What Makes Emirate Airlines & Group One of the Fastest Growing Airlines - Case Study Example

Care Practical Experience- Emirate Airlines & Group Affiliation: Background of the Emirates Group The group is a Dubai based international aviation holding company. The group comprises Dnata, an aviation services company, which offers ground handling services in 17 airports, and Emirates Airline, which is the largest airline in the region. Emirates airlines fly to over 130 destinations across all the continents. The company is one of the fastest growing airlines. It has diversified into related industries and sectors which include airport services, hospitality services, and engineering, catering and tour operations. Emirates employ competent employees to handle customers who come from different areas and have varying diversities. The airline is specifically known to offer great customer service to tis huge client base. To continue offering great customer service, the company ties key performance indicators to customer satisfaction. It also trains its front officers extensively to ensure that they can deal with all types of clients and offer customer service that exceeds customers’ expectations. The success of the group is closely tied to customer satisfaction since the company deals with people on a daily basis (Zeithaml, Bitner & Gremler 2006). Research Methodology Questionnaires were used to collect data for this research. Open-ended questionnaires were used to enable the respondents give sufficient details to facilitate credible data analysis. Questionnaire were used because they are more appropriate for collecting primary data that was needed for this research because the data is more reliable since it was obtained first hand. Questionnaires are simple and comprehensive, they cut unnecessary details and are direct to the point. Therefore, it was easy to convince the respondents to participate in the data collection exercise despite having busy schedules. The respondents included customer service personnel at different ranks. Targeting employees at different ranks aimed at establishing if the entire organization harmonizes its customer information and practices and that the customer can get the same information at every contact point. Choosing customer service personnel as respondents was based on the logic that their work description is dealing with customer issues and concepts and therefore they are more knowledgeable in that field (Meuter, Ostrom & Roundtree, 2000). What the Company does in order to Satisfy Customers Emirates Airlines & Group treat their customers well by allowing genuine interactions with customers. The customer service representatives talk to customers as honestly as persons representing the business rather than acting as faceless or nameless business. For example, in responding to customer comments on social media, genuine real time interactions with the customers’ increases customer trust in the organization because they perceive the company to care for their needs. Happy customers who get their issues genuinely resolved tell 4-6 people about their good experience. The company respects its customers and customer care personnel never come on too strong in giving their opinion. Holding a strong opinion that differs from the customer is discouraged because customers perceive it as rudeness. A study reveals that 58% of customers who experience rude customer experience tell their friends. Therefore, Emirates encourage respect for customers to increase positive advertisement of its services through word of mouth. Respect is shown by personnel remaining patient to give a customer enough time to air out their problem. This provides an opportunity for the customer care staff to calmly resolve the issue and make the customer comfortable. Keeping a customer comfortable will enable him to give valuable feedback that will prevent similar issues from happening in the future (Churchill & Surprenant 2012). The company always listen to hear what the customers have to say. The practicing active listening enable the company to have a meaningful dialogue with its clients. While listening to customers the staff take note of changes that the company need to make to improve customer experiences. Emirates value customer feedback because customers are its lifeblood and failure to listen to them could be disastrous for the company. Therefore, active listening aims at getting valuable feedback to help improve services. The company solicits feedback using various methods such as customer surveys, focus groups, and social media and calling customers to request for feedback. Offering ongoing support and specials is another practice that keeps customers satisfied. Support services include quick response to customer queries, responding enthusiastically to customer calls and willingness to present special offers and discounts with the aim of up-selling the customer to contract Emirates services again. Continued support increases customer loyalty and retention because it makes Emirates a trustworthy and credible service provider (Rust & Zahorik 2003). The company practices continuous communication and treat customers like valued partners. Customer feedback is taken seriously and customers’ requests are acted upon promptly. The company makes it clear to the customers that their feedback is valuable and that the business sees customers as valued partners. The company values customers as partners by focusing on their needs to strengthen their loyalty and trust in the business. The company is transparent when dealing with customers. Honesty is extremely important when mistakes are the subject of discussion. The company analyzes the situation and apologizes for the mistake if it is at fault. Where the client is at fault, the company goes to great lengths to discuss the issue with him and offer possible solutions. Transparency is critical in