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In Mexico, only 20 percent of passenger queries on networks are answered by airlines.
In accordance with Hosteltur dDuring 2021, Aeroméxico surpassed Viva Aerobus and Volaris in complaints that have been filed with the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco). Aeroméxico complaints represent 36.4 percent of the total with 1,367 complaints.
A new study found that the that the airline industry is the second most responsive in social networks in the world; however, most passenger requests go unanswered.
The airline industry occupies the second position worldwide, only surpassed by the telecommunications sector, in terms of the speed with which they respond to customers, both in Twitterwith an average of 1.7 hours, as in Facebook, with 5.4 hours. However, when it comes to the response rate, according to Emplifi, approximately 76 percent of online questions went unanswered during the period January 1, 2022 to April 28, 2022. This indicates that while airline service teams respond quickly to customer inquiries online, Facebook and Twittera large proportion of the comments are not being addressed.
The data from Emplifi show that, in Mexico, for example, only 20 percent of passenger queries on social networks are answered by airlines. What is of great importance when according to the CONANACO, It is expected that this year the summer vacations in the country will show a 100 percent recovery, 25 million passengers will be mobilized by air, and an economic spill of 670 billion pesos will be generated.
Globally, people are also expected to make up for time lost due to COVID-19 restrictions this summer. According to Adobe Digital Economy Index, airline ticket sales are reaching record levels, so the ability of airlines to respond quickly on social media will be crucial.
In accordance with the above, it can be said that social sites such as Twitter and Facebook They provide a very public platform and the kind of easy access to organizations that modern consumers crave, so it’s no surprise that social media is fast becoming an essential component of customer service strategies, including airlines. . The key is to be able to offer a truly integrated communication platform, where customers can choose how and when to communicate with an organization.
According to a survey done by Guardian Consumers are turning to social media to communicate with brands at an accelerating rate. According to data, since 2020 customer complaints on social networks have multiplied by eight.
One in four social media users have used platforms to complain in the last three months.
Furthermore, according to The New York Times Increasingly, platforms like Twitter and Facebook’sThey are seen as the perfect vehicles for customers to file complaints, and 12 percent of the 2,195 consumers surveyed said they had taken this action. The cheap, convenient and public nature of social media platforms means they are a convenient way for shoppers to register their concerns.
Airlines that have responded
In accordance with Hosteltur during 2021 Aeroméxico exceeded in complaints to Long live Aerobus and Volaris that have been filed with the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco). The complaints of Aeromexico they represent 36.4 percent of the total with 1,367 complaints.
For its part, Viva Aerobus received 720 complaints as of December 21, Volaris registered 427, Aeromar 71, Iberia 62, Copa Airlines 53, Avianca 47, TAR 35 and American Airlines 24 complaints against it. The main reasons for the complaints were the reimbursements to passengers with 922 and for flight cancellations 812, according to data provided by Profeco to El Financiero.
However, Aeroméxico has had a high percentage of reconciliations with passengers of 90 percent, in the total average of the airlines it has been 84 percent. One of the fewest conciliations has been American Airlines with only 1 out of 2 complaints resolved.
On the other hand, the fines generated for noncompliance with the conciliation procedure or for not appearing at the hearings increased to 6,575,822 Mexican pesos. “Interjet, which no longer exists, had the largest amount, 5,168,886 pesos, followed by Viva Aerobus with 366,200 pesos, Aeroméxico with 329,700 pesos and Aeromar with fines of 244,436 pesos,” Profeco reported to El Financiero.
In the case of foreign airlines Spirit Airlines recently flew into a major public relations disaster. Following a no-refund policy, the airline refused to refund airfare for a passenger who had to cancel his trip after learning he had terminal cancer. The incident brought to light earlier cases of Spirit’s difficulty handling customer complaints. CEO Ben Baldanza told his employees and (accidentally) customers themselves that Spirit Airliness owed customers nothing and that customers would come back the next time they wanted a low airfare.
This example is proof of how complicated it can be to properly navigate customer complaints.
Spirit Airlines It has a policy and they stick to it. That seems to be the way the company chooses to handle customer complaints. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen, that approach might not be the best for business. When a company receives a complaint, they basically have two options. One, treat the complaining customer like a pain in the neck. Or two, appreciate every customer who complains and use the complaint as an opportunity to improve.
As we see, the customer experience is always at the top of the priority list of airlines. Dissatisfied or disconnected customers inevitably result in fewer passengers and less money. It is essential that customers have a positive experience every time they travel.