Malaysia Airlines faced its most difficult crisis in 2014, when two of their planes went missing over the Indian Ocean, causing extensive loss of life and financial damage to their parent company, which resulted in their eventual bankruptcy. Even before this incident, Malaysia Airlines was struggling to gain ground against competitors like Singapore Airlines and Air Asia, as well as other airlines in the country such as AirAsia, which are able to offer cheaper rates due to their low-cost business model.
The importance of customer engagement
When it comes to customer engagement, there are two things that are crucial for success. The first is understanding the needs and wants of your customers. The second is being able to communicate with them in a way that makes them feel heard, appreciated and understood. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can’t get people on board then it doesn’t matter what you come up with next.
How Malaysia Airlines achieved customer engagement
Malaysia Airlines is a company that has undergone a transformation in the recent years. In 2014, they were voted as one of the World’s Top 10 Best Airline Brands by Skytrax, and ranked as Asia’s Best Low-Cost Airline by Fortune Magazine in 2015. This is all thanks to their customer engagement strategy.
Malaysia Airlines succeeded at customer engagement through two channels; operational excellence and customer-oriented innovation.
What other airlines can learn from Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines is a shining example of how to take an airline and transform it into one that people want to fly with. They show us how to build engagement by rewarding frequent flyers with benefits they actually want, like free movies and more legroom. What other airlines can learn from this success story is that loyalty starts at the beginning and is fundamental to any successful business. It’s not about the end result – it’s about what you do on your journey towards it.
