Improving the Airport Customer Experience (2016)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

189 Successful management in the airport environment is challenging given the distributed and interdependent nature through which services are delivered to airport customers. Customer service managers are often faced with designing a customer satisfaction improvement program that must concurrently meet internal tests required for program approval while obtaining the collaboration, buy-in, and support of those in the airport community who will participate in or be affected by the program being proposed. This chapter presents a template with supporting checklists for use by airport customer service managers and others for designing and implement- ing an effective airport-wide customer satisfaction improvement program. 12.1 Overview—Designing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program The type of customer satisfaction improvement program an airport implements often depends on the program organizer’s role in the organization (and therefore the organizer’s sphere and level of influence) and the breadth of the desired impacts. The potential impact of a program can range from enhancing the culture of the entire airport to motivating a specific work group to be more customer-centric and results-driven. Regardless of the organizer’s position within the organization and the desired breadth of the improvement, it is possible to successfully implement a customer experience improvement program that will significantly enhance satisfaction for customers. The template that follows is written for the customer service manager. However, when a cus- tomer satisfaction improvement program is launched at the highest level of an organization, the results are more compelling since the chief executive’s sphere of influence is both broad and deep. 12.1.1 Context Figure 12-1 shows a strategic, three-phase quality assurance approach to customer experience management that has been successful at multiple U.S. and non-U.S. airports. This approach was first developed at PANYNJ in 1998, a time when U.S. airports believed that the airlines were their sole customer and the passengers were the airlines’ customers. At that time, European airports such as London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol were considered customer service pioneers. The commercialization of European airports in the mid-1980s and the direct connec- tion between customer satisfaction and revenue production reset expectations for new levels of customer service. In the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 1 was the catalyst for the airport receiving its first recognition as the world’s best airport from Business Traveler (UK) in 1988, 7 years after Changi’s opening (Changi Airports International, no date). Although the commercialization of airports in the U.S. evolved differently and later than in C H A P T E R 1 2 A Template for Implementing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program

190 Improving the Airport Customer Experience Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, these pioneer non-U.S. airports continue to set the bar for excellence in airport customer experience. The research conducted to produce this guidebook has confirmed that well-rated airports in the United States and worldwide follow a similar approach to airport customer experience management and have many of the same customer service building blocks in place. There are three key phases in implementing a strategic customer satisfaction improvement program. The activities in each phase are summarized in the following subsections. Phase 1. The Airport Brand—Setting the Standard • Understand the airport’s customers, business partners, stakeholders, and airport employees • Understand customer needs, wants, perceptions, and expectations using market research, includ- ing through use of social media • Determine customer priorities—addressing what is important to customers • Design and build the airport’s brand • Set and publish airport service and design standards • Understand the cost versus benefit of service standards adopted and programs established • Establish branded service programs or major initiatives – Implementation plans, including funding and timelines • Engage, energize, and educate all airport employees • Get airport community involvement and buy-in Phase 2. Managing for Results • Develop a performance management plan • Use reliable feedback systems for all customers • Determine baseline measures • Set realistic targets, such as: – Improve customer satisfaction by ____. – Increase revenues by ____ . Decrease costs by ____. • Design and share scorecards Figure 12-1. A strategic, iterative, three-phase approach. © Butterfly Consulting.

