Michael Langdon’s Post

As the travel industry evolves, so do the ways consumers pay for their trips. Flexible payment options like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and split payments are reshaping travel booking, allowing customers to balance their budgets while enjoying more travel freedom. Learn how these trends are changing the landscape and what it means for consumers and the travel industry. #BNPL #TravelTrends #FlexiblePayments #BuyNowPayLater #SplitPayments #TravelIndustry #TravelBooking

🌴 Post-holiday thoughts on Customer Service 🌴 Hey everyone! I am just back from what was a great holiday, but things took a turn when my return flight on Saturday got cancelled last minute. The airline wasn't much help in getting me rebooked. It got me thinking about customer service. Is it slipping because of the ease of using sites like Skyscanner and Booking.com, or are companies just cutting costs? Should we refocus on keeping customers happy, especially in industries where reliability is key? When you're left high and dry, it's clear we need better service all around. Great customer service means looking at the whole picture—every small interaction counts and can make or break a company's reputation. Airlines (and all businesses) need to find the sweet spot between being efficient and keeping customers satisfied. Setting clear goals, measuring efforts, and constantly incorporating feedback can help ensure that both employees and customers benefit. In the end, excellent service comes from a human touch, even as tech keeps evolving. Why do you think airlines have such poor customer service? (The picture is an example of service on holiday that left me a much more satisfied customer) #CustomerService #AirlineIndustry #ContinuousImprovement #BusinessLeadership

2. 🚍 Navigating Challenges in the Online Bus Booking System: From Booking to Traveling 🚌 The online bus reservation system has revolutionized travel, but it comes with challenges for both passengers and bus operators. Problems Faced by Passengers: 1. Booking Errors: Issues like double bookings or incorrect seat allocations. 2. Unreliable Timings: Delays and lack of real-time updates lead to uncertainty. 3. Payment Issues: Failed transactions and lack of payment options. 4. Customer Support: Inadequate support for resolving booking and travel issues. Problems Faced by Bus Operators: 1. Operational Delays: Difficulty in managing schedules and maintaining punctuality. 2. Tracking Difficulties: Inconsistent real-time tracking of buses. 3. Managing Bookings: Handling overbookings and cancellations efficiently. 4. Customer Complaints: Addressing passenger grievances promptly and effectively. Minimal Solutions: 1. System Enhancements: Improve booking software to reduce errors and ensure seat accuracy. 2. Real-Time Tracking: Implement GPS technology to provide real-time updates to passengers. 3. Secure Payment Systems: Adopt reliable and diverse payment gateways to minimize transaction failures. 4. Effective Customer Support: Establish a responsive support team to handle complaints and issues swiftly. Addressing these challenges is key to enhancing travel experiences and operational efficiency in the online bus booking ecosystem. #TravelTech #BusBooking #CustomerExperience #TravelChallenges #Transportation #TechSolutions #BusOperators #OnlineBooking #DigitalTransformation #SmartTravel #Innovation

This chapter proposes how customer-centric airlines adopt a total quality management approach, wherein every operational process is consistently enhanced to enhance customer satisfaction. https://lnkd.in/d23HB8H6 #customer #airlines #management #customer #opinion #peoplesreflections

Public transportation is constantly changing, so shouldn’t fares and policies also change? During a presentation at IT-Trans 2024, Lucas Weinreich, our Director of Sales Operations, shared valuable insights on fare pricing and how an integrated, open fare system can pave the way for greener cities and more efficient transport networks. 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲. Fare pricing is relatively static, but as travel habits and commuting patterns shift, a one-size-fits-all approach no longer suits the evolving landscape. Fare capping, for example, offers a more flexible solution by removing the barrier of high upfront costs associated with purchasing a pass all at once. 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. Adjusting fares dynamically based on external factors, like weather or road congestions, can significantly encourage passengers to use public transport. And, an improved passenger experience is better for our client partners by helping to stabilise revenues. 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲. Despite the increasing complexity of transit systems, fares must remain easy to understand and accessible for passengers. By continually monitoring and analysing travel patterns, the optimal fare can be automatically determined and applied, simplifying things for passengers. Can you think of any other specific external factors that would make fare adjustments worthwhile? Share your thoughts in the comments! #FarePricing #WeShapeMobility #FareCollectionSystems

Familiarize yourself with FlyXYZ.com domains - a cost-effective alternative to improve your online presence. Unlike expensive three-letter domains, a Fly[XYZ].com offers an affordable solution to #simplify #online #accessibility and enhance online customer engagement. With a memorable and easily accessible Fly[XYZ].com domain, you can effortlessly invite online customers straight to your website. Say goodbye to lost leads and wasted opportunities - with a Fly[XYZ].com, enjoy seamless connectivity to improve your customer experience like never before. "Enhance global presence for less than the cost of local advertising" e.g. FlyABE.com (Official) #ABE #FlyABE #LehighValley #InternationalAirport

