United Airlines has gotten really good at celebrating customer milestones, like million mile achievements, inflight.
They also want flight attendants to wow customers by offering to hang jackets in first class, limiting galley noise, and delivering predeparture beverages up front – and most of all, thanking customers for flying United.
Live and Let’s Fly cites a United Airlines memo to flight crew detailing that providing specific elite recognition onboard drives a 45 point difference in customer satisfaction.Did the flight attendants recognize your MileagePlus status? Year-to-date, FA Satisfaction is 94.8 when Global Services and Premier 1K customers answer yes to this question versus 50.3 when they answer no. That is a ~45-point difference!Premier customers (Silver, Gold, Platinum, 1K and Global Services) are extremely valuable to United, and many fly United just as often as you do. Your [device] makes it easy to identify GS/1K customers…and invite them to enjoy a Choice Menu item and their first drink on us.American Airlines research shows that two main drivers of a first class customer’s likelihood to recommend the airline are (1) receiving a predeparture beverage, and (2) being addressed by name.
Put another way, they’re more likely to recommend the carrier when they receive the service they expect and when they are recognized. There are many ways to recognize a customer – treating them as an individual (speaking to them as a person with a name) and thanking them for their business (which means you’re aware of them as a person and their contribution to the company).These are small touches that help make air travel feel more human. Most of the time it’s highly impersonal. We’re pushed to use digital channels to interact with the airline. Coach class feels like cattle class. And even first class isn’t in any way refined.
When I was a ConciergeKey member at American Airlines they were good at taking care of me when travel plans went south. But there were day to day things that they did as well. Often a premium services agent would simply meet ConciergeKey members at the gate, walk them up to the plane, and thank them. That’s a different experience than just scanning a boarding pass. There’s a person who welcomes you, and that’s hospitality.An airline has tens of thousands of employees who interface with customers, and each one can be an ambassador for the brand. That’s why uniforms matter, and a product that employees can be proud of matters. Encouraging them to interact with passengers guests matters, too.
While there’s little that can be done to force it, United is really good about providing on board and in-airport milestone recognition. They’re trying to be better about saying thanks on board as well, even if it’s just words of encouragement for staff making that happen.