Leveraging customer feedback in a year of travel

Figures published by UN Tourism’s World Tourism Barometer in September revealed that in the first half of 2024, international arrivals hit 96% of what they were pre-pandemic, making 2024 the biggest year of travel since covid hit.

The release of these figures could be a timely reminder for airports to provide mechanisms to capture customer communications and feedback.

As international travellers return to airports en masse, it’s the perfect time to identify out-of-date systems and update those that are no longer working, streamlining operations and enhancing the overall customer experience. A new feedback system could hold the key to bringing about positive changes passengers want to see.

Taking a customer-centric approach is a powerful tool when it comes to carrying out strategic change. Change is personal, so it’s vital that people be kept at the centre of these decisions.

By asking for feedback, the customer is kept at the heart of the conversation; they are handed the reins, allowing them to create and shape the conversation.

Taking this approach shows the value an organisation places on its customers by listening to the people who will be impacted by the change. Working collaboratively in this way will not only foster good customer relations but also maximise the success of a strategic change project.

To obtain comprehensive customer feedback and maximise impact, feedback points can be installed at multiple locations, such as:

• check-in desks
• security
• departure gates
• washrooms

Airports are a notoriously stressful place for passengers. In fact a poll conducted by Censuswide in June 2024 found that almost one quarter of people would travel more if they could avoid the stress of airports.

Passengers can feel anxious about the security process or rush to board flights on time, so it’s important to make the process as simple and hassle free for the customer to encourage engagement. For example, this can be done by placing QR codes and instant feedback touchscreens throughout the airport. This means responses can be sent directly to the Customer Experience team, allowing them to:

• process feedback in real time
• detect trends
• provide a fast response

It’s also essential to monitor the results of any organisational change project. By doing so,  the performance success of the new system can be measured against the old one.

Leveraging customer feedback is a great way of shedding light on operational issues and enhancing an organisation’s performance. The decision-makers who navigate organisational change best keep change personal. They do this by placing people at the heart of the conversation, instead of taking a top-down approach. There is a lot of success to be had from taking such a collaborative approach to change.