1

AUSTRALIAN AIRPORTS ASSOCIATION

BUILDING YOUR AIRPORT CUSTOMER CHARTER

2

The Australian Airports Association (AAA) is a non-profit organisation that was founded in 1982 in recognition of the need for one coherent, cohesive, consistent and vital voice for all aerodromes and airports across Australia.

The AAA now represents the interests of more than 260 airports and aerodromes Australia wide – from the local country community landing strip to major international gateway airports.

AB

OU

T TH

E A

AA

3

2/4 Brindabella Circuit I Canberra Airport ACT 2609 T +61 6230 1110 I F +61 6230 1367 I www.airports.asn.au

ABN: 89 008 647 336

In the modern world we live in, airports are so much more than a piece of infrastructure. They help create lasting impressions of their region or city – and indeed the country – for more than 150 million passengers passing through Australia’s airports each year.

Airports reflect their place in the world and aim to ensure every passenger has a seamless, easy and enjoyable travel experience. Our members recognise this, and have told us that providing a great customer experience is fundamental to what they do – day in, day out.

Customer experience goes far beyond an airport’s retail offering. It’s about how the many organisations operating at the airport work together to create a consistent and connected experience for every customer.

With so many businesses and agencies operating at Australia’s airports, it’s the airports themselves that help the customer navigate their way through airport processes. With this in mind, the AAA has developed a Customer Charter guide to support our airports as they continue to develop their customer offering.

The guide provides members with the opportunity to start the process to create a shared focus on the customer, drawing on best practice. It outlines the key themes we know are important to the passenger, and provides a framework for engaging with local stakeholders to develop a Customer Charter. Ultimately, your Customer Charter will bring the airport community together to deliver the best possible customer experience for your passengers and visitors – no matter how big or small that community is.

We’ve drawn on the learnings of our members and examples from around the world to develop this guide. Using the key themes outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to create your own, unique Customer Charter, shaped to support your vision, brand and your community of airport stakeholders.

I hope you find the guide a useful tool as you continue to develop your commitment and focus to the customer.

Caroline Wilkie Chief Executive Officer Australian Airports Association

4

What is a Customer Charter?

A Customer Charter is your promise to your customer, aligning your central vision, goals and values with your customer service approach. It explains what your customer service goals are, and what you will consistently deliver.

Your Charter should be developed in consultation with airport stakeholders to ensure it’s a document the whole airport community will be accountable for and deliver against.

Whether your airport is a multi-terminal, domestic and international facility or a regional airport providing essential connectivity to your community, adapting these principles will allow you to create a shared commitment to deliver on your customers’ needs and provide opportunities to constantly improve your customer offering.

What should a Customer Charter include?

Your Customer Charter should include a few key components:

An overarching promise

Your promise should outline what kind of experience you commit to delivering for your customers. This might focus on ensuring an easy, stress-free experience of your airport, or may convey how you want customers to feel when they’re visiting your airport.

A series of commitments

Your commitments should identify the key areas that are important to your customers, and outline what you’ll work to achieve for your customers in these areas. These commitments can include practical steps you’ll take to ensure your customers’ experience is a great one.

5

Key themes for your commitments We’ve consulted with our members to identify the issues they know are important to their customers. The following themes could be used to form your commitments as part of your Charter. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it provides a basis on which to engage with your stakeholders as your start the process of developing your Charter. You may choose to use all of these themes – or come up with some of your own.

Theme Example

Safety and security

Identify the aspects of your airport operations that impact on the safety of customers, staff and visitors. How will you ensure a constant focus on the safety and security of your customers?

We will make you feel safe and secure

» We will deliver the highest security standards as legislated by the Australian Government

» We will design, build and maintain our infrastructure to meet your needs and industry standards

» We will treat you and your possessions with care and respect when you visit our airport

» Our dedicated staff will be trained to meet safety and security requirements

Transport access

How can you provide easy access for customers, whether they choose to arrive via their own transport or public transport?

We will make transport access as seamless as possible

» We will work closely with ground transport service providers to ensure you have a choice when accessing the airport

» We will provide car parking choices to meet your needs » We will ensure dedicated pick up and drop off areas are provided

A seamless experience

Consider how your customer moves through the airport process. Map their journey and identify how you can make their time at the airport stress free, enjoyable and informative. How will you ensure your airport facilities are suitable for all of your customers, including those requiring extra care or assistance?

