As consumers, we are inundated with emails and push notifications from businesses seeking our opinions. Whether concerning a pizza delivery, an Uber trip, a flight, a hotel accommodation, or a conversation with a customer service agent, the requests for our feedback are relentless.
Typically, I don’t participate in these surveys, primarily because that could become a full-time commitment in itself. Nevertheless, I make it a priority to complete surveys I receive from airlines when I perceive value in doing so, which I would like to discuss further in this post. I’m also eager to learn how OMAAT readers tackle this issue.
In this post:
Airlines prioritize survey results
In the grand scheme, the airline sector isn’t particularly renowned for outstanding customer service or for significantly investing in customer experience (certainly, there are exceptions, but I’m speaking generally here).
That said, you’d be astonished at how much airline leaders care about survey outcomes and net promoter scores, and how profoundly it influences the direction of their strategies. I cannot emphasize enough how critical this is to airlines and how accountable individual department leaders are for the outcomes.
Over the years, I’ve engaged in numerous discussions with executives in the aviation sector, addressing both product and loyalty program aspects. Occasionally, they inquire for feedback, and after I share my insights, they often seem surprised and respond with, “our survey scores in that area are exceptional.”
At that moment, my jaw generally drops, and I’m left speechless. Out of respect for those discussions, I’d rather not delve into specifics, but suffice it to say, you’d be shocked at the various domains where airline executives fail to recognize flaws in their services (yes, it’s likely at the airlines you would expect).
It somewhat reminds me of Gordon Ramsay’s old “Kitchen Nightmares” series, which I find quite entertaining. He enters a failing restaurant, and the owners cannot fathom why patrons are absent. Gordon critiques their food as being subpar, and almost invariably, the chef or owner retorts, “everyone loves our food.”
Naturally, the distinction is that airlines can offer less because they are primarily in the travel sector, where price and schedule are paramount to consumers.
Surveys aren’t an ideal performance measure
Now, before I discuss my strategy for completing airline surveys, I must express that I don’t believe surveys serve as an effective performance gauge, and companies often overvalue them. There are several reasons why they may not accurately reflect the majority viewpoint on any subject:
– Typically, you must either be very satisfied or very unsatisfied to fill out a survey, as it requires time and is not compensated.
– Questions are frequently framed in a way that benefits the company, failing to address some core issues.
– Organizations will often disregard the most “extreme” responses, whether positive or negative, which really diminishes the feedback.
– Frequent customers of a company tend to become accustomed to the status quo, thus don’t provide feedback; while it might be acceptable if they continue to support a business, over time, people do shift their loyalty to competitors.
I’m not suggesting surveys are an insignificant measure, but personally, I think companies often draw incorrect conclusions from the survey data they gather.
My strategy for completing airline surveys
To be frank, I don’t complete a survey after every flight, as that would be excessively time-consuming. If I take a flight that’s entirely forgettable and meets my expectations, I usually don’t take the time to respond.
Instead, I prefer to give feedback when I have an outstanding experience or when my experience is unfavorable. Generally, after a great experience, I prefer to send an email to the airline to personally acknowledge the employee who went the extra mile, as I believe that’s more likely to benefit the employee.
However, when the experience is overall negative, or if I feel an airline has significant room for improvement in a certain area, I will consistently fill out surveys, hoping that my feedback will eventually lead to some form of positive impact.
I recognize my individual feedback won’t change anything on its own, but cumulatively, it can make a difference. Completing a survey is somewhat like casting a vote in an election. You are making your voice heard, and while it might not change everything, it’s the best you can do to express your perspective.
Airlines are eager to implement changes based on “customer feedback,” so if there are adverse changes and you haven’t provided feedback, it becomes challenging to be frustrated.
Now, let me clarify, I strive to be constructive in my discussions.