According to the iProspect 2018 Global Client Survey, the quality of purchase experience and after-sales service is the top priority for marketers to increase trust in their brand. In conversation with iProspect, Vanja Mlaco, Digital Growth Strategist, Transavia, spoke on why their customer is the most valuable asset they own.
What are the main drivers of consumer trust in your opinion? What actions do you take at Transavia to nurture trust?
In the case of Transavia, the main drivers are reassurance on digital and operational processes. It means giving our valued passengers the feeling they are in control and that everything is going to be all right. For instance, if they have a lot of spare time at the airport, it could be about telling them they can enjoy a coffee before their flight leaves or notifying them when their route is obstructed.
Providing this level of convenience to customers is really powerful, and digital assistants are going to take this even further. Conversational technologies and interfaces will become a huge asset for brands, enabling them to be even more relevant about which products they offer. For example, Transavia has recently released its second Google Assistant action to let passengers access real-time information on waiting times at airport security checkpoints.
Explaining to customers why a company needs a specific piece of data is an important driver, too. Most of the big digital companies have more than enough data to personalise, but their maturity level on personalisation is often so low that they should look at better using what they already have before worrying about gathering extra data. At Transavia, the greatest impact is now made on small personalisation, which requires a minimum of data. The tree of low hanging fruit is still very fertile, and we need to make good use of it before looking elsewhere.
I often see companies looking at technology as a goal and not as a means to achieve real goals. I put a lot of effort into understanding customer needs before deploying a piece of technology. As a result, customers are far less suspicious of innovation. If you just use new technology to mirror current digital channels, customers won’t see the value and the risk of mistrust is much higher.
“For our team, the goal is ‘Customer before Conversion’.”
How do you connect online and offline actions to create relevant seamless experiences?
At Transavia, I have created the “One Conversation” vision, which embodies our goal of creating one conversation per customer, from the beginning to the end of his journey. This conversation starts when a customer asks us to help with some inspiration for his next journey, then it progresses through the conversion itself, questions from customers, (service, operational and commercial) information we exchange, etc. Customers are in charge of when, where and how they wish to engage this conversation. This is in comparison to our current set up where we have specific digital channels for specific customer needs (book on our website, ask questions via WhatsApp, change your booking via call centre, etc.)
How important are social causes in Transavia’s strategy?
I truly believe every company should put social causes at its very core. At Transavia, we launched the Peter Pan Foundation more than 20 years ago. Operated by 20 volunteer employees, the foundation creates care-free holidays for ill children by leveraging the company’s knowledge and contacts in the travel industry. We organise three trips a year and have created an unforgettable experience for more than 1,000 children. Last year, we even developed a special Peter Pan livery for one of our planes!
Peter Pan in the air by Transavia
This article is excerpted from Future Focus 2019: Searching for Trust. Download Future Focus 2019 for key insights and success stories on navigating truth and authenticity in 2019.
Want to learn more about Transavia’s digital strategy? Read our case study, recognised by the DDMA Dutch CRO awards.
