40,000-foot-view of Customer Care with Allison Ausband, Executive Vice President, and Chief Customer Experience Officer at Delta Air Lines

Imagine the triumph of human ambition as we glide through the skies, a testament to our enduring quest to conquer the very elements — thirty thousand feet aloft, inside a slender cylinder of steel. Within this confined space, humanity gathers, shoulder to shoulder: a microcosm of society. 

It's under these conditions that our distinguished guest today crafts an oasis of tranquility and impeccable service. How does one orchestrate such a feat of customer care under these conditions? This is the daily challenge for our guest on this edition of the "Distinguished" podcast: Allison Ausband, Executive Vice President, and Chief Customer Experience Officer at Delta Air Lines. Since embarking on her journey with Delta in May 1985 as a flight attendant, fresh from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree in hand, Allison has risen to oversee the vast customer experience network that encompasses the dedicated efforts of over 63,000 team members in Delta's Customer Care divisions. Under Allison's visionary leadership, the team at Delta marries groundbreaking innovation with a heartfelt dedication to hospitality, securing Delta's position as the premier U.S. airline as named by the Wall Street Journal for the second consecutive year.  

With an armory of technology and a top-notch team, excelling at customer experiences starts with being grounded in a singular essential value. Find out how to guide your company to soaring to new heights. 

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Transcript

Welcome & Guest Introduction: Allison Ausband and Delta Air Lines

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Imagine the triumph of human ambition as we glide through the skies, a testament to our enduring quest to conquer the very elements. 30,000 feet aloft, inside a slender cylinder of steel. Within this confined space, humanity gathers, shoulder to shoulder, a microcosm of society. Wait. The skeptic inside me is saying, I am flying 30,000 feet up, crammed in a metal tube, too close to strangers, unhappy with sky-high pricing. I am frustrated and angry. It's under these trying conditions that our distinguished guests today crafts an oasis of tranquility and impeccable service. How does one orchestrate such a feat of customer care under these trying conditions? This is the daily challenge for our guest on today's edition of the Distinguished Podcast. Broadcasting from Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, I'm your host, Arunup Neja, the Dean of the School. It's my great pleasure to introduce Alison Osban, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer at Delta Airlines. Since embarking on her journey with Delta in May 1985 as a flight attendant, Allison has risen to oversee the vast customer experience network that encompasses the dedicated efforts of over 63,000 team members in Delta's customer care divisions. Under Allison's visionary leadership, the team at Delta marries groundbreaking innovation with a heartfelt dedication to hospitality, securing Delta's position as the premier US airline as named by the Wall Street Journal for the second consecutive year. Please join me in welcoming a true paragon of the skies, Allison Osben, as we dive into the art and science of delivering excellence in customer experience at an altitude where the air is rarefied, but the standards of service are anything but. Thank you, Allison, for joining us for the distinguished podcast. You've had a fascinating career spanning nearly four decades with Delta. Starting out as a flight attendant to leadership roles in sales and customer service, and now being the EVP and Chief Customer Experience Officer for the Airlines. So let's just get your opening thoughts broad. How have you seen the customer service experience evolve over the years?

Four Decades at Delta: How Customer Experience Has Evolved

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Yeah, it has been four decades. It's been an amazing journey through that. When I started, people were smoking on airplanes. You had paper tickets, you had phones on board the airplane and a wall that you could call and make a phone call, but there were two on the airplane and two today, you look at today, and mobile apps and the ease of self-service to make your reservations, to get your information on your fingertips. And then, you know, I think the biggest change that certainly for me and my lifetime at Delta has certainly been since the pandemic. You know, the pandemic changed everything. It changed the pattern of customers. Customers are, it used to be a clearly defined business traveler and a clearly defined leisure traveler. Now they're sometimes, in many cases, one and the same because people, you know, have taken their work on the road, so to speak. And, you know, there are travel patterns that used to be very predictable early Monday morning, late Friday night. You know, that was our, you know, our huge traffic flow. And that has evened out. So we've had to make a lot of adjustments. And then certainly the importance of clean on board the airplane since the pandemic. Um, completely always focused on clean, but just a whole different, you know, lens on that. And then today, you know, being able to have free Wi-Fi on board the airplane and just the connectivity, fast, free Wi-Fi up 30,000 feet up in that cylinder. You know, our goal is that it works as fast and seamless as it does, you know, in your home. So it's been amazing, you know, to watch the journey. But I I would say what has not changed is is Delta's mission. And it's what brought me to Delta to begin with. It's and you mentioned it in the opening, but it's about humanity. And you know, I have been there four decades, but I'm still learning about humanity every single second of every day. We serve 200 million customers, and you know, I think with that comes a huge responsibility and accountability to humanity. It's been amazing.

