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NIIT Technologies White Paper

Positive Customer Experience ManagementPositive Customer Experience ManagementBUILDING THE BUSINESS ADVOCATESBUILDING THE BUSINESS ADVOCATES

Avadhesh Kr. Sharma

CONTENTS

What is Customer Experience Management? 3

Airline passenger interaction time wave 3

IT: For building a consistent experience every time you interact 5

TRANSPORTATION

JOURNEYJOURNEY

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION

TRAVEL

TRAVEL

TRAVEL

TRAVEL TRAVELTOUR

GUIDE

GUIDEGUIDE

CARGO

CARGOCARGO

CARGO CARGOLOGISTICS

LOGISTICS

PACKAGING

Positive Customer Experience ManagementCustomer Experience (CX) is series of interaction between an

organization and a customer over a period of time, during their

business relationship. From awareness, discovery, attraction,

interaction, purchase, use, cultivation and advocacy, it can also

be used to go beyond functional efficiencies and create a

branded experience.

”Experience is something which we all remember,

good or bad. Based on it we shape our thoughts

and image regarding people, places, products

and services’’.

But great customer experiences don’t happen by accident. They

are planned, designed and actively managed. Companies that

consistently deliver, and improve upon, positive experiences have

three things in common: customer insight, a customer culture, and

a “designed” customer experience.

A customer experience can be positive or negative based on the

perceived value of the interaction and actual interaction, which again

is a primary derivative of the customer’s perception. To succeed

and deliver a consistent, differentiated, positive experience, the

company has to understand the touch point elements of the

customer experience and the perception that is influenced by

knowing the customers point of view. Most organizations begin with

strong brand marketing initiatives and spend most of their budget

on creating overwhelming brand perception through advertising

campaigns. What fails them is the inability to deliver services at par

to customer expectations created by the positive rub-off the

campaign created on customers. The philosophy is to ‘Reinforce the

brand with every interaction, not just communication’.

The next step for organizations is to build a positive experience

and understand the customer’s perceived value about the brand,

The communication to create awareness and build an image in the

mind of the consumer has changed the way airlines manage and

connect with customers. For better customer interactions, airlines

must understand the essence of interactions when a customer

starts his journey of interacting with the products, services, and

service personnel. Therefore it becomes vital to look at the various

touch points for an airline passenger that creates a bad or a good

customer experience and differentiate them based on the degree

of control an airline has on these factors of influence.

Customer touch pointsa) Website/Booking: If the customer can understand the website

or the booking process easily, then this factor can change the

whole landscape of the airline profitability. A happy customer is

one who not only advocates but also dramatically changes

airline revenues. With internet booking increasing, airlines must

revisit their online strategy and take the first step to check the

factors that are in complete control.

Airline Passenger Interaction Time Wave

3

product or service. Finally organization must fulfill the promise of

the service and create an experience that would lead to advocates

of the brand and the organization.

The paper advocates how organizations must deliver a rich,

personalized cross-channel experience with seamless integration

across all touch points.

What are the services or ways that can be defined to utilize the

time for enhancing the customer experience and airline revenue or

assist the passenger seeking any kind of information with ease? A

customer doesn’t always ask for information. A service provider

should always look out for ways to convey the needed information.

For instance, a customer would love to hear an alert from an airline

telling him about the public transport disruptions and suggesting

it’s better to drive and park your car at the airport, further asking

him if he wants the airline to book the parking lot for him.

He would like to know about the check-in desk or how much

time will it take for security check? What are the shopping

options available on the airport? Are there any kind of

suggestions, airlines can give for shopping based on the

customers purchase history and preferences?

When it comes to pre-flight experience on airports, few airlines

closely study their target audiences and their preferences.

Cathay Pacific Airlines primary customers are corporate

executives or businessmen travelling in the Asia pacific region or

internationally. They look for safety, services, status, and

connectivity to major cities in the world. Business lounge of CX is

huge (4,500 m2). They have self-selection and a-la-carte food

counters serving Asian and international cuisines, working area

with free internet access and comfortable sofa areas. They also

offer shower facility. CX's boarding gates are Gate No.1, 2, 3 and

4, which is just outside the business lounge.

