Line Management - Easing the Worries of Airport Travelers

Customers don't like to stand in line. But there's something they like even less: standing in line and worrying. In airport lines this is all too common. If you can improve your line management you can increase customer satisfaction. With that satisfaction comes loyalty and higher customer retention. Combine that retention with advertising opportunities to improve your bottom line.

Understanding the mindset of the traveler

Customers have a specific goal in mind when they are traveling: get to a certain place at a certain time as easily as possible. If you want to keep customers happy you need to support that goal. While customers don't want to stand in line, they will do so without grousing if they know everything is going to be OK. If you can keep them entertained, it's even better.

Types of questions

Customers have questions when they are in line. The first and most important one is: "Am I in the right line?" Customers are left without an answer to this question far too often. While standing near the start of the check-in lines for one airline, I heard this question at least once a minute. It wasn't unusual for a customer to find out from other customers that they were in the wrong line and have to switch lines. Less than 20 feet away from the start of this particular line there was an information desk. But the information desk was unattended, dusty, and the faded sign had long since fell down.

The next most important question is: "Will I make my flight?" It's a straightforward question, but the departures listing isn't usually visible from the line. Customers who know they will make their flight will be a lot calmer and happier waiting in line.

Travelers will also have other questions, and with today's heightened security, it's even more important to explain the rules. You can expect customers to have more questions about what they can and can't bring onboard and carry-on luggage.

Active line management

The vast majority these questions could be answered long before the customer reaches the front desk. If you want to actively lower the stress level of customers in line you need to be proactive about answering their questions and managing the lines.

You should have a highly visible staff member out in front to answer questions and point people in the right direction before they get in line. This is exactly what Air France does. The very first staff member who customers meet is behind an information desk at the start of the line. Air France has recognized the importance of line management and has made this tactic a company standard for several years.

An information desk works great for pointing customers to the right line and answering initial questions, but it should be part of a larger solution. The more customer interaction you can create, the better. Consider having a staff member available to walk up and down the line. Travelers may get in line and then have a question. Most people will not leave the line to go ask a question unless they can have someone to hold their place. You should bring the help and assistance to the customer. This helpful staff member should be easy to identify and easy to talk to.

There is more to gain than just customer satisfaction with these tactics. If you can answer customers. questions before they reach the ticket counter, you'll be able to increase transaction speed and increase the overall throughput. Calmer customers also make for more polite customers, which makes the job of those behind the desk infinitely easier. In fact, if I had my choice between three staff members processing passengers or two staff members processing passengers and one doing line management I'd choose the latter situation.

Increase management for extra long lines, delays or cancellations

When lines get long, delays increase, or tempers flair, a reassuring word and some quick-witted humor can do wonders to ease tensions. During these stressful times you need to be even more proactive in your line management.

Move to a multi-staged approach. Start with a staff member at the end of the line to make sure travelers are in the right line. Add another one at the head of the line to prepare people to check in. They can speed up transaction time by making sure people have their tickets, proper ID, and pre-tagged bags. As lines get longer add staff walking the middle of the line answering questions and calming customers fears. If line management staff is swamped with questions, add more staff if they are available. A customer interaction consultant can help you place your personnel where they can be most effective.

Increase comfort and hospitality

Work to make waiting in line as pleasant as possible. The first thing to realize is that people in line often have family members waiting with them. It's not unusual to see loved ones sitting on the floor a small distance away from the entrance to a line. Make sure to place some comfortable benches so that family has a full view of the line.

You can also increase the physical comfort of those were waiting in line. The first thing to consider is the floor. A thin rug over hard concrete fatigues the legs quickly. If you place some sort of springy anti-fatigue material under the feet of your customers, they will be a whole lot happier. Consider changing the velvet ropes to something more solid and sturdy so customers can sit or lean. Some options would be metal rails or plastic benches. If the line gets really long, you can help out solitary travelers by having a line manager mark their place while they go to the bathroom or get a quick snack.

Make the most of the wait

If you've done a good job managing things, the end results are smooth running lines and happier, if a bit bored, customers. Here is where you can go the extra mile and dramatically increase profitability. Bored, money-paying customers with time on their hands make a great audience for advertising. Now is the time to advertise and promote your frequent-flier program, cheaper rates to Tahiti, and your new improved shuttle service.

You can market your wares with pamphlets, posters, and videos. Whatever form of advertising you use, it had better be reachable or viewable without getting out of line. Near one airport check-in line I saw a poster and pamphlet display just outside the velvet rope barriers. The rack holding the pamphlets was four feet away from the velvet rope. If that display were moved one foot outside the velvet rope, it would dramatically increase the number of customers picking up promotional materials.

A truly customer-oriented airline might consider using the wait time to customize service. If customers were offered a machine-readable preference card, they would have the chance to tell you just what they want. You could provide options to have a pillow and blanket waiting for them at their seat, offer a choice of meals, or have a drink waiting for them.

Move your attention from behind the desk, and profit

With today's increased price competition, available resources are at a premium, and it is increasingly important to handle more customers with less staff. This makes appropriate staff placement and allocation vital. By heading off customer frustration by moving your staff from behind the desk to line management, you can improve the travel experience for customer and employee alike. Those happier customers will eventually make for happier shareholders.