Post-Pandemic Travel Patterns and the Always-Connected Passenger

SPEAKER_00 4:51

So you mentioned uh the things have changed since the pandemic. You know, it's very interesting that um you know pandemic would have um sort of showed us more how to relax and and how but it's actually done the opposite. Things are just speak moving at hyper speed, and everyone wants to be connected at all the time. And I guess that's why you're putting the Wi-Fi in all your

Free Wi-Fi on Every Domestic Flight: The Strategy Behind It

SPEAKER_00 5:14

planes.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Well it is. You know, and I think we we've all gotten that way since the pandemic and the urgency, right, of of having things right now. And you know, for us, as you you talk about Wi-Fi, our philosophy is we want you to have a great experience and we want it to be the experience that you want. And we realize everybody's different. So we want you to be as stimulated as you want to be, you know, sitting in that Delta seat, whether it's watching, you know, one of our 300 movies, or whether it's free Wi-Fi or Delta Sync. And um, it's amazing with free Wi-Fi. You know, we are now pretty much finished on our domestic fleet deploying it, but the average take rate is 1.7. So people are on their phones, they've got their laptop logged into free Wi-Fi, so you know, and they're watching a movie, you know, on the seed back. So it's you know, for us, we use the mantra keep climbing, and obviously as an airline we want to keep climbing, but it's about how do we continue to innovate and keep up with the trends, you know, that our customers want.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Right. So you are going to try and get, like you said, you're gonna give us what we want. But the question is, should we want Wi-Fi on two of our things and looking at a screen? This world is crazy enough already.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

So that's a whole nother debate.

The Chief Customer Experience Officer Role: Why It Was Created

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Yeah, absolutely. So let's uh share something about your role at Delta Airlines and your responsibilities in managing the customer experience. And this role I've been told is new. Um so what is the strategy behind creating a customer experience domain and not have it part of operations or marketing?

unknown 6:57

Yeah.

What the Role Covers: Airports, Flight Attendants, Reservations, and CX Design

SPEAKER_01 6:58

So that is, you know, the role was just created right before the pandemic, and thank goodness it was. You know, prior to that, we believe everybody at Delta is responsible for the customer experience. But I think by it living throughout the different areas within Delta, we were missing the beauty and the synergies of having one big, you know, customer experience design plan. And so that's the gift of having the role. And, you know, it's I have the end-to-end customer experience and then the the people who deliver that. So um all of our airport teams uh in the airport and on the ramp, and then our flight attendant group and the onboard product, and then reservations, uh, reservations team, and then we have a CX design group who sits every day and monitors the trends, listens to customers, and making sure that we, you know, as we look at the experience, where are we winning and where do we need to, you know, make improvements for the customers. So it's it's a a great opportunity for the Delta team to really be as focused as we can be when you have so many people and so many demands out there, you know, for us allocating our resources and and guiding our people to the places that matter most for the customer.

Why Delta Consistently Ranks #1 for Customer Service

SPEAKER_00 8:27

That's a big, big role. It's and I said so many thousands of employees uh globally that report to you. That's amazing. Um Delta Airlines is often praised for its customer service. Um, Condiness Crown Delta as the top airlines in US for customer service. Point Sky, Wallet Hub, Bounce, as reported by CNC, all report Delta very high. JD Powers ranks you very high. So what is the philosophy or approach that you take to ensure positive customer experience in a very highly stressful situation? And how do you differentiate yourself from other airlines?

