Fog Disruption Shows Airline Communication Can Still Improve - Cas Carter
By Cas Carter, Stuff.co.nz | Apr. 04, 2017
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New Zealand has weather - lots of it. And most of us probably have a story of how its disrupted our travel.
We heard tales of tortured passengers through media last week, as more than 100 flights were disrupted by fog in Wellington.
Airlines were pilloried for lack of communication by angry, tired passengers holed up at the airport.
It's all very well to give passengers a blanket and a bottle of water, but what most wanted was useful and timely information, not a piece of paper telling them to find accommodation, as reported.
And as getting through to Air New Zealand by phone is difficult on a good day, claims of its phone lines crashing aren't surprising.
Weather disruption costs both airlines and passengers financially but there is also a cost to airline brand and customer loyalty.
A crisis, even a small one, is also an opportunity for airlines to demonstrate their care and professionalism. If you're a traveller in a foreign country it's stressful getting stranded when you have no one to call for help.
So, it wasn't just those directly affected by the disruption, we were all watching to see how airlines managed the situation.
With scientists claiming climate change will increase the frequency of superstorms, we all need to be prepared for more of these incidents.
Stranded passengers are great media fodder. Journalists find the most unfortunate cases and retell their grim stories, casting aspersions on the airlines.
Now, angry passengers can react immediately via social media influencing others, including future airline customers, while also feeding traditional media.
But I was curious when passengers claimed they were not being communicated with adequately.
Curious because airlines are continually improving their technology to talk to customers, whether through an ap or simple email.
It's difficult to tell whether the airlines weren't providing enough details or passengers were expecting information that was simply unavailable.
Airlines are legally required to "fix" the situation as quickly as possible even when disruption is outside their control. Customers could perceive '"fixing it" as anything from getting a bed and a meal through to just getting on the next flight when the fog clears.
With most people owning portable digital devices and airlines collecting more and more customer data, surely there is a more sophisticated way for customers and airlines to communicate?
Major carriers spend millions on systems to automate their responses to disruption, but the speed in which digital communication is progressing and the customer reports from last week would suggest more needs to be done.
A customer-centric airline should be personalising information to passengers and that probably means continually investing in ways to provide fast information as soon as a problem occurs.
And we should never forget the human element. As well as being informed, airlines must view customer care as an investment in passenger loyalty.
A simple and sincere acknowledgement of the disruption and gestures such as lounge access, air points or meal vouchers go a long way toward keeping customers loyal.
Passengers will continue to talk about their experience and influence others. A story of "bad made good" by an airline will only increase the strength of their brand.
Weather disruption has been an issue affecting air travel since it began. What is different now is that the rapid evolution of digital communication means there is no excuse for customers not to feel informed.
Airlines who ignore this will be facing more than weather disruption but a disruption in future business.
An airline that uses digital technology with the customer's interests at the forefront cannot help but win in the brand and loyalty stakes.