{"id":2467,"date":"2018-10-25T10:00:04","date_gmt":"2018-10-25T10:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devbloglavaprotocols.nityo.in\/how-uniteds-ceo-goes-above-and-beyond-for-customer-experience\/"},"modified":"2018-10-25T10:00:04","modified_gmt":"2018-10-25T10:00:04","slug":"how-uniteds-ceo-goes-above-and-beyond-for-customer-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavaprotocols.com\/the-cloud-blog\/how-uniteds-ceo-goes-above-and-beyond-for-customer-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"How United\u2019s CEO Goes Above and Beyond for Customer Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Devon McGinnis,<\/strong>\u00a0Senior Manager, Research & Thought Leadership,\u00a0<\/strong>Salesforce<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With customer expectations soaring, businesses are facing turbulent times. Oscar Munoz believes success hinges on the ability to personalise the customer experience. Oscar is CEO of\u00a0United Airlines<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s largest airlines. Prior to 2015, Oscar\u2019s resume included CSX, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo \u2014 and ranked on the \u201c100 Most Influential Hispanics\u201d list twice.<\/p>\n

We wanted to get Oscar\u2019s thoughts on the United Airlines customer experience strategies, tech-fueled business evolutions, and piloting change in what some call the\u00a0Fourth Industrial Revolution<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: The pace of technology change isn\u2019t slowing down anytime soon. From the advent of smartphones to the surge in artificial intelligence and other smart technologies, these shifts are rewriting the definition of \u201ccustomer experience<\/a>.\u201d A new Salesforce Research\u00a0study on customer expectations<\/a>\u00a0shows that a majority of customers say their standards for good customer experiences is higher than ever. But about half say that most companies fall short of their expectations. In your time as United CEO, how have you seen customer expectations changing?<\/b><\/p>\n

Modern technology has put individual people and their unique preferences in the driver\u2019s seat. Today, people expect their music to be tailored to their taste via apps. We want our rideshare to know exactly when, where, and how we like to make certain commutes, even what radio station should be on when we\u2019re picked up.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about personalisation \u2014 and when it comes to technology, United wants to lead the airline industry in exceeding customer expectations. We are constantly iterating the United app in order to customise your experience.<\/p>\n

Our new \u201cBetter Boarding\u201d programme, a reinvention of the boarding processes of the past, enhances one-to-one communication so a customer gets a push notification on their mobile device regarding boarding times so they don\u2019t have to wait in the gate area, instead having time to enjoy in the restaurants and lounges. Customers should be in charge of their flying experience, all from the palms of their hands.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: Recently, in an ASCI (<\/b>The American Customer Satisfaction)<\/strong>\u00a0survey, customer satisfaction with airlines scored a 73 out of 100 \u2014 which was the same rating the USPS (United States Postal Service), health insurance, and telecomm companies also received. <\/b>Salesforce data suggests that\u00a057% of consumers have switched brands<\/a>\u00a0because the competition has provided a better customer experience. In such a service-heavy, experiential industry, how are you and United looking to deliver exceptional customer experiences? Do you see customer experience as a core driver of competitive advantage at United?<\/b><\/p>\n

We are only as good as your previous flight with us.<\/p>\n

There is intense competition for a customer\u2019s business, so we need to go above and beyond in order to exceed your expectations and win your loyalty. That means delivering customer-facing tools to put you in greater control and flexibility of your travel.<\/p>\n

It also means giving the United team that serves you the tools they need to deliver the best experience and solve problems in the moment. Again, it all comes down to personalisation of the experience in order to differentiate United and keep you flying with us.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For example, we launched an innovation which allows for flight attendants to see the full cabin via their mobile device. This gives them insights onboard such as status level for MileagePlus members, pets in cabin, and wheelchairs. With a single view of the customer key milestones like birthdays and MileagePlus anniversaries, customers are recognised. Flight attendants can see how your last five flights have been and personalise their customer service based on data they\u2019ve shared with us.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve put in-the-moment care in the hands of flight attendants to address customer issues<\/a> in real time and compensate customers \u2014 who are then able to see compensation like miles added to their accounts within seconds.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q: Customers don\u2019t care about internal company organisation. They expect a seamless, consistent experience at every turn. So, with the size and scale of a company like United, how do you ensure that employees across the company are in lockstep to deliver customer experience that exceeds expectations?<\/b><\/p>\n

Aligning all 90,000 United employees \u2014 including every aspect of our operation, from the frontline to sales to marketing to business operations \u2014 and getting everyone flying together has been my goal. When there are hundreds of flights in the air at any moment, serving tens of thousands of customers, we need every United teammate working from the same playbook and set of values every time. That requires constant communication, but not micromanaging.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we implemented what we call our \u201cCore 4\u201d principles: safe, caring, dependable, and efficient.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With those simple concepts, we can communicate volumes to each employee about how they should go about solving issues and serving customers.<\/p>\n

Instead of highly specific rules and directions, we\u2019ve sought to communicate broad values and priorities to help our employees do the right thing for our customer. \u00a0It\u2019s all about putting the customer at the centre of everything we do \u2014 in order to relay to tens of thousands of people working around the clock and around the world what is expected and how they can articulate their own way of living up to those expectations.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Article<\/a> first appeared on the Salesforce blog.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lava is a cloud solutions provider and an <\/i>authorised Salesforce Partner <\/i><\/a>in Malaysia. We have more than a decade of experience in cloud solutions which includes marketing automation, CRM implementation, change management, and consultation. We pride ourselves in not just being a CRM partner but in also understanding the needs of our customers and taking their business to the next level.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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