Now compare this with an airline that does not have its own

business lounge, and is shared with other airlines, which is only one

third of the size of CX's. They have self-serviced counter with basic

snacks, instant noodles and beverages. No shower. The boarding

gates are over 30, and the customers need to take a mono-rail and

board the flight at least 20 minutes before the departure. JD Powers

study passengers 2010 cited three airline operational issues as

having the most severe impact on the travel experience: baggage

issues, disruption management (delayed or cancelled flights),

and check-in time delays. Managing baggage, cancelled flights

and improving the check-in experience are some of the areas where

airlines and airports can work together to better manage the

communication and services delivered around these issues.

c. In-flight Experience: In-flight is the time when the customer

actually consumes an airlines primary service. Onboard staff,

seating comfort, meal, and numerous other factors add up to

create the in-flight experience. Some of the in-flight factors are:

i) Staff grooming

ii) Welcome greetings

The offers/deals proposed to customers by airlines through their

website, is completely based on the airlines business model and

strategy. The presentation of these programs is also part of the

online strategy. The usability of the website and the quality of GUI

must compliment the brand image. While designing GUI airlines

must understand the perspective of end users of the website. An

intuitive design with right color combinations and fonts is a major

factor when it comes to online user experience. Airlines must use

various techniques to understand the customers web experience

needs, and must conduct online usability groups with a sample of

the target audience and gain valuable insight into how the

consumers use and think about the website, marketing and

overall marketing mix. Contextual observation and analysis

(shadowing), where a user is observed using a website in a

'natural' environment should be conducted to identify factors that

adversely affects the success of the online investment. Airlines

must build a visually attractive website with effective use of white

space, effective and consistent use of colors and style of pages.

FOR INSTANCE; LOOK AT THE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES WEBSITE.

FOUR YEARS AGO THEY STARTED WORKING TOWARDS HAVING A

WELL DESIGNED WEBSITE, AND SINCE THEN THEY ARE

CONSTANTLY UPDATING THE GUI TO GIVE A REFRESHING LOOK

TO ITS VISITORS. THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IMPACT IS

EVIDENT FROM THE 2012 Temkin Web Experience Ratings

where Southwest Airlines was the only airlines in Top 10.

“SOUTHWEST IS COMMITTED TO IDENTIFYING NEW

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE THE BEST

TRAVEL EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE - AND WE KNOW THAT IT OFTEN

BEGINS WHEN A CUSTOMER VISITS OUR WEBSITE.”

KEVIN KRONE

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING, SALES AND DISTRIBUTION

b. At the airport (Pre- flight and post-flight experience):

Pre-flight is one area where an airline has to work closely with

the airports to build and handle positive customer experience.

Till the time your customers are not flying they are on the airport

spending more than an hour before boarding the flight.

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iii) Ambience

iv) Cleanliness

v) Cabin seat comfort

vi) Airline reading material

vii) In-flight entertainment standards

viii) Staff language skills

ix) Landing experience

x) Standard of meals/ drinks

All these factors largely affect the overall customer experience while

flying. One of my friends while flying with a North American airline

posted on his Facebook profile, ‘’the captain came out of the

cockpit to greet us. I don't remember that ever happening before.’’

According to a US airline quality survey, there are three main factors

that heavily influence a customer buying a flight ticket: Price,

schedule and customer service. Airlines are increasingly focused on

generating revenues, by focusing on customer service.

d. Post flight experience (at the destination): The biggest

factor that affects customer experience post flight is waiting for

the luggage in a crowded place. Airlines have to minimize the

time from the aircraft to the baggage belt. Mishandled, lost or

delayed baggage issues needs to be addressed with utmost

sincerity. Baggage reconciliation system may prove helpful in

handling such situations.

Airlines are struggling to maintain the revenue flow and even

though talks on dynamic packaging and bundling have taken

pace, the impact on the bottom line revenue is not visible.

A leisure traveler usually search all destination related information

before booking a flight. The question is - What an airline gets by

showcasing destination related hotels and package deals? Do

they really sell and how much?

Airlines need to understand that there are online travel sites like

tripadvisor.com and Isango who have the expertise of providing

hotel deals and holiday package, unlike airlines. Apart from these,

there are numerous other OTAs who also provide plenty of such

options and are also one-stop-shop for a travelers need.

5

Building a Consistent Experience Passengers want to be empowered during their journey, informed of

changes dynamically and equipped to manage their trip on-the-go.

Understanding the passenger requirements, Airlines are offering

comprehensive flight services across mobile devices to customers.

The mobile solutions are facilitating airlines by enhance the

customers’ travel experience across the interaction time wave.

i) Website: The easiest way to provide customers with the mobile

functionality and save the cost of building an app is to make your

website mobile compatible. Airlines must build a mobile strategy

wherein instead of building an app for all mobile operating systems

they can make their website compatible with all mobile browsers.

While doing this airline must make sure that the mobile web version

should offer only the prime functionalities. It should be kept simple,

and the airlines should not go for a whole flash outlook.

ii) At the airport: Airlines must take care of pre-flight and post-flight

experience in conjunction with airports for a thoroughly consistent

travel experience. Airports today are huge infrastructural marvels;

passengers need assistance to reach at various services available or

locate their boarding gates. Airlines can offer passengers a whole

new experience using latest mobile technologies.

a. Check-in and boarding

b. Info on public transportation

c. Use of augmented reality for finding ways and services at airport

d. Modifying travel reservations

e. Roaming agents with tablets for check-in

f. Seat selection

g. Baggage tracking

In recent times, the focus is primarily on adapting a complete mobile

check-in and boarding experience without involving any human

intervention, leading to reduced time and shorter queues. Mobile

technology is exponentially growing its foothold in the travel space.