It Starts With People: Delta's Founding Philosophy

SPEAKER_01 9:02

It's our people. Um, without question, 100% the Delta people. And you know, we will be 100 years old in 2025. So a little over a year from now, 100 years old. Our founder said two things which, you know, I haven't forgotten since I started. You know, the first one was, you know, every airline can buy the same airplane, they can buy the same seat, the same product. Um so we'll never have a monopoly there. But where we can make a difference is our people. And the other one was um, quote, is put yourself on the other side of the counter. So as Delta employees, how do we walk a mile in the shoes of our customers every day and what and really listen to what they're telling us? So it goes back to humanity. We're about serving humanity. And and so that philosophy is how every Delta employee starts out. And it starts with who we hire. We've got to hire the right people. And then a big part of what we do certainly is the recognition of them. And, you know, I think as you look at us compared to our competitors, um, we know what's most important to differentiating Delta is our people and our reliability. We're number one from an on-time perspective, so people can trust us, you know, and and it's been difficult the last couple of years. We've all had, you know, struggled across all industries, right? Getting back to that standard of excellence. But we are well on our way there, but have maintained that reliability, which is getting you there safely, getting you there on time. And oh, by the way, your bag is with you when you land. And that is the cornerstone and the foundation for what separates us. And then you we come in with the digital experience and through our app. And, you know, certainly Wi-Fi is a part of that. And then the physical space, you know, investing, we we are a premium brand. We want to continue to drive to that. And so making investments in our sky clubs, you know, sky clubs with outdoor patios and fireplaces, and you know, a place for our customers who are loyal to us to come in and get a little bit out of the hustle-bustle of the airport. But it's a combination of all those things, but it starts with people and trust that we're gonna get you there safely and on time.

Staying Attuned to Customers: Listening, Surveys, and Course Corrections

SPEAKER_00 11:36

That's wonderfully said. And I think this uh focus on people is very important. And and at our school, we sort of emphasize this. And so I really appreciate um you putting such a great emphasis, particularly since the pandemic. I think we all realize uh we are all human beings and we need to treat each other as such.

unknown 11:54

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

How do you stay attuned to changing customer needs and preferences? And how do you adapt your customer experience strategy accordingly? Can you give some examples?

The Plant-Based Burger, the Chocolate Sundae, and Learning From Mistakes

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Yes. We listen. We listen, listen, listen. You know, I get uh customers ask me all the time, do you really read those surveys that I fill out on you for like, we really do? I, you know, every day I get a report on that. But that's, you know, we we listen to our customers, and you know, we were talking earlier, you know, we we also look at what are the customer trends, you know, across the hospitality space. And, you know, one of the the recent ones was plant, you know, relative to our food and beverage on board and plant-based, you know, menus, adding more of that. We were hearing a little bit of that from our customers. So we made this, what we thought was a great decision to go with a plant-based burger, but we quickly learned not all 200 million were were quite there with that customer trend. They wanted their beef burger back. So we tried to get fancy with a chocolate sundae. Our customers said, no, I I just want a simple, I want simple, good, hot fudge sundae. So we we listen and learn all the time. Our customers are great guideposts, even for new products. We on our 321, um, we just introduced a new first-class privacy seat. We let our customers come in and tell us what how does this feel? Do you like it? Do you want it? Um, our customers with disability council, advisory council, you know, helped us design a wheelchair accessible seat on board. So for us, it's a partnership. Um, and and you you can't deliver for the customer and have a good experience if you're not listening. And so it all goes back to goes goes back to that.

Rolling Back Initiatives That Don't Work: The Food Strategy

SPEAKER_00 13:47

So listening is one thing, but what I find very interesting in your answer is that you're able to roll back initiatives that are not working, that are not resonating with the customers. Um so there was a recent New York Times article on flying restaurants, and it did mention Delta One class as well. Um it's a great way to win customer loyalty, improve customer experience in a meaningful way. So, can you talk about your food strategy and how what what is in the store, what is in the future for both business and the economy

Restoring Post-Pandemic Food and Beverage: Regional Brands and Chef Partnerships

SPEAKER_00 14:20

class?

