Qatar Airways, rated #1 in the world in 2015 and #2 in 2016, knows how to treat its customers, as do Emirates and Etihad, both UAE airlines, also at the top of the world’s best 100 Airlines.

The Top 100 Airlines of 2016
1. Emirates
2. Qatar Airways
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Cathay Pacific
5. ANAs
6. Etihad Airways
*Top Airlines of 2016 Data gathered from: www.worldairlineawards.com

What makes the customer experience different and how do we know what our customers want?

The airline industry has seen many changes and we have all experienced irritating flight cancellations, delays, increasing fees, declining amenities and a multitude of other issues. Over the last few years, a number of airlines have been taking steps to earn back the loyalty of passengers.

Several airlines are beginning to harness the power of the Net Promoter Score (NPS), a tool that is successfully used in the business world and healthcare industry, to measure and improve customer satisfaction.

Developed by Fred Reichheld, Bain & Company, the NPS is a very effective way to measure the loyalty that exists between a provider and a consumer. With the NPS, a company asks its customers The Ultimate Question: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our product or service to a friend?” Anyone who answers 9 or 10 to the question is a “promoter,” a 7 or 8 is a “passive” and a 6 or below is a “detractor.”

NPS can be as low as −100 (everybody is a detractor) or as high as +100 (everybody is a promoter). Many companies monitor their customer NPS regularly to keep a close eye on how they’re performing with customers and what they can to do improve their rating. There is a close tie between NPS score and bottom-line performance.

The NPS is a nifty tool. It can be used to measure the mindset of various audiences a business has – from customers to employees. The Employee Net Promoter Score helps to understand how likely employees are to recommend their company as a place to work. Studies suggest that employee engagement closely correlates to employees found to be promoters of their company, thus scoring 9-10 on the NSP scale.

Think about your business or place of employment. How would your company score or how would you rate your employer when asked the ultimate question? How can you increase employee engagement to grow a loyal customer base?

I would love to hear from you; you can share on my Facebook page or email me at Ulrike@UlrikeBerzau.com.

Author's Bio: 

Ulrike Berzau, Executive Coach & Consultant, works with individuals, teams and organization to achieve exceptional results in life and business. With extensive experience as healthcare executive, she is known for providing highly respected insights and creative solutions to secure continuous advancement and excellence. Ulrike has an unwavering passion for igniting the talent and brilliance in others and her international and multicultural experiences allow her to relate to a diverse audience. Her ambitious, yet well balanced, positive and inspiring mindset is the catalyst of her own success and assures the success of clients, staff and organizations.

Ulrike is the co-author of the International Best-Seller Imagine a Healthy You and an inspirational speaker. She is certified as Thinking into Results Consultant, Passion Test Facilitator, ASAP Engagement Consultant and Achieve Today Coach, and holds a Master’s Degree in Management, a Master’s Degree in Health Science, Physical Therapy, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.