‘Appy as Larry?

06 January 2012

We have pushed for a long time for staff to be better informed about service disruption, so that they can give passengers better information when things go wrong. So, the handing out of Blackberry’s to staff is a welcome move. However, I have never been convinced that this is the right bit of kit. The rapid rise of Smartphone technology and the iPad seem better suited to what staff have to do – show passengers some information and options.  Airline pilots now don’t carry those huge bags full of maps and information – iPads are becoming the norm.
Interestingly, I overheard a conversation the other day on a train. A passenger asked for some information. One staff member asked a colleague: “Have you got your customer assist machine?” The other staff member replied: “I don’t use that – I have bought an app which I use on my Smartphone.” She then used her own phone to retrieve the information…