According to Air Traffic Control there is an estimated 44,000 flights with about 2.7 million passengers that fly across 29 million square miles every day. This makes the target audience very diverse and requires some creativity at some points from staff members to meet customers wants and needs. A great example of this comes from the “Tale of the Tiger” where a young boy traveling from Tampa International Airport forgot his stuffed animal tiger in the airport play area for children.
Utilizing the power of social media the operations manager went above and beyond to not only meet the wants and needs of this young boy but also showed exemplary customer service. Instead of putting the stuffed animal in the lost and found like what usually happens to forgotten items at the airport this manager brought the tiger around to different locations documenting his adventure throughout the airport. The manager took all of the photos and wrote up a short story about the stuffed animals and presented it to it’s owner when returning the tiger. The story went viral and allowed for a successful social and consumer experience.
The story was posted in Facebook and Twitter that reached millions of followers worldwide. Even with the extensive media coverage the company kept the story personal all while highlighting the outstanding customer service that Tampa International Airport provides. The followers on these sites would leave comments about positive stories they have when flying through their airport.
I think they did a great job covering this story and act of kindness that the airport showed. The story spread quickly and other countries began writing about it but the story stayed personal and intact which I believe can be difficult to do. While having the spotlight on the airport I would have utilized this opportunity to show more examples about all of the other customer service experiences that take place at Tampa International Airport.
Looking at their website and mobile site it is easy to use and accommodates all travel needs. They post on their website and social media about current news going on within the organization, certain days/special events happening, and some tips for traveling that might interest travelers, especially with the holidays coming up. Having these posts are an effective way to engage all consumers and can be reached on multiple platforms.
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