Airport Experience® News - Customer Service Issue 2024

needs our immediate attention.” Avolta operates Costa Coffee Smart Cafés in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), among others, and Saunders says that the company plans to open a 24/7 touchscreen coffee machine as part of its OC To Go dining program at John Wayne Airport (SNA). Indeed, there are plenty of benefits to running a robotic coffee machine compared to a traditional café. In addition to providing a 24/7 specialty coffee option where space or traffic aren’t conducive to a traditional café, their speed and consistency of service are unmatched. “We’ve been engineering our machines in-house for nearly ten years, so their reliability is high: Only 0.2% of our orders are refunded due to customer complaints or machine issues,” Café X’s Hu says. “We prioritize a positive customer support experience, offering text-based help – currently directed to me – and remote support capabilities. We also recently added vision-based inventory monitoring and quality checking, which uses an

in-house developed AI learning system and the seven cameras inside the machine to automatically track inventory and adjust our menu, and automatically alert and resolve a rare drink quality issue.” Plus, Hu adds, the machines are fun and entertaining for travelers. “Everyone has a big smile on their face when using the machine and often have their phones out to record the experience; this is a big motivator for our team,” he says. “We also see a lot of airport and airline staff who use our mobile ordering feature to efficiently get coffee as a part of their routine. Metrics wise, our real-world data has shown that each machine can generate over $50,000 per month in sales, which I believe makes them the highest revenue generating ‘vending-ish’ machines in the world.” In the short amount of time that Costa Coffee’s Studio machines have been trialed at AUS, traveler response has been “extremely positive,” Rex notes. “Consumers are especially drawn to the machines from 4:30 a.m. to 6 a.m., when many individuals are craving their morning coffee but don’t have access to a traditional café. We’ve seen especially high praise from airport staff and crew, who are often the first ones at the airport. Travelers also appreciate that drinks are served lidded, making it easier to grab and go with bags in hand.” AUS’s Ramirez notes that convenience and personalization are key trends in food and beverage today, and coffee is no exception. “Travelers increasingly appreciate quick, high-quality options that fit their schedules, so we see great potential in exploring more robotic coffee solutions at AUS, especially as we continue to prioritize enhancing the passenger experience with innovative and efficient services.”

Top Left, Left: Full-service coffee locations are thriving in North American airports and remain the backbone of any airport F&B program. Executives say robotic coffee options complement, rather than compete with, the full-service offerings.

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AX NEWS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2024