What makes an airport great?
All airports provide the same basic service – flights to various destinations. So, why do some get it just right where others don’t quite hit the mark? Here are just some of the ways in which top airports manage their customer experience:
- Planning ahead
The best airports are already thinking ahead to ways they evolve and imagining what the customer experience might be like in ten years’ time. Rather than catching up with current needs and trends, a great airport is one step ahead, meeting current needs and preparing for future ones.
- Excelling at the basics
Before attempting to wow customers with incredible experiences or the latest tech, great airports are getting the basics spot on all the time. This includes facilities like spotless toilets and terminals, ample seating, friendly approachable staff and a variety of refreshment options. These might not seem exciting, but they are the basics that customers expect from their experience. For Airports in Ireland, visit https://irelandwestairport.com/
- Developing an atmosphere that makes people want to spend time there
A good ambience is more than putting up a few works of art or playing some relaxing music. A great atmosphere needs to include the entire airport experience, from the processing and retail to the directions and staff. Only in getting the whole experience right, can the best atmosphere can be created.
- Low stress processes
Airports can be places of considerable stress for many travellers and the key to reducing this is to develop processes that the customer doesn’t even notice. When processes are well-managed, passengers fail to even notice they are there. If they are noticing them, chances are it is too grumble about them. The airport’s processes must be good enough, so passengers are spending their time and energy doing other more enjoyable things.
Pride and high standards
One of the key ingredients of greatness is the desire to become great. Staff are crucial to this and a great airport creates a culture where staff can feel proud of their achievements and continue striving to improve towards excellence. This is the culture where staff are willing to go the extra mile for their customers.
- Imagine themselves in the customer’s shoes
Working somewhere over time, it’s easy to forget how the experience looks and feels to a customer. It’s important for management to get down onto the terminal floor and see it from a customer’s perspective. Are the signs clear? Does the Wi-Fi work well in all areas? Are the toilets really clean?
- Passenger-focused, not airport-focused
A great airport will always put its passenger’s needs ahead of its own. An airport that only focuses on itself will soon see the customer experience suffer as a result. A good example is airports who assign the prime spots to advertising, even when this makes it harder for passengers to navigate signage.