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Yeah, so food has been, you know, relative to the pandemic, we're so glad to be away from that. And, you know, we closed 180 kitchens around the world. So just sharing a little bit of the complexity side of the business, you know, reopening those and establishing those around the world. We're there now. We've fully restored all of our food and beverage on board the airplane, which we're very, very proud of. Uh, we will have a on our international flights an introducing really a new cabin on our international fleet, Delta Premium Select, starting next March, and a whole new service design there in food and beverage. And I would say a couple of things on the food front. Um, we go, we like to do regional things. So products and brands that are familiar, for example, out of Seattle, Tillamook Cheese, very, you know, out of on, you know, topas for our Barcelona flights and other flights. Um we um, John and Vinny's, you know, in LA, very popular chefs own several restaurants there. They actually opened up a flight kitchen just for Delta. They have famous meatballs, so anybody listening, you've got to get on one of our flights and try that. But, you know, trying to offer options out there. And I think the other thing in the food and beverage space, customers want choice. So the ability to pre-select your, you know, your meal and adding options there is important. It's been a big win for us. And relative to that pre-select, we know, back to listening to customers, we know the popular menu items because of pre-select across, you know, our aircraft. And then I would say, you know, certainly the beverage side of things, we want that to be a great experience too. And, you know, coming out of the pandemic, just reintroduced our wine simolier, Andrea Robinson, and just introduced brand new wines on board because the beverage has to complement the meal, particularly in our premium cabins. And, you know, that's a pretty amazing task. Um, Andrea comes in, she comes into our headquarters in Atlanta, she has 3,000 wine bottles in one of our conference rooms all lined up, and she taste test, you know, 3,000, you know, she and the team to pick out, you know, wine specifically for Delta. And you can imagine we've got to have vineyards who can produce the amount that we need, you know, for customers around the world and that supply chain. So, but it's um, you know, and I think under with all that said, it's about it's about caring about our people and what our people want. And and there's a very thoughtful approach, whether it's, you know, our wines that we choose or choosing sweet water beer out of Atlanta because we know our Atlanta customers love it. We there's a very thoughtful approach to to all of that.

Technology and Personalization: Delta Sync and the Smart Seatback Screen

SPEAKER_00 17:25

You mentioned um Wi-Fi previously. So we live in this age of technology and we want to be online 24-7, wherever we are. So, what are the customers' expectations from the airlines in respect to technology? And obviously, you can't satisfy everything, but what are you, what specific technologies that have proven to be attractive to customers and what are you doing in the technology front?

SPEAKER_01 17:51

Yeah, I would say, you know, certainly fast free Wi-Fi is one of the biggest, latest, you know, um, technology that we've introduced on board the airplane. It's been wildly successful to what I mentioned earlier. We want you to experience Wi-Fi in the air, just like you experience at home, and people aren't going to wait, right? For that, they want it and they want it to work well. And uh we're well on our way with our new vendor there. I think along with that, really it's less about free Wi-Fi, but more about the experience that we can create for you and the personalization that comes through that. So we've introduced what we call Delta Sync, and it is on your phone, and we'll move to the seatback screen as well. But the more that you interact with us through free Wi-Fi, we will be able to offer up a curated experience for you. So if, you know, one of the things,

Digital ID, Biometrics, and Seamless Speed Through the Airport

SPEAKER_01 18:51

for example, today we offer is New York Times game Wordle. If you are a Wordle fan, then every time you fly and you log into Wi-Fi, either on your phone or seatback, would you like to play? Have you played Wordle yet today? If you haven't, you know, we've got that for you. And, you know, more and more opportunities there. And then on the seatback screen, it really will turn into your smart TV. I actually flew up here today on one of our new 321s that had it um on the seatback screen. And you can save your favorite shows. So every time you're flying on Delta, it doesn't matter what equipment, but you log in, your favorite shows will pop up and you can choose just like you're sitting at home for your favorite show. If you haven't quite finished your, you know, your show on this flight and you're connecting to another, it'll pick right back up where you left off and ask you if you want to finish. So more and more technology there, I think, you know, on the ground, uh, digital ID. So this concept of seamless speed, we know it's it's hard getting

