Airport Experience® News - Customer Service Issue 2023

completely old school, but the design of the program has shifted to be more inclusive of all aspects and types of dining experiences,” she says. “I think there is benefit in having someone ‘secretly shop,’ particularly if you are wanting feedback on a specific menu item, service or promotion as all feedback provides valuable insight.” Delaware North utilizes a “Quality Assurance Audit” program, which is similar to the secret shopper model but with trained hospitality professionals who are well versed in the company’s service and quality expectations. “We feel this is more effective than a secret shopper program, because secret shopper programs rely on everyday guests to provide a subjective overview of their experience, while our trained auditors know what to expect and can help us identify areas of opportunity to refine standards and improve the overall experience for our guests,” says Marcus Story, director of customer experience. SSP America also uses audits, including unannounced visits that occur continually and a more formal “Food Travel Audit” conducted by the company’s regional vice presidents. “The Food Travel Audit covers all aspects of the operation including the kitchen line, storage, bar, front of house, cleanliness, safety and culture,” Svagdis says. “These audits are vital tools in our overall ability to achieve continual improvements and celebrate success.” Recognition And Rewards Of course, in an airport as elsewhere, the guest experience is highly reliant on guest interactions with front-line workers. Proper training is a huge part of ensuring employees are providing the guest experience that’s expected of them.

“Employee and manager training is the heart of our customer service program and foundational to all we do,” says Nikki Gonzalez, vice president of operations for High Flying Foods . “Our training program was developed by our employees for our employees in partnership with CXE. It was very important to us that our own employees became the trainers and trained their own teams. Everyone learns together and we continue to reap the benefits of our approach. We are intentional about driving a high-touch approach throughout all levels of our staff, resulting in employees who are engaged, feel seen, acknowledged and recognized, and as a result perform at a high level.” Tinsley Harland notes than creating a stellar customer experience is an ongoing process. “We are only as good as our most recent customer review so the feedback we receive has a direct impact on our daily operations.” “To keep our front-line associates motivated to exceed expectations, we provide ongoing training to set and maintain our standards,” she continues. “This includes in-person sessions, simple daily touch bases, online modules and even airport tours.” In August Areas USA launched its “Brilliant at the Basics” guest experience program, which begins with new hires in all roles watching a start video and then taking part in an in-person training during onboarding. “The program focuses on four key service standards: Serves Happiness, Shows Empathy, Takes Ownership and Gives Appreciation,” Condon says. “Locally, our managers will promote events that may focus on all four or one at a time. Nationally, we promote a different service standard throughout the year and award our

Above: Delaware North’s “GuestPath” 360-degree customer experience platform is the primary engine used to drive the customer experience. The program highlights a cyclical five step improvement process with the goal of “creating special experiences, one guest at a time.”

associates for their achievements. We also look at NPS results to inform our associate awards and acknowledgments.” Such recognitions are crucial in today’s chaotic labor market. Concessionaires recognize that happy employees make for happy customers, so employee experience has become more and more important in recent years. Maritza Haller, vice president of culture for High Flying Foods, points out that recognition is key to ensuring employees are engaged and therefore performing their best. “One of my favorite things to do when visiting our restaurants is talking with our customers about their experiences, and every time they rave about the flavors and quality of our food, I take that feedback to our cooks in our kitchen,” she says. “Seeing the satisfaction on their faces and pride for a job well done is priceless. We take pride in the culture we have created where our employees feel valued, heard, motivated and empowered.” Acknowledging team member excellence is part of Delaware North’s “GuestPath” 360-degree customer experience platform, which is the primary engine used to drive the customer experience, Story notes. “This multidimensional program utilizes a five step continuous improvement process to define the experience we want to provide,”

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AX NEWS CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUE 2023