Accentedge Takes Flight: Using Sentiment Analytics To Boost Airline Customer Loyalty
The airline industry is in trouble. With flights reduced during Covid-19 and customer satisfaction lagging, airlines are looking for new ways to regain the trust of their most important asset, their customer.
One solution being used by accentedge, is to use Sentiment Analytics to help a major US airline to improve their customer experience.
The airline already had initiatives for improving their customer experience but was looking for ways to better identify problem areas and then quickly respond to their customers to resolve issues or problems. They needed to make changes that would directly impact and improve their customer experience.
Sentiment Analytics provides the ability to analyze large amounts of data, including non-verbal cues, throughout the customer journey to accurately assess the customer experience – and then give the ability to respond in real-time to resolve the customer’s issue.
Improving The Airline’s Net Promoter Score
One way to assess customer satisfaction is the Net Promoter Score (NPS) index – an annual survey that measures customer loyalty. The national Net Promoter Score looks at a wide range of businesses and recently ranked the airline industry near the bottom of the list for brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. To measure NPS, a business takes the percentage of promoters, or loyal customers, and subtracts from the percentage of detractors, or unhappy customers. With some exceptions, airlines have ranked notoriously low on the compared to all other sectors on the NPS list.
The airline understood an ongoing low NPS score meant a negative public perception of their company and that they would eventually lose loyal customers to their competition. Really understanding customer needs and addressing them quickly became a top priority.
How Can Sentiment Analytics Improve Customer Experience?
By understanding the “Customer Journey,” the airline can use this Sentiment Analytics, AI and Machine Learning to drive priorities to improve all aspects of airline travel and customer experience – with the ultimate goal of increasing customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Since 70% of human communication is non-verbal, Sentiment Analytics measures non-verbal cues throughout the Customer Journey to give a more accurate picture of the customer’s experience.
The solution creates a “Persona” for each customer and then looks at customer experience through the “Customer Journey,” integrating with a digital platform and then providing a seamless experience across all devices and operating environments. Determining Persona, Customer Journey, and Sentiment through a person’s behavioral markers is crucial.
The technology allows the airline to see problem areas in real time, and make both short-term and long-term adjustments to alleviate the problem. For example, the technology can quickly identify red flags, such as customers at a gate who’s flight was just cancelled, and direct resources to quickly re-book the passengers.
Some examples of how Sentiment Analytics is being used by airlines to meet customer needs include:
- Streamlined ticketing procedures and phone apps that make it simple to choose a seat, order a custom meal, and quickly book a flight itinerary;
- New departure gate designs that look more like an upscale café and have all gate staff capable of adjusting seat assignments, responding to special requests and efficiently serving stand-by passengers;
- In-flight messages to the passenger that anticipate a late arrival and make it easy to re-book a connecting flight before the plane has landed.
The personalized level of service can go a long way to improve the experience and head off problems before they happen.
The improved capabilities have already shown a positive customer experience, increased Net Promoter Score rankings and most important, long-term customer loyalty and maintaining a competitive market share.
Reach Out To Us!
In a competitive market, Sentiment Technology can give you the edge to assess and meet customer needs at a new level that truly understands your customer.
At accentedge, we provide the tools that leading companies use to transform their industry, win back customers and stay competitive.
Let accentedge’s team bring their 30+ years of technology experience – working with airlines and leading global companies – to solve your most important business solutions