A Template for Implementing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program 191 • Develop and monitor action plans • Implement incentives and reward and recognition programs • Integrate standards and performance management programs into the fabric of how business is done at the airport (e.g., RFPs, contracts, permits) • Establish an airport customer service action council • Get airport community involvement and buy-in Phase 3. Significantly Improve the Airport’s Image • Differentiate the airport—make the airport unique • Stay on brand • Implement a marketing plan • Develop a communications plan – For each audience and each channel of communication – Customer communications: help customers make the best use of the airport by giving them the information they need when they need it and using their preferred channels of communication • Manage customer relationships—know who the airport’s customers are and establish a rela- tionship with them to ensure their return and continued satisfaction • Capitalize on the power of the web • Leverage social media—available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; accessible; mobile; human • Get airport community involvement and buy-in All of the top-performing U.S. airports and the well-rated, global airports researched for this guidebook use all or most of the components of this framework regardless of the origin of their particular service delivery strategy. The framework for this approach is built on a strategic, con- tinuous improvement, quality assurance, hospitality model that puts the customer at the center of the experience. It may be packaged differently at different airports and the processes called by different names, but the basic concepts and tools are the same. Figure 12-2 presents a template for implementing a customer satisfaction improvement pro- gram. It depicts how important components of an airport customer service plan are defined by the key activities that occur in each phase of the strategic, customer-centric, and iterative three-phase approach. To be successful, the application of this framework needs to be customized to each airport’s unique business environment while being sensitive to the baseline service levels, business culture, and relationships already in place at the airport as well as the customer base being served. Figure 12-3 presents an overview of the important actions that foster airport customer service excellence. It provides a high-level summary of the more detailed checklists (in Section 12.2) for each phase of the strategic and iterative continuous improvement approach to significantly improve customer satisfaction airport-wide. These more detailed checklists can be of consid- erable service to the customer service manager since they outline the discrete steps an airport operator would take when working with the airport community to implement a new customer satisfaction improvement program. 12.2 Detailed Checklist for a Strategic and Iterative Continuous Improvement Approach to Customer Service Excellence 12.2.1 Phase 1—The Airport Brand This section identifies the service delivery strategy and level of service the customer service improvement program strives to deliver to its customers through the collaboration and buy-in of the appropriate members of the airport community.

192 Improving the Airport Customer Experience Figure 12-2. A template for implementing a customer satisfaction improvement program. © Butterfly Consulting.

A Template for Implementing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program 193 1. Define a total customer experience that is customer-centric and provided in a quality manner on a consistent basis. Key activities of defining a total customer experience include: – Build the airport brand (if you are the CEO) or the customer service program brand (if you are a customer service or functional manager); – Assess the current customer service culture of the airport operator’s organization and the airport community to determine if change is necessary and how to best implement change in the airport’s current environment; – Establish and analyze the baseline foundation of important information needed to build the airport brand or the customer service program brand, including: � Collect relevant information such as the airport operator’s published mission, vision, values, capital plan, business plan, and prior customer service initiatives; � Collect any relevant travel and tourism or other customer service efforts being sponsored by the nation, state, city, or travel and tourism agencies; � Analyze all reliable customer feedback and market research data available about the air- port, including surveys, complaints, social media, and website channels of communica- tion to determine customer needs, wants, expectations, perceptions, and priorities, and baseline measures such as overall customer satisfaction; � Benchmark with other carefully chosen airports and other related industries or relevant processes; � Analyze relevant trends, such as travel trends, industry trends, technology trends, and passenger trends; � Consider both the tangible and intangible aspects of the customer’s experience and do not lose sight of how the airport experience makes customers feel; © Butterfly Consulting. Figure 12-3. Overview checklist of the strategic and iterative continuous improvement approach to service excellence.

