Experts: Customer Service Is Critical to Bizav Success

Oct. 16, 2024

Hiring the right people, and continuous training, are keys to superior customer service, which is critical to a company’s success.

That was the focus of a recent NBAA webinar titled, “The Value of Customer Service in Today’s Business Aviation Industry.” Moderated by Bob Hobbi, president and CEO of SerivceElements, Inc., the session offered insights from three business aviation professionals: Traci Fremin, vice president of customer experience at Modern Aviation; Kellie Rittenhouse, CAM, director of aviation at Hangar Aviation Management and Ron Silverman, president of Business Aviation at Skyservice.

Fremin said she believes the level of customer service has declined since the pandemic. “I think part of this…has to do with the fact that it’s just harder to find good employees that are passionate, that are really willing to go above and beyond for the type of customers that we have in our industry,” she noted.

In addition to hiring people committed to providing the highest level of customer service, companies need to offer more customer service training, for example, the NBAA Customer Service Certification Program.

“I think it’s important for every organization to create a service culture where employees are happy,” added Fremin. “One of the best things I would recommend is to mentor them, through some sort of a professional development program.”

Building a company culture focused on customer service requires creating an environment where employees are treated with the same level of service, added Rittenhouse.

“If you are bringing in new employees and you want them to be excited and deliver on excellence, then you should be treating them that way too,” she said. “A lot of what we need to do is look at ourselves as the leaders to say, ‘Where can I improve and mentor and be mentored by some of your new employees?’”

The push to improve customer service includes a continued focus on safety as well as communicating clearly and early with clients when issues arise; for example, when there is a weather-related flight delay or a mechanical issue.

Clients “are looking for us to figure out how to get them from A to B,” said Silverman. “And whether it’s a hurricane, whatever it is, or a regulation, what can we do to complete the trip and meet the expectations of the customer? So, it goes to that personalization.”