building trust and increasing customer satisfaction (Verhoef 2003). The company also keeps its promises and follows through its word. Emirate recognizes that the promises it makes are binding and keeping them is an indication of honesty and transparency which help build trust and dependability by customers. The company manages customers’ expectations and exceed them in an attempt to improve customer experience. The company employ the practice of viewing customers as kings, who are always right. The rule that a customer is always right guides the business through its growth in customer satisfaction. Emirates created a customer service policy charter that is centred on customer satisfaction vales and display it in public areas where customers can view them, at all its branches and offices (Ahmad & Buttle 2002). How the Company Measures Customer Catisfaction and Retain its Customers The company uses several strategies to retain its customers. It sets customer expectations with regard to its services. Emirates then work towards exceeding these expectations in order to increase a customer’s experience and make them contract Emirate’s services again. Setting expectations early eliminates uncertainties pertaining the level of services needed to make the clients happy. Emirates retain its customers by being an expert in airline services. Expertise, makes the company become customers’ trusted advisor, build on customer loyalty and reduce customer churn. Emirates is an expert in Airline and related services, facing customers and offer expert solutions (Zeithaml, Bitner & Gremler, 2006). This strategic move increase trust and dependability, and thus increase customer retention. The company also builds trust through relationships in order to retain customers. Trust is built by cultivating shared values i.e. taking an interest in the customers and their businesses. Shared values is an indication that Emirates care for its customers’ needs and welfare. Implementing an anticipatory service is a unique strategy that Emirate use to retain customers. Anticipatory service is a proactive approach to customer service where the company eliminates the problems before they occur, rather than wait to react when the problems occur. The strategy eliminates problems and therefore customers have less complaints, which make them prefer the company to its competitors, who wait to react when the problem occurs. The company makes use of automation to standardize time consuming tasks that involve manual work. Automation reduces the downtime and keep client networks performing efficiently at all times. Therefore, customers can access Emirate’s services at all times, making the company their preferred travel service provider (Ahmad & Buttle 2002). The company builds its key performance indicators around customer service. The move increases customer service thereby increasing customer retention. The company goes extra miles to build customer relations. This woos the customers to the business and increase their long-term loyalty to the company. Implementing customer feedback surveys reduces customer churn and improve service levels. Feedback surveys offer invaluable information on service performance in relation to fulfilling customer expectations which influence customer retention. The company measures customer satisfaction by evaluating customer feedback to see if the customers are pleased with its services. The feedback obtained is evaluated to get the general customer perspective of the services offered. The feedback is then used to make improvements that will increase customer experiences. Feedback is obtained through various ways such as feedback surveys that customers fill and give an encounter of their customer experience. The company also calls customers to request them to give them feedback on performance of their services. Use of suggestion boxes where customers can drop their comments after service delivery. Customers are also encouraged to use social media and company’s website to comment on Emirate’s services (Zeithaml, Bitner & Gremler, 2006). How the Company Empowers its Employees to Offer Great Customer Service The company empowers its customer service representatives because they are the main contact persons that customers constantly deal with. It also educates other staff in the entire organization on importance of understanding customer satisfaction because its key performance indicators are all tied to customer satisfaction. The company gives employees the freedom to make decisions within a judgment playing field. Giving employees freedom to make their own decisions inspires innovation and creativity, which improves customer service. The company empowers employees to work together to serve customers better (Verhoef, 2003). Leaders don’t make decisions solely, rather, they encourage employees to work together to develop solutions and improve ways of serving customers. Teams are rewarded for collaborating to offer great service to customers. Managers also live by example, through working with their subordinates to improve customer satisfaction. Customers always notice when employees are working together to improve customer service experience. The company empowers employees by instilling the company’s mission in all staff members, to provide a comprehensive and complete customer service experience. Emirate Airlines provide customers with more than flight services from one destination to another. It offers them an experience. The staff are empowered to offer a complete experience including warm greetings while checking in to the services they offer in the airplanes. Continuous training keeps the employees focused on the mission and core values of offering great customer service. The company has an open door policy that gives employees an outlet to air their concerns, ask questions and provide feedback (Meuter, Ostrom, Roundtree, 2000). The managers