The quality of airline's information systems can either positively or negatively impact the performance of frontline employees who use them, reveals a study this week.
The research by Dr Norman Au of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) and Dr T Cheng surveyed 200 employees of eight airlines in Hong Kong to assess various factors that may have an impact on their satisfaction with the information systems they use at work.
It was found that many travellers do not feel comfortable using various information system-based services such as online seat reservation, e-ticketing and check-in services.
The study argues that providing quality service through human interaction remains an important part of airlines’ service delivery.
Airline system performance and satisfaction
Airlines need to identify how satisfied the front-line employees are with (using) their system, because an unhappy frontline employee can greatly influence the overall experience of the airline customers.
The study goes on to say that a technically advanced information systems may not be sufficient for airlines to increase their operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction.
Performance of the information systems are considered very important because a small technical glitch or a slight delay could be disastrous for passengers. However, performance of the systems barely exceeded staff expectations.
How to bridge the gap
Below are various methods suggested,
- Allocate resources to provide training on IT systems
- A better understanding of (frontline) users' perceptions and expectations of such systems would benefit airlines by helping them to make improvements
- The technically sound system should also be capable of collecting customer feedback that could provide inputs to build a system as expected by customers
- The study speculates that users may be happier if they are kept well informed about what to expect from the information system than if they are included in the complex technical system development process when they are aware that they only have a limited role to play
- Ensure that employees are both willing and able to use the technology
NB 1: The employees surveyed routinely use information systems at work and also have direct contact with customers. 53% of respondents have been working with their current airlines for more than ten years.
NB 2: Image via Shutterstock.