AI and Bag Tracking: 100,000 Bags a Day in Atlanta

SPEAKER_01 19:55

through, you know, just the hustle and bustle of the airport, the TSA, all of that. So great partnership with the TSA, digital ID, it's all your eyes, biometrics, and you don't have to pull out a thing to go through security. And I was um sharing with the class earlier, which I think maybe the audience, as you think about complexity on board, um, AI, you know, certainly a big part of technology moving forward. And in our largest hub, Atlanta, uh, we we touch 100,000 bags there every day. And every bag is touched about between 12 and 14 times, so times 100,000. So you can and 30 miles of conveyor belt in that complex. So and you can imagine when things go wrong, a little weather, a little delay, what happens? You know, not only to the passengers, but the bags. So we want to match. And so the Delta team has created new technology. This is, you know, behind the scenes for the customer, but it goes back to that reliability piece aspect of it. But new AI for our drivers who are carrying those bags to get them where they need to be in the most expeditious time. So we'll just we will continue to innovate in that space. It's it's important to keep up with the trends and to make the experience even better.

Why Delta Is Keeping Seatback Screens When Others Are Removing Them

SPEAKER_00 21:20

So many things here. Let me pick on one of them. So the screens at the seed back, you're not doing away with them?

SPEAKER_01 21:28

No. As a matter of fact, some airlines are taking them off completely, but we see them as just a key part of the customer experience. Um, we've got masterclass on there. So if you want to learn how to cook Mashama Bailey's recipe, who's one of our chefs, you can do that or a writing class. And, you know, everything from live TV to at least 300 movies on board. And you know, for us, it it's those are those are great. And then the more we can come in with percentage. Personalization for each individual customer. Again, it's about having that available if the customer wants to use that as a part of their experience. So we're excited about it.

Connecting Flights and Resuming Your Movie Where You Left Off

SPEAKER_00 22:12

The other thing I was very curious to hear was this you're watching a show or a movie, you go to the next connecting flight, and it's going to start. That has been a pain point. There are so many movies I've left half done, and I don't even remember now which movies I've only seen half of.

SPEAKER_01 22:28

Well you don't have you won't have to worry about that anymore. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Excellent.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Or just uh just starting to deploy that. So it's uh it's exciting.

Employee Engagement: Delta B-Day, Recognition, and Listening to the Team

SPEAKER_00 22:37

So I want to go back to um when I was asking about the difference between you and other, and you talked about employee uh employees. And so employee engagement is obviously crucial to delivering excellent customer service because they are the ones who are on the front lines and delivering it. So how do you ensure that employees are aligned with company's commitment to exceptional customer experience?

Bringing 800 Employees Together With the CEO 15 Times a Year

SPEAKER_01 23:01

Yeah, every employee that joins Delta, we bring them together in what we call B-Day. It's their birthday with Delta, but it's their starting date of when they started with Delta. And we bring them together. Whether you're a pilot, a flight attendant, you know, a data scientist, we bring everybody in on that birthday to align around the values and mission of Delta. Who, who are we and what are we all about? And that's just been a and and we use some of our some of our frontline people come in and tell their stories around Delta. And so that's a great centering and beginning and foundation for all of our employees. And then I would tell you, you know, recognition. This one of the best parts of my job is, you know, I'm responsible for 65,000. They work really, really hard, particularly up here in Boston in the winter, you know, or the rain, or, you know, or are it's it's a it's a hard job, but it's so rewarding because you are right serving humanity in what you do. But recognition, all of our leaders. Um, we work really, really hard to recognize our team. And then I I would also say, you know, we bring in at least 15 times a year. We'll bring in 800 employees with Ed Bashin, who's our CEO, myself, and other senior leaders. We bring them together to say, this is what's going on at Delta. This is where we are, you know, from a strategy perspective, from an operation, from a safety, from a customer perspective. And that's alignment and keeps people, and we're very transparent, you know, with what's going on. So you can imagine in a company with 100,000 people, we don't want people to feel like they're a number, that that they can come and hear and know what's going on with, and and that's part of the beauty of the job at Delta. You know, as a flight attendant, you can come to work and go home, but we want you to be connected. So we use those. And I would I would also say that the biggest aspect, though, of keeping them motivated is listening. No different than listening to the customer. I I think even more important is listening to our people because they're out there with the customer every day. They know exactly what's going on, they know exactly what they need and don't need and what our customers need. So we have what we call an open door. And there are employees that email, you know, our CEO every day. He reads his email. All of our senior leaders, same here. They know they can email anybody in the company. And, you know, I that's the best way between that and being out with our people is the best way for us to motivate them because we know what is what matters to them and what they need. So it's the best part of my job.

