Updated: Terminal 5 a Tough Test for British Airways
It's been a rough week for British Airways. The opening of its mammoth Terminal 5 operation on March 27 at Heathrow Airport didn't go as smoothly as planned. Due to computer, baggage, and staff issues, the airline has canceled 200 flights and has a backlog of more than 150,000 pieces of luggage. It must be very frustrating for travelers. But British Airways has earned a reputation for top-notch customer care, so I think most of its customers will forgive BA for this and continue to fly with the airline.
Building a culture where the customer is put first and trust is earned goes a long way when something negative happens. British Airways has successfully built customer loyalty and trust, which can be a bond not easily broken. It's the perfect prevention plan for when something as traumatic as Terminal 5's first few days occurs.
In today's issue of 1to1 Weekly, we talk to Director of Relationship Marketing Peter Schinasi. He relays the importance of building a strong personal connection with flyers. Earning customer trust, Schinasi says, is a mixture of people, process, and technology all working together toward a common goal.
How does your company work to build trust with customers and employees? How integral is trust to your firm’s customer strategy?
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