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Customer service vs data privacy
Tails of British Airways Jumbos lined up near terminal 5 at Heathrow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Delivering the best service is often about understanding what makes your customers tick – recognising them, knowing their likes/dislikes, what channels they prefer to be contacted by, and even on a basic level whether they prefer to be addressed formally or informally.
In theory the huge amount of personal information now freely available online provides companies with the chance to deliver that personalised service. However at the same time as demanding improved service consumers are increasingly worried about the privacy of their online information and how it is used.
Balancing these two conflicting areas is difficult, as British Airways is currently finding. Last week the airline launched its “Know Me” system, which allows customer service representatives to access data about clients from BA’s systems, as well as information including photographs from the web. This is used at check in and by flight attendants with iPads to help identify travellers and deliver a personalised service to frequent flyers.
However it has flown into a storm, with privacy campaigners claiming that BA may be breaching the Data Protection Act by using web information in this way. The airline has hit back strongly, declaring that it is fully compliant with the law and is only using the information to improve service.
BA’s system seems to be a genuine attempt to use the resources around it to provide improved service, but the fierce criticism shows how difficult the whole area of using personal information is in the internet age. Companies need to be very sure that not only what they are doing is legal, but that it is something that customers are happy with – and if possible, have given their informed consent for. And, of course, that the improvement in customer service that it delivers is both real and long-lasting. Consequently customer service departments in companies in all sectors will be watching BA’s progress with great interest and seeing what lessons they can learn moving forward.
Ash Cloud customer service – Mark 2
Image via Wikipedia
It has been a year since a cloud of volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland spread across Europe, causing unprecedented disruption to flights. The bad news is that a new cloud, this time from the Grimsvotn volcano, is heading to the UK as we speak.
The worry for both passengers and the aviation industry is that last year’s widespread disruption could be repeated. In 2010 more than 75% of European airspace was closed for a week, affecting more than 90,000 flights and 10 million passengers.
At the time a key criticism of airlines from the 100,000 stranded Britons was a lack of information, whether on the web, social media, in airports or when calling or emailing the contact centre. However some airlines and organisations coped better than others, with the likes of Eurocontrol, British Airways and KLM using social media to keep passengers updated as the crisis unfolded.
Learning from 2010’s lessons here are five top tips from Eptica that the travel industry should follow:
- Keep your customer service channels constantly updated (and consistent). In a fast-moving situation out of date or variable content is worse than useless.
- Set aside specific, easily accessible areas of your website or Facebook pages with the latest information. Don’t bury this content but put it on your front page.
- Use social media to spread updates via Twitter, Facebook and specific online groups to reassure customers as the situation develops.
- Automate as much as you can. Many people will be asking the same questions – put in place self-service systems that provide answers on your website and Facebook, freeing up staff to deal with more complicated queries.
- Have the right resources in place. Ensure you have enough staff on hand, armed with consistent answers from the same knowledgebase to respond across all channels for the entire crisis.
While everyone hopes that Ash Cloud Mark 2 doesn’t have the impact of 2010, the travel industry needs to be ready to reassure and update passengers whatever happens.
Related articles
- Iceland volcano ash to hit UK by Tuesday – The Guardian (news.google.com)