= Persistence pays off | Customer eXperience =   For several years, whenever searching for 🛫 flights, I have used Kiwi – it’s intuitive, functional, works perfectly on PC and as an app.   Last time it was an early morning flight to Edinburgh via layover in Luton of 1,5 h, and these were 2 different carriers, and tickets. So, I opted for Kiwi's product called *️⃣ Disruption Protection, in this case it was something around 25 EUR p/ticket.   The day of the trip arrived and I’ve learned the first flight was ⌛ delayed by 1 h, meaning low chance of making it on-time for the second one at Luton.   I've contacted Kiwi, got the offer to take the first flight and then, if missing the second, to contact again from Luton.   We were traveling 3 of us, and, of course, while we passed the passport 🛂 control at Luton, the gate for next flight was already ⛔ closed, hence I called Kiwi helpline again, we discussed the options - there was a flight after lunch, with price of ~280 EUR. As this was above the limit of Disruption Protection, I was offered to book it with a surcharge of 85 EUR. Of course I agreed, as had no desire to stay at the airport ♾️ forever.   Later, while waiting for PNR code in the app to check-in, it appeared there were not enough seats on that flight, hence an 🔄 alternative was found, which I saw was priced ~240 EUR. This time it was a success and late in the eve we finally 🛬 reached Edinburgh.   Upon return back home from the trip, I remembered this small price difference (~40 EUR) and contacted Kiwi for the reimbursement. First reply was that it was non-refundable.   I replied back, polite as always, but precise and to the point, adding some numbers. Again – it was non-refundable with some 🔣 arguments that were out of scope.   So I asked for booking confirmations or the invoices to check the details, and if true, I would concede. Got the reply it was impossible to provide such information 😊   This really triggered me to mention both Kiwi.com CEO and CX Director that I will contact, which I did – politely excusing myself for such small-level case, asking to check the level of transparency of their help agents.   And magic did happen – after several days I’ve been 📥 contacted by Kiwi, providing detailed analysis and explanation of my case, and a reimbursement of even greater 💶 amount I expected. On top of that – a 💳 voucher for a future booking!   The moral is simple: ✅ Be persistent! ✅ Be polite! ✅ Stick to the point! ✅ Be persistent yet again! ✅ ...use Kiwi for flight booking   Nobody asked me to promote them, but if you use this code https://lnkd.in/d8mpcNJQ you’ll get 10 EUR discount. ❗ NB Shout out to Eliska Reznicek Dockalova, who excused for this situation, although SHE WAS NOT ANYMORE WORKING for Kiwi! That shows the customer-centric 🆙 culture they have built there!!! #kiwi #customerexperienceflights

Customer Experience Lessons From My World Travels: "I experienced something worth sharing recently, and we can take at least three lessons from it. I’m always looking for good customer service stories that teach or remind us about creating an amazing customer experience. I experienced something worth sharing recently, and we can take at least three lessons from it. I booked an international trip for a speaking engagement. On the day of departure, I was dropped off at the airport and went directly to the ticket counter. It would take two flights on two airlines to get to where I was going, so I expected two boarding passes. The agent only gave me one and told me to get the next boarding pass when I landed. I’ve done this many times before and never had trouble getting both boarding passes at the outset. Rather than argue with her, I thanked her, went to the other end of the ticket counter, and talked to a different agent who was happy to ..." Continue reading • Shep Hyken's latest guest post for Human-Centered Change & Innovation here: https://lnkd.in/geXJ86Gj #customerexperience #travel #marketing #customerservice

Where has Customer Service gone? One of, if not THE biggest failures in today’s business world is a lack of customer service offered by many businesses. After dealing with American Airlines for the last 30 hrs - from delayed flights - lost bags - on a simple one stop domestic journey, it is obvious their CEO, Robert Isom did not genuinely mean that he would focus on improving their horrible reputation. It appears that AA has farmed out almost all of their support services to other countries in an attempt to make more money vs having anybody available to actually address an issue. But they are not alone. Most businesses in this tech driven world should rebrand customer service into customer disservice or customer no service. It is an utter embarrassment to those of us trying to do it the right way to see this and not be able to fix the problem. My audience is small, but you have my absolute promise, if you have a problem with our company Mode One you can reach me directly at 405-202-6060 and I will address your problem head on!!! Let’s get back to doing the right thing, the right way, and actually be there for our customers!!!

In Dunedin, New Zealand, a new airport policy restricts hugs to just 3 minutes. Seems simple, right? But think about it. A hug is more than just an embrace. It's a goodbye, a welcome, a connection. And now, it’s timed. While the airport says it’s to prevent congestion, travelers find the rule a bit... cold. After all, aren’t the most meaningful moments often found in those extra few seconds of a hug? This got me thinking about customer experience. Are we, as businesses, imposing “time limits” on our customers’ interactions, unknowingly cutting short what could be profound connections? A 3-minute hug might prevent crowding, but it also risks reducing an emotional experience into a mechanical one. Great customer service isn’t about efficiency alone. It’s about connection, empathy, and knowing when to give a little more time. Remember: A hug, a smile, an interaction—sometimes that extra second is what builds loyalty and turns customers into lifelong advocates. Don’t rush the hug. What are you doing in your business to let your customers know they aren’t on the clock?