We will provide an airport journey that is enjoyable, informative and stress free

» We will design our airport with all customers in mind » We will provide information that is timely and relevant every step of

the way » We will display up to date flight information » We will work with our retail outlets to provide choice for every

traveller’s needs » We will provide you a comfortable and relaxing waiting area

» If you have reduced mobility, we will work with our airport partners to ensure your visit to our airport is seamless

Customer service

Identify how you and your airport partners interact with your customers. What can you do to exceed their expectations and provide a warm and welcoming ambience for them to enjoy?

We will ensure your airport experience will be personal, friendly and efficient

» Our staff will always be courteous and respectful » We will equip our staff with the knowledge and expertise to help you

in any way » We will work with our partners within the airport to deliver you a

consistent and friendly experience

Facilities

Consider the presentation of your terminals. Are your amenities clean and easy to access? Are your public spaces appropriately maintained to ensure the enjoyment of your customers?

We will provide you with a clean and tidy airport

» We will check and clean our facilities regularly » We will deal promptly with any toilet cleanliness or operational

matters » We will work with our food and beverage outlets to ensure they are

clean, and staff are on hand to keep your areas tidy » We will provide recycling bins in all areas

Customer satisfaction and feedback

What will you do to provide opportunities for feedback? What avenues of communication can you provide?

We will value you as a guest of our airport

» We will seek your feedback and ask you to tell us how well we are performing

» We will listen and respond promptly if your experience does not meet your expectations

» We will provide multiple channels of communication to stay in touch

6

Finding the right format for your Customer Charter

There are many ways of bringing your Customer Charter to life. Here’s a few examples for you to consider.

Your Customer Charter can take many forms and you should work with your airport community to find a format that reflects your vision, brand and community of airport stakeholders. Some key considerations when creating your Charter are:

» Keep it short – you’ll want to share your Customer Charter widely, so make sure it’s clear, concise and easy to access.

» Consider your brand – your Customer Charter should reflect your brand, and how you do business, to ensure your stakeholders regularly refer to the Charter.

» Set the tone - your Customer Charter should set the tone for how you want to engage with your customers. Use language that reflects the customer experience you’ve committed to delivering.

» Determine how you’ll support your Charter – you may wish to support your Charter with measurable service standards that track how you’re going. Alternatively, if you’re committing to listening to feedback, you’ll need to make sure you have those measures in place. Think about the processes you need in place to ensure you deliver on your commitments.

www.gatwickairport.com/globalassets/publicationfiles/business_and_community/all_public_publications/2014/passenger-_commitments_may14.pdf

www.cairnsairport.com.au/assets/Uploads/5328CACustomerCharter.pdf

www.aberdeenairport.com/media/230250/aberdeen_international_airport_ customer_charter.pdf

E1: gatwickairport CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE

E1: cairnsairport

E1: aberdeenairport

7

Launching your Customer Charter

Communicating success

www.cairnsairport.com.au/assets/Uploads/5328CACustomerCharter.pdf

Need help?If you want to start work on your

Customer Charter, the AAA is available to provide initial advice on engaging

with your stakeholders.

Contact info@airports.asn.au for more information.

Once you’ve worked with your stakeholders to create a Customer Charter, it is vital you ensure it’s embedded as part of how you operate across the airport community.

There are many ways you can launch your Charter – here’s just a few to get you started:

» Your website – your Customer Charter should be easily accessible on your website.

» Your airport community – make sure your airport partners have copies of the Customer Charter easily at hand. You could create a poster or booklet to display in office areas to remind staff of your shared commitments.

» Tell new staff about your Charter – when new people start work at the airport, make sure they know about your Customer Charter from day one. You could include the Charter in induction materials or include an information session on customer experience as part of their first days at the airport.

» Refer to your Customer Charter when providing customer feedback – demonstrate how your commitments relate to specific situations.

Once you’ve launched your Customer Charter, it is important to celebrate the successes of your shared commitment to the customer with the airport community.

There are a range of ways you can do this, and it’s worth considering this as you develop your Charter. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

» Share case studies – if you see a great example of someone delivering on your Customer Charter commitments, share it in a case study. Real world examples will help bring your Customer Charter to life and encourage your team to continue to strive for improvements.

» Celebrate successes – recognise staff who go above and beyond for the customer, either formally or informally.

» Share feedback – make sure you’re collecting feedback and sharing it with your teams. Identify areas for improvement and work with your teams to deliver better outcomes when required.