By –AKK
This case analyses Prof. McPherson’s service experience with respect to two Airline carriers, which was not expected in this age of Network and Information Technology and also the service level expectations from the customers. First we analyze the setting/situation, issues Prof. McPherson experienced and his assumptions; and then try to address them. The bottom line: addressing such situations would improve efficiency, customer loyalty, brand name and increased profits
Situation:
* Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport is ranked as one of the busiest international airports. * 3-6PM is one of the busiest times of the day in terms of airline traffic and the number of people trying to travel during that time. * Foggy weather conditions, numerous flight delays and/or cancellations.
Operational Issues: * Flight to Atlanta was delayed by 1 Hr 15 minutes, due to bad weather. * Flight to London left 7 minutes before departure time. * 5 minutes after the scheduled departure time, the next flight to London was delayed by an additional 2Hrs 30 Minutes due to mechanical problems. * This was the only positive thing that happened during the day: The Frankfurt Airline were able to identify Prof. McPherson and eight other passengers and accommodated them by holding the plane for an additional 15 minutes
Prof. McPherson’s Expectations: * He would have been identified as a close-connecting passenger. * The Airline would have noted he checked no bags through and they would be anxious to capture his high fare. * He thought he had a full-fare first-class ticket; he is a Gold Card member and a loyal customer and the airline crew/agents would know that.
Situation Analysis:
The weather conditions can’t be controlled, but the Airlines should consider the rush hour and bad weather and make available additional staff or train existing staff to provide the best possible customer service