Case Study: British Airways


Situation

British Airways (BA) is one of the world’s largest international airlines, serving more than 40 million passengers every year.

Back in the early 1980s, after 13 years as a nationalized airline, BA was privatized by the then conservative government. The carrier continued to expand through acquisitions and became one of the most profitable air carriers in the world. For the next decade what followed was rapid expansion and rivalry between BA and competitor Virgin Atlantic.

Challenge

BA contracted us in the 1990s after customer research revealed that their service was perceived as ‘professional, but cold’. The company was searching for the best in-service training available to…

  • Increase customer loyalty through genuine, heart-felt service
  • Build strong service leadership capability
  • Design and innovate an effective performance management system
  • Gain competitive advantage
  • Build internal change capability

Solution

  • Interaction designed a unique training in attitudinal transformation
  • We empowered staff to challenge the prevailing customs, beliefs and behaviours around customer service
  • We created trainings for leaders, ground crew and cabin crew that shifted behaviour in practice
  • We provided transferable modules and skills – for benefits long after we left
  • We trained internal trainers to sustain programme delivery and results

Results

  • Thousands of managers and employees participated in our customer service programme and over 90% evaluated it as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’
  • We created a culture where leaders served staff who served customers – instead of staff needing to meet the demands of customers and leaders alike
  • Our performance appraisal system was embedded in the company culture and used across the business
  • Cabin crew as well as HR trainers qualified to deliver the programme internally
  • Our customer service programme was one of several factors that contributed to BA’ s ‘year of record performance’ in 1996–97

Testimonials
‘‘Almost no one out there actually changes human behaviour. You do.’’
— Senior Manager, British Airways

‘‘The trainers had an unbelievable understanding of our role – the problems we face, the politics, company jargon and practices.’’
— Cabin Service Director, British Airways