MANILA, Philippines - Recognizing the growth in social media as an exciting chance to expand customer service reach, Airphil Express, the budget airline with the most aggressive growth rates in the country, is also the first to introduce round-the-clock dedicated customer support service on popular social media sites Twitter and Facebook.
Airphil Express’ 24/7 social networking presence is seen as integral to operationalizing its customer-oriented policy, not just during flights but also in the crucial before-and-after sales.
The development of Airphil Express’ customer service feature is instructive of what it takes for a brand to be receptive to the pulse of consumers. When first launched in March this year, Airphil Express provided social media customer support during office hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Less than three months later, the servicing period was extended until 10 p.m. weekdays and included weekends, which more than doubled the incoming number of comments from Twitter and Facebook users.
Noting that messages asking for updates about flights especially during the rainy season were being posted in the wee hours, the airline pushed for the August launch of its “any time of the day, any day of the week” customer assistance to provide quicker or almost real-time responses, just less than six months since the airline started the feature.
The dynamics of customer service around the world have changed since the boom of social networking. The “personal” becomes “public” in a matter of seconds, and this becomes an area of opportunity or a source of problem for many businesses, especially if complaints are not attended to or are being acknowledged but not fast enough for the consumer involved.
”Being in social media is a risk, much more providing customer support, which means having to address each and every concern posted on the channels, in very public online spaces,” says Alfredo Herrera, senior vice president for marketing and sales. “But in Airphil Express, we do not regard it as a risk but as an obligation of the brand to its passengers.”
The moment a person decides to “Like” a page, way before he/she makes a booking or boards the plane, the user immediately becomes a responsibility of the company, not in terms of feeding him/her corporate information or standard replies but connecting with the individual through direct, sincere, and (whenever needed) problem-solving conversations.
Only a little more than a year old, Airphil Express is known for good airfare deals and comfort-driven services like Web Check-In, Seat Selector, Travel Insurance, and Pre-Paid Baggage, as well as travel bonuses of as much as 15 kilos free baggage allowance and an additional seven-kilo free hand carry.
?“It’s not simply about making ourselves available so that our customers can easily contact us, which in itself is already a good thing. What we are striving for is real customer support, and that is through actively interacting with customers, regarding them as friends, partners, even family whom we wish to keep, and keep happy. We want to be part of their online universe while also adding value to their experience,” Herrera enthuses.
For inquiries, visit www.airphilexpress.com, follow Airphil Express on www.twitter.com/airphilexpress or like the carrier on facebook.com/airphilexpressph.