Numerous apps are made available to the customers for booking

and doing a range of other functionalities. However, it is critical to

enhance customer experience. Still after booking ticket passengers

have to stand in long queues for boarding pass and baggage drop.

iii) In- flight: The whole travel experience while in-flight depends on

the interaction with the airline staff, meal quality, In-flight

entertainment systems, ambience and cleanliness of the aircraft.

Mobile technology can completely transform the way airlines

treat their passengers. Airlines staff must use mobile technology

to access the names and meal preferences of the passengers.

Passengers can use the in-flight entertainment system as a

meal order management system. Passengers can see the menu

and place the order directly through IFE. The order placed will

be delivered to the crew members on their tablets.

Airlines can also use Bluetooth for in-flight services and save

cost. NFC and Wi-Fi access inside aircrafts can help

passengers download videos or games while in-flight using

Bluetooth.

iv) At destination: Airlines can partner with hotels, car rentals,

restaurants, shopping partners etc., and use augmented reality

for helping passengers find out hotels, cafes or any other

destination related information or service based on their

preferences and tastes.

Building solutions that help you differentiate among the

commoditized product offering is the way for airlines to keep

passengers happy and loyal.

Mobile using NFC can lead to reduced check-in times and the

same technology can be used in baggage tagging and tracking.

With the growth of Smartphone’s and tablets airlines need to

think above just booking apps and use mobile technology to

enhance travel experience of customers. Airlines can also use

Bluetooth technology for airport check-in and boarding.

Airlines must allow passengers to download stuff like games,

videos, destination guide, and meal menu while they are still on

the airport. When passengers board a flight, the pilot and the

crew greets them. Airlines must develop a mobile solution

wherein passengers can gain access to the basic crew details

with whom they are going to fly today. Knowing the crew

members by name enhance the overall experience of the

passengers resulting in quality human interaction.

Airlines must offer self-tagging facilities for checked-in baggage,

offsite check-in and baggage drop for business class

passengers. Non-invasive facial recognition technology helps

measure, understand and manage passenger queues and

bottlenecks. These facilities provided by the airlines helps the

operations team manage staff levels more effectively, increasing

the time passengers spend in retail and dwell areas.

Finding a way at the airport is sometimes not easy for

passengers. Munich airports - Infogate is a new initiative, where

passengers can use Infogate to simply push a button, and

connect to an information service representative via

videoconference. An initiative like Infogate can also help

passengers find out services like hotels, car rentals and

destination information.

Most passengers find it annoying to wait for their luggage near

the luggage belt. This operational problem can be resolved by

sending a message informing passengers about the expected

amount of time the luggage will take to arrive. The passengers

can utilize the same time for shopping inside the airport duty free

shops or spend their own leisure time.

Airports need to be revamped as leisure destinations like

shopping malls. Providing your passengers enough with a

variety of leisure services results in a more productive use of the

airport facilities.

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Referenceshttp://www.temkinratings.com/temkin-ratings/temkin-web-experie

nce-ratings/

http://www.amadeus.com/groundhandlers

http://www.centreforaviation.com/analysis

http://www.jdpower.com/consumer-ratings/ratings.htm?industry=T

ravel&category=Airline&study=909201299

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Write to us at marketing@niit-tech.com www.niit-tech.com

NIIT Technologies Limited2nd Floor, 47 Mark LaneLondon - EC3R 7QQ, U.K.Ph: +44 20 70020700Fax: +44 20 70020701

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A leading IT solutions organization | 21 locations and 16 countries | 8000 professionals | Level 5 of SEI-CMMi, ver1.2 ISO 27001 certified | Level 5 of People CMM Framework

NIIT Technologies is a leading IT solutions organization, servicing customers in North America,

Europe, Asia and Australia. It offers services in Application Development and Maintenance,

Enterprise Solutions including Managed Services and Business Process Outsourcing to

organizations in the Financial Services, Travel & Transportation, Manufacturing/Distribution, and

Government sectors. With employees over 8,000 professionals, NIIT Technologies follows global

standards of software development processes.

Over the years the Company has forged extremely rewarding relationships with global majors, a

testimony to mutual commitment and its ability to retain marquee clients, drawing repeat

business from them. NIIT Technologies has been able to scale its interactions with marquee

clients in the BFSI sector, the Travel Transport & Logistics and Manufacturing & Distribution, into

extremely meaningful, multi-year "collaborations.

NIIT Technologies follows global standards of development, which include ISO 9001:2000

Certification, assessment at Level 5 for SEI-CMMi version 1.2 and ISO 27001 information

security management certification. Its data center operations are assessed at the international

ISO 20000 IT management standards.

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