Customer Experience Metrics: Net Promoter Score and the 19-Point Travel Ribbon

SPEAKER_00 25:58

Excellent. So now let's move on to uh customer experience metrics. So how do you know that you're doing well? So what are those metrics that you prioritize? And how do you obviously make sure that the entire team is aligned behind those metrics that you're prioritizing?

How NPS Works and What Detractors, Passives, and Promoters Mean

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Aaron Powell So we measure ourselves by net promoter score, and that is based on all the surveys that our customers get. And we back to what I said earlier, we really do read those. So we appreciate it. Uh but that makes up our net promoter score. And my team, you know, myself, my team, every single day, we start out our day with uh what we call the customer experience dashboard that tells us where are we today with our customers? Where are we winning and where do we need to improve? And we call it the customer travel ribbon. So we measure 19 different points of that customer travel ribbon from the time you book your ticket to how's the condition of the cabin? You know, how was your gate experience, how was your boarding, how was the app to bag. And we have scores for all of that. And it's just it's great informative information for us to know what do we need to do next or what do we need to improve.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

Aaron Powell So for people who don't know what is NPS, the Net Promoter score, can you dig in a little bit and explain what it is? How do you calculate it?

SPEAKER_01 27:25

Aaron Powell Yeah. So for us, you know, Net Promoter is usually a one-to-10 scale. We use one to five, but either way, and you've got your detractors, you've got, you know, who are on the bottom end rating you a one, you've got passive who are in the middle, the customers who, you know, don't really have a strong opinion about your experience. And then you have your promoters who rate you a five, and they're out there, they're the best brand ambassadors we could have because they love Delta and they love the experience. And so you it's basically a calculation of the percentage of detractors subtracted from the percentage of promoters, and that's how we end up with our

Real-Time Monitoring: NPS by Airport, Aircraft, Food, and Sky Club

SPEAKER_01 28:05

score.

SPEAKER_00 28:05

Aaron Powell And how often do you is the score updated?

SPEAKER_01 28:08

Aaron Powell Every single day, all throughout the day. And we can tell what the net promoter score is for each of our airports, we can tell what our net promoter score is for our food and our sky clubs, we can tell what our net promoter score is by aircraft type, by the type of you know, where you're sitting on board the airplane. So we have we are data rich in all of that, but the team synthesizes all that together for us to know what what our next step should be.

When Scores Dip: Weather, Delays, and "Flip the Trip"

SPEAKER_00 28:43

So if it is being recalculated on a daily basis or even during the day, if it starts to dip, somebody at corporate headquarters and your team is keeping an eye and instantly do they try to take some action right away?

SPEAKER_01 28:57

Aaron Powell If it's something right specific to something major at the moment. But for us, we, you know, it's more of a trending mechanism for us. Uh if there are individual needs underneath that or something that we need to change immediately, you know, I will tell you sometimes that comes into play with menu items back to one of those 19 that we measure as food and beverage. And underneath that, we may know through that survey pretty quickly within two-week time frame that, you know what, this particular meal we need to change out. So, you know, it just depends on what it is. But for the most part, you can imagine it has its ebbs and flows when the operation and weather situation is bad. It's a really rough, rough time. Um and you know, no matter how hard we we can't change the weather, no matter how hard we work, right? It's a tough net promoter score for us that day. So you know, we we look at it more on a trending basis.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

So I'm assuming this is what when people are uh filling out the surveys at the end of the flight, you they'll get a survey from Delta and their email saying, okay, rate us, and that's what you get. I'm just wondering uh with you know if there's a weather-related delay and the flight is on the tarmac for two hours, three hours, and people are just screaming, and there are many of them are posting on YouTube or Instagram.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

Or sending me an email. Or sending you an email. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

So I'm assuming that your team is keeping an eye on the social media to see if any of them is any of that is happening. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