194 Improving the Airport Customer Experience – If the airport has already implemented an airport brand, ensure that the experience deliv- ered as a result of the customer service program supports and is aligned with the brand; – Assemble a core group of team members and key managers from the airport community whose buy-in and support are important to implementing the customer service program: � Review the baseline information collected as outlined previously with the core group but with a particular focus on the functional area and the customers who will use the services; � Craft a draft brand statement for the total customer experience to be delivered by the cus- tomer service program and share it with internal management and the airport community that will be affected by the program to obtain their buy-in and support before proceeding; � In effect, act as the CEO of the function and follow the same steps that the CEO would take airport-wide but adjusted for the program level; and – Create the airport customer service action council, which represents the interests of the entire airport community: � The council is a forum to collaboratively identify, implement, and communicate com- munity approaches for customer service excellence at the airport, set service standards, improve and reward performance, enhance airport image, engage airport employees, and otherwise obtain buy-in and build the airport’s brand; � Launch the airport customer service council by assembling an expanded core group of key business partners and stakeholders, especially those who are customer service cham- pions; consider including representation from airport employees and share the brand statement for the total customer experience with them; � Upon obtaining commitment from the expanded core group to participate in the council and support the airport/program brand, share the brand statement with others in the airport community for subsequent adoption (if the airport brand is new) and issue an open invitation for key representatives from the airport community to join the airport customer service council; � Continue to schedule regular/periodic meetings of the customer service action council with appropriate representation from the airport community for the type of customer service program being implemented to continue to design, manage, and communicate other important components of the customer service improvement program. 2. Address key drivers of customer satisfaction, adopt service standards, and implement branded customer service programs. Once the brand, which is at the heart of the total customer experience, has been defined, identifying and addressing key drivers of customer satisfaction, developing and adopting service/ design standards, and implementing customer service programs or major initiatives that are aligned with the airport brand are important next steps to building a well-rated airport brand. – Use market research tools to determine who the customers are that will benefit from the customer service program or major initiative and understand their needs, wants, expecta- tions, and perceptions. – Identify key drivers of customer satisfaction (i.e., customer priorities for both airport-level brands and program-level brands) using appropriate market research tools such as cus- tomer satisfaction surveys to determine the key drivers of customer satisfaction. For many airports, staff courtesy, terminal cleanliness (especially restrooms), ease of finding one’s way, sense of place, and airport ambience are often among the drivers of customer satisfaction. – Adopt service/design standards that are aligned with the airport brand, starting with key drivers of customer satisfaction. – Launch a branded customer service program or a major initiative to address the identified key driver(s) of customer satisfaction. � For example, if the attitude and behavior of airport staff is a key driver of customer satisfaction airport-wide, consider adopting airport service standards for the attitude,

A Template for Implementing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program 195 appearance, knowledge, and awareness of airport staff working with the customer ser- vice action council that collaborated to adopt the airport brand. � Introduce an airport-wide customer service training program aligned with the airport brand and the service standards for the behavior of airport staff. This training program may be delivered on a scheduled basis or as part of the airport’s badging process for air- port employees. A desired outcome of the branded customer service training program is to enhance the services provided by all airport employees. The customer service perfor- mance management plan that is implemented in Phase 2 helps monitor that customer satisfaction with the service provided by airport employees is indeed improved. 3. Develop an implementation plan to ensure successful outcomes as for any other important program, project, or initiative. The implementation plan for the customer service program or major initiative details the following for all participants, whether internal or external: – Tasks, task managers, timeline, critical path, key milestones, performance management plan, authorizations required, and resource requirements. – Budget information, including the funds required, the source of the funds, and budget per- formance management. – Projections of non-aeronautical revenue, if applicable, which may result from the imple- mentation of the customer service program or major initiative. – A determination of whether a pilot program is warranted to provide a proof of concept. – Staffing, including training detailing the staffing level required, the source of the staff [e.g., insourced (employees of the airport operator, stakeholders, or business partners), outsourced (through a third-party service provider), or a combination]. Having identified the staffing required and its source, the implementation plan should also indicate the training required as well as the training provider and training timeframe. 12.2.2 Phase 2—Managing for Results Phase 2 involves developing a customer service performance management system for the branded customer service program or major initiative implemented in Phase 1. Steps in implementing a customer service performance management system include those discussed in the following. • Identify key performance indicators to measure and monitor customer satisfaction, focusing on the critical few measures to achieve results that matter most: – Overall customer satisfaction is often a KPI for customer experience performance man- agement. – If the attitude and behavior of airport staff is a key driver of customer satisfaction airport- wide, then the attitude and behavior of airport staff would be a KPI to measure the perfor- mance of the customer service training program and airport staff in general. • Determine baseline measures to track improvements from the launch of any customer service initiatives or branded customer service programs. • Set stretch but realistic targets to determine successful outcomes for the key performance measures identified. • Design and share customer service scorecards on a regular basis with the airport customer service council and others in the airport community: – Be sure to include those who provide the service being measured or have influence over the delivery of this service. – Include all measures of performance for the service on the scorecard, including customer satisfaction survey results such as ASQ results and mystery shopping results, and inspec- tions, complaints, quantitative measures such as waiting times, length of queues, and first bag/last bag measures.

