Customer journey begins as the last holiday ends: Delta Airlines CEO

Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Airlines said he wants to create a seamless experience for customers that they think about their next booking with the airline s soon as the last trip ends.

During the Qualtrics X4 keynote, the Delta CEO explained the importance of keeping a brand front of mind for the customers.

“For me, the customer journey starts as you're returning from your last trip. I want you to be thinking about what your next trip is going to be before you left your last trip, I never want it to stop,” he said.

Bastian explained that the better job the airline does on the current trip, the higher the likelihood that customers will choose them again for their next trip.

“We want them thinking about that on as they're returning from their last trip and experiencing what their next one is going to be and always keeping Delta top of mind in that process,” he explained.

At Delta, Bastian said his job isn’t about transportation but taking care of people.

“We are very much about people and we put our people first so they can deliver the most amazing experience for our customers. From my standpoint, my job is to take care of our people,” he explained.

In today’s world, an airline has so many pressures ranging from the government to the economy but Bastian said he makes his staff a priority as they are the face of the brand.

“I focus on doing the best job for my people giving them the resources, the technology, the support, the confidence, the knowledge that I've got their back,” he said.

"Remember, our people do all this work on their own, they make their own decisions and they're out flying people around the world. It's not like they're coming to one office building and working as a team to figure things out.”

Bastian said organisations need to have confidence and trust in the relationship with their staff to make the right decision on behalf of a brand’s customers.

“It's a full ecosystem, but it comes down to the fact that we define our business as being in the experience business. We are not about transportation, that's what we do but who we are is about the experience.”

When it comes to giving a good customer experience, Bastian explained that people are prioritising experience over things.

“Wherever you go, whether it's restaurants, whether it's cruises, whether it's the hospitality sector, whether it's basketball. People are coming out and they're showing up, and it's our opportunity to provide that service at a level that's even more enhanced than what they had previously,” he said.

Athina Mallis travelled to Qualtrics X4 in Salt Lake City as a guest of Qualtrics.