SPECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABILITY
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) Airports Company South Africa’s strategy is to build both an efficient and customer focused business in line with its vision of being a world leading airport business. ACSA’s network of 10 airports – which include OR Tambo (Johannesburg),
Cape Town and King Shaka (Durban) – play a dominant role in the South African aviation industry. Working with its key industry partners, implementation of ACSA’s
customer-centric service strategy was commissioned by ACSA’s visionary managing director, Monhla Hlahla in 2008 and spearheaded by the company’s energetic customer care manager, Claudia Ramsden both of whom are passionate about creating outstanding airport experiences for their customers. The essence of ACSA’s customer service strategy highlights the
importance of all airport employees providing uniquely South African hospitality that exemplifies the true essence of Ubuntu (African origin) while delivering a safe, secure and efficient end-to-end travelling experience. Customer care behaviour training was developed and designed with the
strategic approach in mind. The airport community was part of the process and five behaviour standards were adopted and communicated to the entire airport community. Since the inception of the programme in April 2009, approximately 15,000 airport employees have attended motivational workshops and over 11,000 attended the five behaviour standards four-hour training sessions. A rewards and recognition programme will launch in September
2010. A customer care communication platform was also implemented. The platform called, Viewing Deck, affords all ACSA airport customers an opportunity to communicate with the airport and receive seamless and personalised responses. The Viewing Deck gives the customer service department a
multi-functional and diverse view of the customer’s end to end experience and includes the social media platforms, Twitter and Facebook, as well as a mobi site.
54 AIRPORT WORLD/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010
To date, over 17,000 customers have made use of the platform and
more than 270,000 customers have made use of the sms facility. And ACSA’s iHELP programme continues to play an active
role in improving customer satisfaction. Over 100 iHELP customer service agents are deployed throughout the airports’ terminals to assist passengers. Recently up skilled in German, French, Italian and Spanish, the
iHELP team is able to facilitate a seamless end to end experience for passengers as they welcome and converse in visitors’ mother tongues. Many compliments have been received to date from ‘wowed’
customers. ACSA has also capitalised on the iHELP logo to create a caring ambiance at its airports. iHELP posters welcome customers to sms feedback concerning ACSA restrooms, security and services. Feedback is transmitted to the Viewing Deck platform for a customer response and corrective action by the responsible service provider. In taking a strategic and consolidated approach to customer service,
system wide, ACSA has much to be proud of and its successful handling of the extra hundreds of thousands of travellers who descended on South Africa for the recent football World Cup finals bears testimony to this approach.
Boston Logan International Airport While safety and security are always top priorities at the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), which operates Boston Logan, customer service is not far behind as dedicated public services staff tackle the needs of the thousands of travellers who pass through the airport each day. At Logan’s public information booths, public service representatives are
on hand to assist customers with questions and concerns regarding ground transportation, airline services, concession inquiries, special needs and TTY services. They also provide interpreting and translating services for a variety of languages in the public areas of the terminal. For assistance Logan’s customers can visit an information booth or call
1-800-23-LOGAN which is the gateway’s customer service hotline. Public services staff are also stationed strategically at departure queuing areas to
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