Absolutely. And you know, we have what we call an operations control center, and that's it's where it's the center of what's going on in our operation. Every work group is represented there, and they are watching that all those delay situations, you know, every single second of every day. And, you know, delays are gonna happen. And, you know, and sometimes we can make them better and sometimes we can't. But one of the biggest things that we know is within our control is the way our people respond and and are in the moment with our customers. So we we like to say we're we're never gonna be perfect. You know, we are number one and on time, but we're never gonna be perfect. And so we tell our people flip the trip. You know, when things go bad, we we all have the opportunity, even just listening to the customer can sometimes make write the situation better. So it's our opportunity to show that care and empathy in the moment and flip the trip when when things are bad.

Looking Ahead: Seat Pitch, Personalization, and Joby Aviation's Air Taxi

SPEAKER_00 31:42

Fantastic. Okay, so let's look ahead. A lot of things have changed, like you mentioned uh with the customer experience facetiously. You know, for example, seat pitch keeps decreasing. On shorter flights, will the airlines make a stand? Okay, stand up, strap in, it's a 30-minute flight. Um but on a serious note, there is always some noise about proposed regulations, about seat dimensions. Will that ever come to pass? Where else do you see the customer experience evolving?

SPEAKER_01 32:13

Yeah. And I'm really I'm really proud on the seat pitch side. We are um we are better than our competitors and and plan to stay there on that front. Um, there certainly there was a point in time for all of us, and um, but yeah, I think we've realized one of the things we measure is seat comfort. And you opened with you're standing next to a stranger and how close do you want to be? And you know, the seat has to be comfortable. Part of that is your seat pitch. But um, you know, I think for us, you know, what's next for us relative to, I would say from a customer experience perspective, is really focused on things that, you know, relative to personalization and, you know, to make the experience better. And in the end, you know, we average about 200 people on board, customers on every single flight, and they want to know they matter. They want to know that Delta knows what's happening to them along the way, whether it's good or bad on their journey, and that we will be there for them when something goes wrong. And that all goes back to personalization. And, you know, that is by far our biggest opportunity for the brand and to take us further is on the personalization front. And then, you know, we're gonna continue to innovate back to what I talked about earlier relative to seamless speed. And it's seamless speed in the airport, but it's also just getting to the airport. You have congested airports like LA, the traffic, and you know, um, New York, and I'd put Atlanta in the mix too. But, you know, we partnered with a company called Joby Aviation. Um, it's an electric um vehicle, takeoff and landing vehicle. Um, looks a little bit bigger than a drone, small helicopter, but it's going to be able to take people in those congested airports and put them right on the airport property. So it takes away some of that stress of just getting to the airport. And then we can handle, you know, inside the airport. And, you know, we are are partnering with them, and that vehicle will will launch in 20 planned for 2025 right now and sustainable at that. So there are a lot of great um opportunities for Delta moving forward, but the personalization side of it is the biggest.

Key Principles for Any Organization Pursuing Customer Experience Excellence

SPEAKER_00 34:35

And I've seen that across uh hotel industry as well. Uh personalization across the restaurant industry. We've been trying to do this. So great to know that you are doing it as well. Um so to wrap up, what are the key principles or values that you believe are essential for any organization aiming to excel in this new field, this new program that you've created in customer experience management?

SPEAKER_01 34:59

Yeah, I I would say, you know, I would say excellence doesn't happen by accident. So for anybody in the hospitality space, um, it's about having a vision and standards and then hiring the right people to meet those. And then above all, I I would say key principles would be around humanity. And, you know, yes, do we offer a service from flying people from Boston to Atlanta? We do, and that's why people, you know, buy a ticket. Um, but why do they buy a ticket

The Lesson That Changed Everything: The Woman in Seat 4B

SPEAKER_01 35:41

on Delta? And for us, it's about the experience and the humanity that we can bring. And, you know, I was sharing with the class, I learned a valuable lesson, you know, four months into the job as a flight attendant. And if I had to go back over all over again, I would start right there, knowing that I would ultimately be in this role, which I didn't know at the time. But, you know, it it's there was a female customer. I was working first class as a flight attendant, a female customer sitting in 4B. I remember like it was yesterday, and she was the rudest customer I had met in all of my four months of flying. Um, did not want to get a customer complaint that would not be good, back to standards of performance and excellence. And, you know, I had to I had to go gather my thoughts and went back out and said, I'm gonna somehow figure this out with this lady because I had two more hours to go. Well, what I found out that we were carrying her son below. So her son had passed away.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 36:41

