air chose collaboration with outsourcing customer support to extend their in-house team and improve the quality of service. The new approach aimed to provide multi-lingual customer support and quickly adjust the teams according to changing workload conditions. They apply customer support automation to reduce the waiting time and enhance support teams.
Wizz Air pays attention to customers' feedback, captures insights, and works to improve its services. Customers are always staying informed, thanks to outgoing calls about schedule changes, reservations, possible cancellations, and other unpredictable factors. 80% of calls are responded to within 35 seconds, and 100% of emails are answered, demonstrating their close and rapid contact with customers.
TAP, the national airline of Portugal, is one more example of excellent customer service, as it is transforming its approach to service provision. If companies usually wait until customers ask for assistance, the TAP support team chooses to help the customer in advance. When an unhappy traveler tried and failed to reach the support team, the agents called them back immediately to fix the booking problem before it could affect the impression.
Southwest's approach to a good customer experience starts with its employees. They highly encourage professional development and personal growth by offering online training, mentorship programs, and an internal career center. This airline company prepares staff to provide friendly and customer-oriented support via several channels, from phone to live chat interactions.
Southwest Airlines invests in improving customer experience, including luggage tracking, self-service solutions, and proactive traveler assistance.
Garuda, the Indonesian flight carrier, chose to improve customer service with the help of immigration officers who were present on board. Many countries chose the opportunity to provide vias on arrival. As much as this process is convenient for traveling, it still requires a lot of time and effort. Garuda reduces the stress connected with visa gaining by offering the service of immigration officers during the flight.
Qatar Airways understands the risk of having kids on board better than anybody. Traveling with children can be another source of stress and potential problems because they get tired or bored. This airline company chose to consider the needs of customers of different ages, from the youngest to the oldest.
Qatar Airways has its special lunch for kids, a channel with accurately selected videos, and even toy sets to keep kids busy. Among other entertainment options, they offer books for children and color pages.
They have special offers for adult passengers, like high-quality meals and relaxation areas in premium classes. No wonder Qatar Airways has won several awards for customer service thanks to the combination of a professional crew and entertainment options.
This airline company focused on customers' meal preferences to attract more passengers and build a positive brand reputation. Their "Book the Cook" program allows First, Business, and Premium Economy Class passengers to order specific meal selections 24 hours before the flight. The menu contains world-class dishes. Those who have specific dietary requirements also have a special meal menu.
Besides meal options, Singapore Air also pays attention to passengers' entertainment. They offer a wide range of features, stories, TV, and music on board. For those who prefer to spend time in the game, the collaboration with KrisWorld allows choosing from 10k options of games to enjoy during the flight.
As you can see, the methods of achieving high customer satisfaction can be very different: some are focused on communication and availability, while others are on special offers. Whatever you choose for your business strategy in the customer service area, only one factor always stays unchangeable: matching customers' needs and focusing on a personal approach is the key.
Airline companies offer various approaches to improving customers' experience, but all have some common traits defining excellence and high-quality service. Let's see the key factors that can make your company more attractive to potential travelers and build trust in your brand.
Customers always value clear communication, accurate help advice, and the ability to contact the company via a preferred channel. Our experience working with customer support for travel technology showed how much customers need a stable connection with travel operators and the ability to be informed during the journey. Your airline users will feel safer and protected if they can always get real-time updates about flight status, possible delays, or flight cancellations.
Clear communication reduces stress even during unexpected and critical situations if customers know they can reach the company via phone, live chat, or social media. Access to help reduces stress and increases loyalty and trust in the company.
Top airlines are well known for simple but effective rebooking and cancellation policies. For example, if customers face flight cancellation or delay, companies can offer free rebooking, showing empathy and understanding of the situation and customers' pain. Also, airlines can give compensation in advance instead of waiting for customers to come with complaints. Wide-spread compensation practices include meals, hotel accommodations, service discounts, etc.
Customization has become integral to customer services within many industries, and the airlines area is no exception. Customers demand the possibility to tailor the experience according to their preferences, including meal selection, seating choices, history of previous flights, and recommendations. Your application can send pop-ups and personalized notifications for tickets to places of customer interest.
Reward and loyalty programs encourage travelers to choose the same company for long-term cooperation. Some offer accumulating points, and some attract customers with other perks like exclusive deals or priority boarding.
The professionalism of support teams is essential for customer service, as they can worsen or improve customers' opinions about your brand. According to our experience, situations can quickly escalate, and your team should be able to handle crises with empathy, calm behavior, and care. Investment in staff training will become the investment in a positive impression of your brand, happy customers, and a good reputation among airline providers.
Preparation includes education, training, and improving soft skills. Advanced technology can also be a helpful solution for team empowerment. Automation programs, AI-powered models, analytics tools, and other software for efficient customer support will help them perform tasks with decent speed and productivity.
We recommend focusing on comfort and quality combinations for the best in-flight experience. What does it mean? Ergonomically designed seats, extra space between seats, adjustable headrests, and available blankets are only a few examples of simple things that can improve the atmosphere during the flight. Manually created coziness makes a great difference, especially for long travels.
High-quality meals with selection possibilities also add satisfaction points to any trip. Entertainment is as important as comfort. On-board movies, TV shows, and music can help passengers spend time more pleasantly, so modern airline companies often provide personal screens to keep travelers relaxed and engaged during the flight. Wi-Fi also allows passengers to stay connected, work, or simply surf through the internet.
And, of course, well-trained crew members are a must-have for the best airline customer service. Clear, polite, and proactive communication will make passengers feel valued and cared for during the flight.
Investing in technology, employee training, and customer feedback systems will help you improve the quality of your service and create a positive, customer-oriented environment. If you know what impression gives your service, you can adjust and continuously improve it, staying competitive and successful among other airlines.
Simply Contact has vast experience in airline support as a professional outsourcing customer service company and will gladly help you raise your business to a new level. Ready for productive cooperation? Book a consultation, and let’s discuss what we can offer you.
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