Airport Experience® News - Customer Service Issue 2023

Above, Right: HMSHost associates and managers are trained to listen for verbal cues and be observant of non-verbal cues that may indicate a guest is unsatisfied. Guests may also share feedback on comment cards available at each of the operator’s locations or via a QR code printed on every receipt.

America’s own surveying. “In 2022 we conducted the largest Global Customer Survey in our history, interviewing 18,000 customers across 25 markets and collecting approximately 3 million data points,” Svagdis says. “SSP surveys its customers approximately every two to three years. The resulting data helps us understand consumer preferences and we were able to identify seven customer segments and six need states to understand customers’ expectations. All segments exist in all markets, and there are more similarities than differences between markets.” HMSHost has a variety of ways to capture guest feedback, both during their dining experience and after they have left their restaurants. “To measure customer service and satisfaction in the moment, associates and managers are trained to listen for verbal cues and be observant of non-verbal cues that may indicate a guest is unsatisfied,” notes Richard Bennett, executive vice president and COO. “For those guests who opt to share feedback after their visit, they can do so via comment cards available at every location, a QR code survey printed at the bottom of their receipt, the guest feedback form on our website or social media. By consistently tracking these interactions over time, we can identify areas for improvement and celebrate successes to

reinforce customer service excellence.” Tastes on the Fly also utilizes QR codes on tables, receipts and check-out stations to promote and collect guest surveys, with participants receiving a $5 discount to be used at any of the operator’s restaurants for completing the survey. “The guest survey is hosted by a third party company called Integrity Defenders , which collects the data from these surveys, as well as from social media and online reviews, and provides an immediate notification to our teams, including our front-line managers, directors of operations and me,” says Tastes on the Fly CEO Edie Ames. “This immediate notification helps us either reward the team or diffuse the situation in real time—often before the guest even leaves our doors. Integrity Defenders also provides weekly reports and a 24/7 dashboard to help our managers focus on any trends that might need to be addressed. These reports are in addition to our restaurant managers who are on the floor at all times reinforcing our mission.” Social Media Impact Measuring the guest experience through direct feedback is crucial, but it’s also important for companies to keep tabs on what customers are saying about them on third-party sites. Several airport concessions

companies use third-party solutions to track what their customers are saying online. Whether monitored internally or collected through a third-party site, comments made on review or social media sites can inform companies of where they’re excelling and where they fall short. “Utilizing and monitoring social media channels is an excellent way to gain real-time service results,” says Paradies Lagardère’s Tinsley Harland. “Customers share feedback with us directly on our own platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). “Additionally, we are fully aware that travelers provide opinions on more broad based sites like Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Google,” Tinsley Harland continues. “To capture as much of that earnest feedback as we possibly can, we utilize a third-party customer review management solution, which allows us to review tailored reports that centralize customer reactions from a variety of sites so that we may review, analyze, and respond. We can then accurately evaluate our services levels, interact with customers if necessary, and share positive feedback with our associates, which we love to do.” For reviews posted online, Delaware North uses an all-in-one review management system to leverage actionable review insights and to understand what customers are saying about their experiences. “Through

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AX NEWS CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUE 2023