The mental disposition of a traveller at an airport does begin with the visa application process. Experience with visa application processes has for me usually set the tone for my airport customer experience. The apprehension is less where the country requires visa on arrival like some West African countries. But it is more with other countries where there is a need for visa application.
I recall a recent experience in an old generation bank in Lagos, Nigeria while applying for a three months bank statement. In a space of thirty minutes, three customers had shouted on top of their voices in the banking hall. One had wondered why it took six months and a debit at a fuel station was yet to reverse. He lost his cool when the customer service officer now asked him to return to the fuel station after six months!
The visa application process to countries outside West Africa and to travel to some other non-African countries can be really apprehensive. At another bank where I needed a three month bank statement, the customer service officer requested I try another branch as the printer toner on the computer printer had been exhausted. I was referred to another branch because the network was down and they could not access my bank statement in another bank.
An acquaintance with a frequent travel history was denied a visa to a non-European Union country recently for having very large sums of money move through her account that did not match her employment status. In the same breath another country in the same region granted her a visa for her holiday travel.
These challenges with the visa application process are a source of tension to the traveller. Fear of rejection is one of the common reasons for apprehension. A serious consequence of visa rejection is that the individual is unable to travel to desired destination.
Another acquaintance with family members in a non-European Union country met with rejection in visa application but was given a five year visa to America. The European country feared she may not come back to her country here in Africa as she had family members over there.
The fear of delay is another source of tension to the traveller. Delayed visa approval can result in serious inconvenience and huge financial loss. This fear becomes heightened where the applicant has already made travel plans. Recently, some applicants were called back to redo biometric capture. This kind of event heightens the fear of delayed approval and disruption to travel plans.
Some visa applications require an interview with a consular officer and this can also be a cause for apprehension. There is the fear that questions may not be answered correctly or that the judgement by the officer may not be fair to the individual.
There is also the fear of providing personal information by some individuals. This information may relate to their financial position or employment history. Where the visa applicant comes from a country with a history of government surveillance or persecution, this fear is heightened.
Another reason for apprehension may be due to discrimination on the basis of race, creed, nationality or some other reason. The fear becomes very severe where the applicant comes from a country currently experiencing political or social unrest.
Addressing these fears will go a long way to contribute eventually to a happy traveller and positive customer experience at the airport. With clear and concise information about the visa application process, these fears are contained. Information should be detailed instructions on how to fill out the application, documents required and what to expect where there are interviews. Though there is the belief that the reading culture is poor in Africa, the information should not be limited to the online platform alone. Where such information is not commonly available, a market becomes ready for persons hanging around the visa application centre as consultants. It gets worse for the applicant where the security and staff at the gate of the visa application centre do not seem to have time to listen to complaints by an applicant nor is there a readily available number or email for customer feedback and or complaint. So being patient enough to provide guidance on the visa application process, to answer questions without an air of superiority, as well as giving reassurance when necessary; should not be overlooked by visa application centres.
Also, the visa application process should be transparent while it is very important to be up front on any potential challenges or delays in the visa application process in addressing the fears and apprehensions of the potential traveller at an airport.
When passengers have passed through situations where they are treated with respect, have received adequate feedback on the visa application process such that they experience little or no frustration going through the visa application process, they will obviously be in a better emotional state as airport customers which does translate into good spend at the airport also.
