Customer Service in the aviation industry

P3

Plan for todayTime Topic

9.30-10.00 Recap of P1 and P2Learning outcomes today

10.00-10.45 P3 Meeting customer needs

10.45-11.00 Break

11.00-12.30 P3 continued importance of meeting customer needs

12.30-1.30 Lunch

Module OverviewWeek No Week

commencingTopic

1 12 Sept P1

2 19 Sep P1

3 26 Sep P1 and P24 3 Oct P35 10 Oct P4, P5, P6, M1 D16 17 Oct P4, P5, P6, M1 D1

7 24 Oct PresentationsHalf term

8 7 Nov P79 16 Nov P810 23 Nov P9 M2, M3, D211 30 Nov Role-plays12 5 Dec Role-plays13 12 Dec Role-plays

Christmas Holidays

Recap of P1 and P2

Ryanair will deliver their perceived customer service of cheap

seats, safe, secure and on-time flights but anything else the

passenger may require will be offered at a cost. In comparison,

British Airways would be expected to deliver a high standard of

customer service at various degrees throughout their different

classes.

Task 3 (provides evidence for P3)

• Explain the importance of meeting aviation customer needs • You should explain the importance of meeting customer needs

to both the organisation and the customer. You must include information for the three customer types listed below, their needs and the levels of customer service. You must include examples from aviation organisations.

• Three types of customer (demographic, cultural, special)

Learning outcomes for today

Identify the needs of specific customersExplain the importance of meeting

aviation customer’s needs

Introduction to P3Why is it important to meet customer needs in aviation?

• To ensure repeat business• increase customer loyalty• Ensure the organisation has a good public image• To ensure that the organisation has an edge over the

competition• Increase sales, profit, provide jobs

Introduction to the importance of meeting customer’s needs• Customers are the centre of our business

• Without them we could not survive

• Effective customer service is essential

• Keeping new and existing customers happy is absolutely vital to our business

Different types of customerTask (10 mins)• In small groups discuss the different types of customers listed

below and explain what products and services are provided to meet their individual needs

• Demographic• Cultural• Special requirements

Consider different levels of service that are provided

Individual needs of passengersTask (5 mins)• By class• Frequent flyers• Vips• Cips• Medical conditions• Unmins• Families with young children• Disabilities• Nervous pax• Special diets• Special requirements• Standby pax• Non English speaking• Elderly passengers• Business passengers• Leisure passengers• Wheelchair passenger

• Look at the list and decide which of the three passenger types (demographic, cultural and special requirements) they would be described as

• Explain at least two reasons why and how an aviation organisation could meet the needs of these passengers

Explain the importance of meeting customer needs and level of service for the two

examples

Frequent Flyers Disabled Passengers

Cultural Awareness• Research cultural awareness by looking at different behaviours

in different cultures e.g greetings, foods eaten main religions

Disability Etiquette quiz• Research disability etiquette at

http://www.uni.edu/equity/DisabilityEtiquette.shtml

And think of a question to ask the other members of your group

Very Important Passengers

Commercially important passengers

• Executives of corporate firms who use one specific airline for all their business.

• One who contributes the most revenue for an airline

• eg – Barclays use British Airways

Medical conditions• Airlines can accommodate passengers with

certain medical conditions such as

• Those requiring oxygen• Those with broken limbs

Unaccompanied Minors

Families with young children

• Extension seatbelts• Bulkhead seats • Bassinets• Bottle warming

Passengers with disabilities

Nervous passengers• Choice of seat ie- window or aisle• Crew to talk over take-off and landing, noise

levels, turbulence, etc• Reassurance

Special diets• Airlines can meet the needs of those customers

with dietary requirements• VGML• VLML• KSML• MOML• DBML

Special requirements• Religious • More legroom• Extension seatbelts for larger passengers

Airline Employee Standby Pax

Meeting customer’s needs -demographic

• Families • Business passengers

Cultural• Ensuring that you are not causing offence to anyone through

not knowing certain behaviours are part of their culture e.g. not eating certain food or clothing

Special requirements• Foods e.g. nut allergies – ensure no items containing nuts are

served on the plane • Visually impaired passengers - Introduce to cabin crew count

rows to emergency exit • Seats with extra leg room for PRM’s if not by an emergency

exit. Tall people may also request extra leg room.

Products and services• Flights• Food and beverages• Car parking• Children’s services• Disabled facilities• Frequent flyer clubs• Range of ticket types• Special cargo services• Medical services

Explain the importance of meeting customer needs based on expectations, e.g perceived needs

Explain the importance of meeting customer needs• To the organisation

• Customer loyalty• Promotes positive image• Attracts new customers• Gains competitive advantage• Improves staff morale• Keeping existing customers satisfied• Increasing customers’ loyalty• Ensuring repeat business• Enhancing an organisation’s image• Providing an edge over the competition• Increasing sales and usage by attracting new customers• The consequences of poor customer service for the customer, the staff

and the organisation

• A happier working environment

• Job satisfaction• Higher self esteem• Possibility of promotion• Good team spirit• Clear guidelines• Job satisfaction• Incentives & possibility of

promotion• Praise & thanks

Importance to the employee

Safe, Secure & Happy Working Environment• If the Airline is run efficiently, the

customers are happy …..

• If the customers are happy – the staff are too ….

• Your workforce is the heart of your business

• Front-line staff are the window of your company

• Unhappy staff reflect an unhealthy business

Explain the importance of meeting customer needs• To the customer

• Satisfaction• Loyalty• Inform others

• Meeting individual customers’ needs

• Exceeding customers expectations

• Safe and secure environment for internal and external

customers

Customer Loyalty• Customer Satisfaction leads to customer loyalty…

• It costs 3 times more to gain a new customer as it does to keep an existing one.

• It makes sense to keep your customer happy….

Customer Loyalty …….• Means repeat business …………….

• Repeat business means Airline organisations can make a profit and be sustainable

Airline profitability• Leads to re-investment and improved standards of customer

service

• It also means airlines can be innovative in a highly volatile and competitive aviation market

Recap of P3 – Quiz • Q1: Name two facilities offered for families with young

children • Q2: Name two ways of meeting the needs of a nervous

passenger • Q3: Name two reasons why it is important to meet customers

needs • Q4: How much more does it cost to gain new customers than

keep existing ones? • Q5: Name three reasons meeting customer needs is important

to employees?