196 Improving the Airport Customer Experience • Working in close collaboration with the airport customer service council and others in the airport community, develop customer service action plans, with a particular emphasis on the providers of the service that drive or influence customer satisfaction: – Monitor and track action plan deliverables and their impact on customer service KPIs. – Report back to the airport customer service council. • The implementation plan and the performance management action plan should be integrated, as required, to ensure that the implementation plan is completed on time, within budget, and in line with all performance goals and targets set. • Implement incentives as well as reward and recognition programs for customer service excel- lence, improvements in overall customer satisfaction, and other key performance results: – Airport stakeholders, business partners, terminal operators, airlines, third-party service contractors, federal agencies, other service providers, and airport employees would be eli- gible to be recognized. – Airports should take every opportunity to celebrate success with the airport community, including achieving interim targets. – Communicate each successful step with airport customers, the public, the community, and, when appropriate, the media across multiple channels of communication. • Focus on educating, engaging, and energizing airport employees as valuable brand ambassa- dors using tools such as airport orientation programs, customer service training, reward and recognition programs, and employee communications programs. 12.2.3 Phase 3—Improving the Airport’s Image One of the key components of improving the airport’s image is developing a customer satis- faction improvement communications plan. A customer satisfaction improvement communi- cations plan details how the airport operator plans to communicate customer service excellence information/updates to various audiences and which channels of communication will be used. Ongoing, open, credible communications are critical to the long-term success of any customer sat- isfaction improvement program. This is because success is dependent on the airport community’s understanding and buy-in of the airport’s mission, vision, values, customer service brand, service standards, performance goals, action plans, and implementation plan, including all milestones. Components of the customer satisfaction improvement communications plan include: • Objectives. Objectives are the results to be achieved through communications. Examples of communications objectives are: – All staff working at the airport are aware of the customer satisfaction improvement initia- tive and the airport brand, can verbalize how it affects them, and understand how they can support it; – The customer satisfaction improvement initiative and the airport brand influence all air- port internal and external communication channels; – Achievements of airport community members and individual employees that advance the customer satisfaction improvement initiative and the airport brand are promoted; and – To educate external stakeholders, the local convention and visitors’ bureau, the public, and media regarding aviation customer service issues being addressed by the customer satisfac- tion improvement initiative. • Branding and standardized messaging. Branding is a powerful communication concept that includes a unique name, image, and/or colors that are consistently used for all communica- tions concerning the customer satisfaction improvement initiative and the airport. Branding, when combined with standardized messaging, establishes quicker identification, recognition, and integration of the customer satisfaction improvement initiative and airport communica- tions by all relevant audiences.

