The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
AVIATION DIGEST | JARED KALERA | Two aviation and air travel critics, Noel Philips and Josh Cahill were In Uganda recently to have a feel of travel to and from Uganda by air .
No better way could they do this than by Uganda Airlines.
Their YouTube channels jointly have approximately 882,000 subscribers and they critic airline and airport services as they trot around the world. They have produced more than 500 documentaries about travel and especially customer experiences .
Did I say they were critics? Yes and indeed they are and did critic what they saw about customer care.
Customer care is more than just delivering the services that customers expect from the service provider. Each customer does not want to be treated the same way. Others anticipate more while others wouldn’t really mind what comes by.
According to Xendesk ,there is a difference between customer service, customer care and customer experience.
Customer service is helping customers in their use or troubleshooting of a product or service. To help a customer experience a service.
But customer care involves meeting the customers emotional anticipations to create a longer relationship. Treating them how they desire to be treated.
While customer experience is the feeling from pre to post service. The above phrases will be used interchangeably.
What would a traveler consider good customer service?
A good professional call center and online services with quick workable solutions to clients situations. These are coupled with interested customer service officers and personnel who take genuine interest in their customers needs.
Proper insignia and well demarcated areas at airports .Fast and efficient baggage handling systems. These ensure baggage is not misplaced or delivered to wrong flights.
Digital technological innovations like facial recognition, passport control, online booking and check-in which reduce on time spent in queues and enhance speedy transit movements for continuing travelers.
Simple amenities like air conditioning ,user friendly escalators ,free water points, free wifi ,ATMs and simple clear and visible insignia increase on customer satisfaction.
While security is fundamentally critical especially after the events of 9/11, it’s also notable that slow grudging security checks are a pain to customers. This though can be improved by proper customer sensitization .
Set up priority fast tracking screening systems where especially frequent fliers are pre screened on registration. This means one will divulge all information about themselves to the authorities for priority lane screening.
At the outset, we noted that customers may not wish to be treated the same way. Indeed there are class differences from economy, premium economy, business and first class travellers. With these you may add the VIPs.
One of the complaints from Noel Philips YouTube trip report was the seemingly disorganized environment with no clear directional indications. One may forgive Entebbe airport for it is under renovation and expansion at the moment.
As a business class passenger, he expected more. There was no separate check-in or security screening area nor did he have a dedicated business class customer care officer to usher him to the business class lounge. He sat for minutes in the general lounge before finally finding one. Further, the movement to the craft was with the general crowd .
Business class tickets are fundamentally costlier and a passenger will expect to receive services for moneys worth . A business class passenger will expect a carpeted priority Check-in and immigration ( sometimes with a special pass) counter. Baggage handling should be expeditious.
He will expect a meal and even a shower with prior notification.
Most importantly he shall expect to either Board the craft first or last .
These amenities were all noticeably missing although the inflight services and the actual flight to Dubai got a plus.
Proper customer care breaks or makes a business. With the ever more competitive air travel business, it will either endear or isolate frequent travelers to competitors . The planes operated all over the world are the same. The difference is in levels of customer service and satisfaction and with it ,sales.
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Jared is an aviation researcher and trained motor rally safety official. He is the General Manager Legal Compliance and Human Resource, Muttico Technical Services Ltd and co director at Amputee Self Help Network Uganda.