encourage the staff to speak up and praise them for providing feedback. The open door policy allows the staff to share great ideas for improvement and make suggestions on how customer service problems can be resolved. Emirates encourage its employees to bring their personalities to work. Customers hate when they feel that customer service representatives are robots. To increase customer service, managers encourage staff to forge genuine personal connections with customers, communicate with them as they would with their colleagues. How the Company deals with Angry Customers The company prepares its customer representatives mentally to deal with angry customers. The staff take time to look objectively into customer complaint and respond calmly to angry clients. The staff are trained not to take customer’s angry comments personally and avoid reacting defensively as this fuels customer’s anger. Mental preparation prepares the representative to remain calm and respond to customer frustrations objectively to offer a clear resolution to the complaint. The company apologizes and says sorry to angry customers to calm them down and resolve the problem calmly. Simply saying sorry tones down the anger and make it easier to get more information about the problem and find a solution that is beneficial to both the company and the customer. Providing working solutions is another way that the company uses to manage customers’ anger. Once the problem is identified, the company finds permanent resolutions to ensure that the problem doesn’t recur. The company also assures the customer that the problem will not be repeated because the company is doing all it can to offer permanent solutions and keep its customers satisfied (Churchill & Surprenant, 2012). Emirates follows up on customers after offering them a solution to ensure that the solution offered was satisfactory. Reaching out to ensure that the client is no longer angry makes customers see how committed the company is to customer satisfaction. This will make customers send more on the company because it offers excellent customer service. The company manages anger by learning from their mistakes and assuming responsibility for poor services. Anger outbursts are an opportunity for the company to learn and improve its services. Strategies are implemented to avoid angering customers in the future. It is better to learn from an angry customer rather than continuously deal with angry customers. How the Company Utilizes E-marketing to aid Marketing Efforts E-marketing guides online shoppers to the company’s website and persuade them to subscribe to services. The website is simple to use and navigate so that customers’ online shopping experience is enhanced. The services are displayed well in the website with brief descriptions and quoted prices to help customers reach to quick decisions. Customers are encouraged to leave their feedback after online shopping to help the company improve its services and make it easier for customers to shop online. The advantage of E-marketing is that it is a cost effective marketing strategy. It also increases profit margins by increasing the number of customers. It increases productivity for both company and customers because it offers lower transaction costs and increase customers’ shopping experience. The disadvantages include insecurity involved in hacking passwords and computer fraud. Scalability of the system offers another challenge because the company needs to develop a robust website to leverage on online shopping. Data and system integrity is often compromised and customer confidential data is revealed to unauthorized people, which leads to customer dissatisfaction. Customer service monitoring is difficult to track with e-commerce; this reduces customer loyalty and retention (Rust & Zahorik 2003). Summary Emirate Airlines & Group is one of the fastest growing airlines. It has diversified into related industries and sectors which include airport services, hospitality services, and engineering, catering and tour operations. To satisfy its customers, the company ensures genuine interactions with customers, builds its key performance around customer satisfaction and makes the customer the king among others. It retains its customers by setting and exceeding customer expectations, going extra miles in service delivery and implementing an anticipatory approach to solve problems. It empowers its employees to increase customer service by giving them autonomy to make decisions, training them on the mission of the company and having an open door policy. The company deals with angry customers by apologising, offering working solutions and following up on customers to ensure that they calmed down. The research revealed that the success of the company greatly depend son good customer service that will increase customer retention and loyalty. References Ahmad, R., & Buttle, F. (2002). Customer retention management: A reflection of theory and practice. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 20(3), 149-161. Churchill Jr, G. A., & Surprenant, C. (2012). An investigation into the determinants of customer satisfaction. Journal of marketing research, 491-504. http://www.theemiratesgroup.com/english/ Meuter, M. L., Ostrom, A. L., Roundtree, R. I., & Bitner, M. J. (2000). Self-service technologies: understanding customer satisfaction with technology-based service encounters. Journal of marketing, 64(3), 50-64. Rust, R. T., & Zahorik, A. J. (2003). Customer satisfaction, customer retention, and market share. Journal of retailing, 69(2), 193-215. Verhoef, P. C. (2003). Understanding the effect of customer relationship management efforts on customer retention and customer share development.Journal of marketing, 67(4), 30-45. Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremler, D. D. (2006). Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm. Read More