As I stand in line waiting to find out my fate on my maintenance
delayed Delta flight, I can't help but wonder how eCommerce could help
solve this problem. It is a fact, airlines will have delays for either
weather, maintenance or scheduling. It's how the airlines respond to
these makes the difference between a world class customer experience
and crap. Here are a few thoughts for Delta, AA or any other airline.
Some of these things the airlines already do for their elite customers
1. Automatically rebook customers on delayed flights if the delay is
more than 1/2 the time of the entire flight. Do this for all customers
2. Use the power of your web site with things like iPhone apps and
Blackberry apps to interface with your customers ( wap sites don't
count).
3. On of the functions of the app should be a missing or canceled flight
4. Send an apology note to delayed customers and include a free drink
or snack coupon. For elite customers who spend more with the airline,
give them a free upgrade
5. Survey a subset of the delayed customer a few days after the event
to find out how their experience was and act upon what you find! Make
this a part of your business process, not a one time study
6. Send delay or update notifications to your customers to their
wireless devices
Just a few ideas that would help any airline deal with the inevitable.
It's how you react to a event that will create customer loyalty
It's my turn at the desk
Bob Steelhammer
iPhone out...
