Service with a Smile, Airline-Style

Courtesy of Southwest Airlines via Twitter - here's a great video clip from the Dallas NBC affiliate on the future of customer service via technology.

If you've flown at all in the last decade or so (my husband hasn't, so I know there are some car-people out there), you're aware that current airline travel is far from the 'friendly skies' most of the time. However, the effective use of technology can help airlines make up some of that lost ground.

The video story briefly outlines what Southwest and other airlines are doing to use the customer data they have now (and will have in the future) to create better experiences for their frequent fliers.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a ramp agent identify you by name and encourage you to take advantage of early boarding opportunities? How about if they served you your favorite beverage in flight for no charge (Diet Coke, not Diet Pepsi, thank you)? What if the airline Twitter'd you before you knew about an impeding flight delay...and booked you on the best alternative before you could say "what else can go wrong, today"?

The story also highlights the work a company called Sabre is doing on the technology side, to capture and retain customer preferences. This information will allow Southwest and other airline's employees to cater to the needs of frequent fliers (special boarding, upgrades, etc.) and address problems before they escalate into customer loss (free use of the airlines' lounge when unexpected weather delays a flight).

What customer data do you have? What does it tell you? Are there low-tech ways to gather more useful information? Would a technology investment pay for itself with an increase in the amount of knowledge you might gain? Many great questions for you and your team to ponder....