Passenger dwell time and the power of service

About two decades ago, I swore not to use the services of a bus operator in Benin City. I had wanted to catch up with the opening session of the Rivers Baptist Conference which was being held in Port Harcourt at the time. The delay at the bus park was such that I arrived in Port Harcourt late at night. We endured insults and threats from the driver as we travelled along the East/ West Road to Port Harcourt that night.

Now, again, trying to catch up with an appointment in Warri, I found myself at the bus park of this same operator. The bus seemed to have passengers, I thought, so the dwell time before the bus would get full would be small. But I was wrong. The bus waited two and a half hours to get full. The windows were all sealed while the air condition was faulty. In the traffic, the driver resorted to opening the passenger entrance door so passengers did not suffocate. I eventually had to alight along Sapele Road, forfeiting my fare as the person I was to meet in Warri had cancelled the appointment to attend to another matter.

Customer Service Week is celebrated during the first full week in October. This year it was celebrated from October 4 to 8, with the theme : The Power of Service. But this was the week where an airline known for on- time performance had delays, in Lagos and perhaps across the country.

A schoolmate had tried reaching me while at the airport. Coincidentally, I was also at the same terminal. I noticed the long queue at the airline stand. This school mate had wanted to get to Abuja to see the sister who was sick, having flown from the United Kingdom. The flight, scheduled for sixteen hours did not get to leave until twenty one hours – A delay of five hours at the airport! I learnt that an operating aircraft had developed a technical fault, which was fixed, but had resulted in delays in flight schedules for the day. I wished a better communication strategy were in place for such a delay.

Dwell time in the aviation industry refers to the amount of time available that can be spent shopping and dining before a flight departs. Every extra minute of dwell time can be translated into extra retail revenue for an airport. For this to happen, the airport must provide options that appeal to customers.

Airports must carefully select retail concessions that provide a win-win for all parties. Some retail concessionaires may, for instance, want a presence at the airport to advertise their brand which is well known in the city of the airport. Where these spaces are not bidded for, negotiations over pricing of the retail concession will have to take into consideration the footfalls at the terminal building or area where the retail concession is expected, expected revenue and possibly a minimum annual guarantee and the value of the space at the airport to the concessionaire.

Now, airports, while making money from dwell time, which might also include paying for using internet facilities, must not lose sight of the fact that airports must keep passengers flowing, from waiting to departing, from arrivals to baggage and curbside; and then back again to the airport.

James A. Baker, founder and CEO of Baker Communications says that customer service and success go hand in hand. He gives ten commandments of customer service namely: Train and appreciate employees, be proactive, treat customers like people, pay attention, ask questions and listen, make right what is not right, be easy for your customers to deal with, exceed expectations, ask for feedback and follow up.

One that should be emphasized is perhaps the third commandment that requires treating customers as humans with feelings and emotions. Courtesy, respect and appreciation goes a long way in meeting the needs of customers. Indeed, the rule here, Mr Baker insists, is to treat customers the way they want to be treated. In moments of delay communication is key. Customers want to know why they have been checked in and cannot board. Those who are in a queue want to know why they cannot check in. As humans they know that certain things happen in life which are not anticipated. How this is communicated to them makes a difference between an irate passenger and a pacified customer.

So as the world celebrates customer service week, perhaps passengers will also need to remember that many people have gone through a lot to deliver service – both employer and employee. Working from home, working remotely, sharing work space with children and other family members, going to work and being exposed to the risks of Covid -19, this is thumbs up to the power of service.

Ekelem Airhihen, a chartered accountant, is an airport customer experience specialist; and can be reached on ekyair@yahoo.com and+2348023125396 (text only)