A Template for Implementing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program 197 • Goals. Goals are approaches that will be used to achieve communication plan objectives. For example, if educating the external stakeholders regarding aviation customer service issues is an objective of the plan, then goals to accomplish this objective may include attending indus- try customer service conferences or including an aviation customer service issue topic of the month in every airport monthly report to external stakeholders. • Audiences. The communications plan should include all constituencies who need to know, understand, and buy in to the customer satisfaction improvement initiative. These audiences are summarized in Table 12-1. • Communications channels are the tools, communication mediums, and platforms that can be used to communicate information concerning the customer satisfaction improvement initia- tive and progress updates to different audiences. The communications plan typically includes guidance concerning which tool, medium, and platform is most appropriate for specific goals or audiences. Table 12-2 provides examples of communication channels by audience. • Suggested timetable/frequency/ownership. The overall timetable and the frequency of use of the available communications tools to be used should be included in the communica- tions plan. • Communications performance management. Monitor/measure that the objectives of the communication plan are being achieved as is the case for KPI(s) within the customer satisfac- tion initiative performance management plan. Additional communications plan actions are: • Establish a customer satisfaction improvement communications steering group to champion/ guide customer satisfaction improvement communications. The chair of this steering group should be a member of the airport operator executive team who also sits on the customer service action council. • Incorporate ongoing identification and implementation of specific communications goals/ tools in managers’ performance reviews. • Leverage communication strategies/tools already in place, such as airport operator internal town hall meetings, existing station manager meetings, and airport operations committee meetings. Internal Audiences Airport Stakeholders and Business Partners External Audiences Airport operator’s board Airport management Airport departments Airport staff Airlines Concessionaires Third-party contractors Police TSA, FAA, etc. Political constituencies CVB staff, etc. Table 12-1. Communications plan audiences. Airport Staff Customers and External Stakeholders Monthly managers meetings/other meetings Customer service committees Email updates Town hall events Posters, buttons, coins Customer service working groups Employee newsletters Internal website Reward and recognition events Staff appreciation events External website Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+) Brochures, banners Print ads and other media Posters, buttons Tenant working groups Table 12-2. Communication channels by audience.

198 Improving the Airport Customer Experience 12.2.4 Develop the Customer Service Plan for the Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program or Major Initiative Using the outcomes of the activities included in the customer-driven strategic and iterative continuous improvement three-phase approach detailed in Section 12.2.1, Section 12.2.2, and Section 12.2.3, develop the customer service plan. The components of the customer service plan typically include: • Customer service vision and brand statement; • Customer service strategic objectives; • Collaborative approach to foster buy-in and collaboration: – Within the airport operator organization; – Within the airport community, including stakeholders and business partners; – Among employees; • Understanding of the customer: – Customer demographics; – Customer needs, wants, and expectations; – Customer feedback through tools such as complaints, social media, comments, and airport staff; • Market research to determine the key drivers of customer satisfaction: – Customer satisfaction surveys; – Airport employee surveys; – Business partner/stakeholder surveys; – Focus groups; – Benchmarking; • Adopting service and design standards: – Service policies and protocols; – Guidelines for service delivery; airport employee knowledge, attitude, and appearance; air- port ambience; cleanliness; sense of place; wayfinding; construction, and so forth; • Establishing customer service programs to address drivers of customer satisfaction and cus- tomer priorities; • Cost/benefit analyses of alternative customer service standards and programs; • Performance management plan: – Performance management tools such as surveys, inspections, mystery shops, and complaint tracking; – Key performance indicators and tracking changes; – Baseline measures; – Realistic targets; – Scorecards/dashboards; – Action plans with business partners, stakeholders, or internal airport operator department; – Incentive and awards programs; • Educating, engaging, and energizing airport employees: – Customer service training programs; – Reward and recognition programs; – Airport employee orientation programs; – Needed equipment, uniforms, systems, and so forth; • Implementation plan(s): – Tasks; – Timeline and milestones; – Accountability;