And shame on me. This is the worst day of this mother's life. I wasn't gonna change it, but I just learned it was just a valuable lesson in humanity and servant leadership that that as a Delta team, we just got a huge responsibility and accountability to humanity. Every single person that walks across the threshold, I don't care what hospitality, you know, industry you're in, but for us, every single person walks across the threshold of that door on some type of journey. For her, it was one of the worst days of her life, but others, it's the most exciting. And I'm going for a job interview at Delta, or I'm starting, you know, as a freshman at Boston University. And it's the the things that we can do to serve humanity while they're within, you know, our responsibility. I just I think that is so key in hospitality and excellence. Um, you have to be intentional about that. And um, you gotta hire people who have a heart for that.

Fun Questions: Favorite Vacation Destination and Always-On Mindset

SPEAKER_00 37:51

Very well said. Very well said. Thank you. So at the end, for a bit of fun, we wrap up each podcast with a quick round of questions. Uh, as someone who travels thousands of miles on a perhaps on a weekly basis. I know you came today from Atlanta to Boston as well. So what's your favorite vacation destination?

SPEAKER_01 38:13

That's such a hard question. I would say um by I I would say two things. I'm a beach person, so I would say um Hawaii or Longboat Key, Florida.

SPEAKER_00 38:25

To get to either of these two places, you have to fly.

SPEAKER_01 38:28

I do.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Do you keep your professional hat away when you're going on vacation or are you always looking around?

SPEAKER_01 38:34

Aaron Powell I'm always looking around. I'm always looking around and you know, I'm always it's another opportunity for me to connect with the employees, uh, you know, our Delta team along the way. And you know, I've gotten into some interesting I've gotten some great feedback from customers too. So, but you know, it's it's a I I view it as a privilege for me to be able to do that as a Delta employee to fly. It's a privilege for all of us. That's a great benefit of the job to see the world and meet new people, and so it's uh it's awesome.

Never Leaves Home Without: Diet Coke

SPEAKER_00 39:07

So never a relaxing moment, even on vacation for Allison. What's that one item, not including devices such as phone, iPad, or laptop, that you never leave home without while flying? Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 39:20

Diet Coke.

SPEAKER_00 39:21

Diet Coke, okay.

SPEAKER_01 39:23

I buy I could have guessed that I leave home and and drink it on the way to the airport, and then the minute I get in the airport, even though I know Delta thankfully has it on board the airplane, I pick one up at you know one of our vendors in the airport, and it's a hot Diet Coke and it travels with me everywhere.

Least Favorite Word: "No" — Favorite Phrase: "Excellence Is Not an Accident"

SPEAKER_00 39:40

So what's your least favorite word or phrase?

SPEAKER_01 39:44

No.

SPEAKER_00 39:45

No. Okay. What's your favorite word or phrase?

SPEAKER_01 39:50

I think it goes back to what I said um earlier. I think you know, excellence is is not an accident. And you know, for that, I think every day we define ourselves and you know, as a Delta employee, we define ourselves and we define Delta as a member of the Delta team. So how do we, you know, all continue to focus on um what it takes, right, as a as a Delta team and do our part um to showcase Delta.

Closing Remarks & Credits

SPEAKER_00 40:19

It was much more than a word or a phrase, but I'm gonna take that. And and with that, it was an absolute delight to talk to you. And I think I helped you start flying Delta much more than what we've been doing so far. And thank you everyone for listening to our distinguished podcast. If you want to join the conversation and share your thoughts and suggestions, email me at shardeen at bu.edu. That is s-a-de-e-a-n at bu.edu. Special thanks to the team who produced this podcast, Professor Makran Modi, Mara Littman, Andy Halleck, and the entire team at Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. To keep up with distinguished podcasts, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. You can also learn more about our undergraduate and graduate programs by visiting BU.edu slash hospitality. Thank you. Have a wonderful day.