Speak Their Language: How Airlines Can Boost Experience and Efficiency

Welcome to Marketer’s Tech Toolkit, a weekly newsletter where I share practical tips, strategies and resources to help you understand MarTech and scale your marketing campaigns.

In this week’s issue, let’s discuss about the importance of being able to communicate effectively to your target audience using the language that they prefer. In the world of customer experience, especially in sectors like aviation where interaction forms a significant part of service delivery, the ability to communicate effectively across different languages is crucial.

The Real Impact of Language Barriers in the Skies

Let me share my recent experience with Singapore Airlines that highlights a potential gap in training and preparedness for handling diverse groups of passengers, which is surprising for a world-class airline with an international clientele like Singapore Airlines.

Imagine this. You’re seated on an international flight back to Singapore from China, surrounded by fellow passengers chattering away in Mandarin, a language you don’t speak. The cabin crew, while proficient in English, struggles to communicate with passengers, leading to misunderstandings and a noticeable disconnect.

This isn’t just a hypothetical scenario. I am simply describing my recent experience on my Singapore Airlines flight out of Chongqing, China. Singapore Airlines, known for its exemplary service, primarily operates with English-speaking crew, a common practice in the industry. However, in a world as connected as ours, where flights bridge diverse linguistic landscapes daily, this one-language-fits-all approach might be more of a hindrance than a help.

Key Advantages of Getting Multilingual Communication Right

Advantage #1: Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

When airlines employ multilingual staff or use technology to bridge language gaps, passengers experience a more tailored and comforting service. This consideration shows respect for their cultural identity and language, leading to increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Advantage #2: Increased Operational Efficiency

Effective communication is crucial not only for service but for safety. Clear instructions in a passenger’s native language can prevent misunderstandings and ensure that safety procedures are followed correctly. Moreover, it streamlines the workflow of the cabin crew, reducing stress and confusion during the flight.

Actionable Steps to Get Started

Step #1: Assess Language Needs

Airlines should start by analysing the demographics of their most frequent routes to identify the most commonly spoken languages. This analysis can guide recruitment strategies and in-flight service planning, ensuring that the language skills of the cabin crew match the needs of the passengers. What is important here, is the need to look beyond skin colour and race of your cabin crew, but to their language capability.

Step #2: Invest in Language Training and Technology

Offering language training to existing staff is a proactive approach to building a versatile team. Additionally, investing in real-time translation technology can provide an immediate solution to language barriers, enhancing communication across different languages. We cannot expect staff to be fully fluent in languages that they are not familiar with. Therefore airlines need to provide training and technology aids to allow the staff to at least be able to speak or use technology to communicate basic operational phases such as “please fasten your seat belt”, or “please put your seat upright” clearly and confidently.

Step #3: Regularly Solicit and Review Passenger Feedback

Gathering feedback on language services can provide insights into areas needing improvement. Airlines should encourage passengers to share their experiences and suggestions related to language needs, using this data to continually refine their approach.

That’s all for today

As global travel resumes and international connections expand, the ability of airlines to adapt to the linguistic diversity of their passengers will be a crucial factor in their success. By embracing multilingual communication, airlines can ensure that they not only meet but exceed the expectations of their global clientele, making every journey a comfortable and inclusive experience.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed today’s issue.

You can always contact me with your questions and we can chat. 

Have a great day!