A Template for Implementing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program 199 – Funding levels and sources; – Pilot program or a phased approach; • Communications plan: – Channels of communication (e.g., social media); – For internal airport operator organization; – For business partners and stakeholders; – For airport employees; – For the community; – For elected officials and airport governing board; – For the media; – For the public; and • The customer relationship management approach. 12.2.5 Selling the Proposed Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program or Major Initiative It is important that the customer satisfaction improvement program or major initiative be packaged, managed, and reported in the same way the airport operator presents other important business or capital projects to its board and other constituencies. A customer satisfaction improve- ment program is a business proposal that must be presented in business terms. The airport board, investors, stakeholders, and the business community need to understand that customer satisfac- tion improvement is not a feel-good initiative; it is good business. The return on investment is significant. A number of sources have documented that happy customers can increase revenue by as much as 40%. The potential for enhanced airport image, credibility, and market share as well as increased customer satisfaction and growth in non-aeronautical revenues is impressive. 12.3 Evaluating and Selecting Best Practices That Are Transferable and Aligned with the Airport Brand Checklist As previously noted, air travelers benchmark at least two airports every time they fly, and their expectations can change from the time they leave their origin to the time they arrive at their des- tination. Similarly, airport operators frequently benchmark with other airports domestically and internationally and often emulate good ideas to which passengers seem to be favorably respond- ing or that garner favorable media coverage. However, these ideas may not have the best return on customer satisfaction and investment for their customer base and their airport. Following are considerations that airport operators should take into account when determin- ing whether the notable practices identified in this guidebook are transferable to their airports, aligned with their airport brands, and of value to their customers. 12.3.1 Airport Strategic Objectives and Brand Considerations Checklist Airport operators are responsible for putting forward an articulate mission, vision, brand (or service delivery strategy), master plan, strategic plan, and financial plan for their airports. They must then work in collaboration with the entire airport community to make their envisioned future a reality. Once the airport’s key goals are defined and understood, all decisions should be made in line with these guiding principles and documents. The following bullets discuss airport strategic objectives and brand considerations.

200 Improving the Airport Customer Experience • If an airport’s mission, vision, and airport brand are not clearly articulated or are not cus- tomer-driven, airports should consider revisiting them and enhancing them for the airport’s current needs. • If an airport’s mission, vision, and airport brand are deemed to be responsive to competitive pressures and customer needs, wants, expectations, and perceptions, then a strategic planning initiative with a customer service focus may be advisable. This strategic planning initiative would help ensure that all decisions are aligned with these guiding statements and documents, which should provide the first filter through which any decisions are made. 12.3.2 Customer Considerations Checklist Those notable practices that pass the first filter (strategic and brand considerations) next need to be analyzed to determine their appropriateness and value to the airport customers who will be affected by the practices being considered for implementation. The customer considerations that should be analyzed include: • The airport’s customer profile (age, gender, socio-economical classification, education level, etc.) and customers’ needs, wants, expectations, and perceptions; • The types of products and services that the airport’s customers are likely to value and use; • Customer satisfaction with the airport’s current services and products; • Expected improvement in overall customer satisfaction; • Customer priorities at the airport (drivers of customer satisfaction); • Impact on customer perceptions and the airport’s image; • Expected number of new customers the airport is hoping to attract; • How much customers are willing to pay for the proposed products or services; and • Impact on the airport’s net revenues, especially its non-aeronautical revenues. The results of this analysis will assist the airport in determining which customer service nota- ble practices should continue to be considered. For example, if there is value for current or future customers of the airport as well as a business value for the airport, then the practice would pass the customer considerations filter and be measured using the considerations that are discussed in following subsections. 12.3.3 Business Partner and Stakeholder Considerations Checklist If a notable practice is aligned with the airport’s strategic objectives and brand, and a viable customer base exists or is sought that values the practice being considered, then an analysis should be undertaken of any impact on the airport’s business partners and stakeholders from implementing the practice. The business partner and stakeholder considerations checklist involves understanding answers to questions such as: • Is the notable practice in competition with products or services provided by airport business partners or stakeholders? • Are business partners and stakeholders willing to support or help fund/sponsor the practice? • What is the impact (real and perceived) of the practice on business partners and stakeholders? 12.3.4 Budget and Business Case Considerations Checklist As with any other initiative that the airport is reviewing, budget considerations are impor- tant, and a business case supporting implementation of the customer service notable practice

A Template for Implementing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program 201 will need to be made and presented. The budget and business case considerations checklist includes: • All costs associated with implementing and sustaining the notable practice. • The benefit of implementing the practice. • Non-aeronautical revenues projected, if any. Studies have shown that increases in overall customer satisfaction increase non-aeronautical revenues. Consideration should be given to including this in the non-aeronautical revenues projected and tracked. • Net revenue considerations, if any, such as reduced costs or cost-avoidance. • Source of funds. • A determination of whether a pilot program or proof of concept is required. 12.3.5 Staffing Considerations Checklist Staffing considerations are as important as budget considerations when analyzing notable practices since staff and money are both important resources for any project or initiative. Items in the staffing considerations checklist include: • Impact on staffing to implement and sustain the notable practice; • Source of staffing: – Airport operator; – Insourced or outsourced; – Full-time employees, interns, and volunteers; – Collaboration with unions and third-party contractors; – Combination; • Resources required by staff: – Skill levels; – Uniforms; – Equipment (booths, chairs, etc.); – Technology (radios, smart phones, tablets, computers, Wi-Fi, Internet, etc.); • Hours of operation; • Staff transportation requirements, if any; • Training; and • Performance management requirements (e.g., mystery shopping). 12.3.6 Technology Considerations Checklist Given that technology has become a pervasive and powerful enabler and that being able to use the latest technology is expected by most customers everywhere today, the technology requirements of any notable practice need to be factored into the airport’s decision-making process. The technology considerations checklist includes: • Source of technology: – Insourced or outsourced, – Impact on staff and staffing, • Infrastructure needed to support the technology, • Time required to implement technology and train staff, • Determination of whether a pilot program or proof of concept is required, • Custom development versus adapting a packaged solution (e.g., mobile apps), • Potential for obsolescence or replacement by other technologies, and • Competing applications that may limit effectiveness (for example, third-party or airline- developed apps).

202 Improving the Airport Customer Experience 12.3.7 Evaluation Considerations Checklist In addition to the considerations discussed so far, any other evaluation criteria that may apply to the notable practice must be evaluated and added to the decision matrix before a decision is made to proceed. All evaluations should be made in terms of both the plusses (benefits, gains, revenues, increased customer satisfaction and growth, enhanced airport image, etc.) and the minuses (costs, community opposition, etc.). The evaluation considerations checklist might include: • Space requirements—some areas of an airport, especially in the central terminal area or within the terminal, are prime real estate, and consideration needs to be given to the best use of that space; • Construction requirements—minimal and quick versus significant, lengthy, or expensive; • Public relations, media, and community implications; • Operational and custodial implications; and • Ongoing sustainability. 12.4 Working with Business Partners, Stakeholders, Elected Officials and Airport Awards/Commissions to Garner Support, Buy-in, and Approval to Proceed As has been documented throughout this guidebook, the airport environment is complex. An airport relies heavily on the relationships developed by all who participate in its service delivery chain and those entities that support, govern, or are affected by the airport. The more aligned these entities are with the airport’s mission, vision, and customer-centric airport brand and the more integrated they are in the airport’s decision-making process, the more successful the airport will be in producing highly satisfied customers. It is important that an airport’s business part- ners, stakeholders, and elected officials feel that they are brought in (and have bought in) to the airport’s programs, initiatives, processes, and other considerations before the airport proceeds. Collaboration and communication are crucial to successfully implementing a notable practice and help ensure that the airport community acts as one in serving its customers. Various tools are used by airports to ensure that the airport, service providers, and elected officials or com- mission members work together. The tools available to produce successful collaboration and communications include: • Identifying a chief customer experience officer who is a member of the airport’s executive staff. This officer participates in any important decisions or influential discussions, including those involving business partners, stakeholders, or elected politicians. • Enhanced internal processes (approval processes, budget processes, project authorizations) that ensure customer service considerations are always part of the discussion and decision making. • Forums to regularly collaborate, communicate, and make decisions that affect customer experiences, including: – Customer service action council, – Station manager meetings, – Airport operations committee, – Emergency operations center, – Capital program/construction project updates, – Agenda review meetings to review items for board approval, and – Table-top exercises and post-mortems to avoid service disruptions or failures.

A Template for Implementing a Customer Satisfaction Improvement Program 203 • Changing the way the airport does business to be customer-centric and consistently do what it says it will do at all levels of management and throughout the airport. In this customer-centric environment, customer experience management is a standing item at the aforementioned forums and at meetings with the airport board, elected officials, and airport commissions as well as at award ceremonies. Keeping customer service a priority at these meetings builds credibility and garners support on an ongoing basis. • Always presenting customer service improvement programs in business terms similar to any other significant capital, concessions, technological, or operational investment. This is especially important if the airport still thinks of customer service as not one of the funda- mental reasons the airport exists. Remember to include projected non-aeronautical revenue increases resulting from increased customer satisfaction in the business case and track that revenue projections KPIs as well as customer satisfaction KPIs are being realized. • Educating stakeholders such as elected officials and community leaders regarding aviation issues and airport customer experience management. This can also include inviting them to participate in aviation conferences and benchmarking visits. • Organizing events for the airport community to raise funds for a worthy cause, to celebrate success, to be good neighbors, and to enhance camaraderie and relationships among the members of the airport community. • Consistent, transparent, and frequent communications that are aligned with the airport’s mission, vision, and brand internally and externally and that emphasize the importance of enhancing the customer experience at the airport. • Sharing the numbers (i.e., customer experience KPIs) with business partners, stakeholders, the airport board, elected officials, the airport commission, and airport employees is also important. In this way, everyone knows where the airport stands, and they participate in achieving its goals and enjoy celebrating its success. 12.5 Implementing Customer Satisfaction Improvement Programs and Managing Change Implementing a customer satisfaction improvement program is as much about customer experience management as it is about managing change. This is especially true in the United States, where many airports’ customer service improvement programs are still evolving. In the United States, customer experience management is often not strategically or program driven from the airport operator’s executive management team. Regardless of where the airport’s cus- tomer service champion resides on the airport’s organization chart, managing change is impor- tant to transitioning a process- or capital-driven airport culture to a customer-centric and experience-management–driven airport culture. The most successful airport customer experience management programs are those that oper- ate holistically in terms of an airport’s overall service delivery strategy or customer service brand. Other companies that provide services at airports, most notably those providing concessions, are no strangers to the concepts of brand, service standards, brand and performance management, and employee engagement. These companies provide a natural opportunity to benchmark cus- tomer service best practices and to collaborate with existing customer service champions already doing business at the airport to help the airport manage change and to implement airport-wide customer service improvement programs. Airports that are consistently highly rated by their customers share many of the characteristics of success shown in Figure 12-4. These characteristics of success are worthy of consideration by every airport.

204 Improving the Airport Customer Experience © Butterfly Consulting. 1. They build an airport brand – a shared customer service vision and a consistent service delivery strategy across the entire continuum of services provided to the airport customer. This airport brand is based on the collaboration and buy-in of the entire airport community. It is a brand that the airport’s customers value and buy into. 2. They focus on customer priorities and manage performance across the entire service delivery chain. 3. They design airport experiences from the customer’s point of view. 4. They get the basics right each time and every time, from the cleanliness of their restrooms to the courtesy and professionalism of staff. 5. They adopt service standards aligned with the airport brand to provide guidance on the level of service expected from all who provide service to the airport’s customers. 6. They manage performance airport-wide. 7. They communicate often, and their message is consistently on brand. 8. They understand the importance and value of employee engagement and empowerment. 9. They leverage technology to optimize operations and enable their customers. 10. They empower their customers with the right information at the right time, using the communications channels preferred by those customers. 11. They cultivate the power of social media to build relationships with customers that are mobile; available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and human. 12. They invest in their people, their relationships, and in modernizing their facilities. 13. They constantly innovate and continuously improve. 14. They foster exceptional ambience throughout the airport, creating a unique sense of place and recognizing valuable opportunities to surprise and delight their customers. 15. They understand that excellent customer service is one of the airport’s prime objectives. Figure 12-4. Characteristics of success at airports rated highly by customers.