In light of scheduled talks being held today about the threat of BAA strikes by airport workers, it poses the question – is enough being done to keep holidaymakers fully informed as to exactly how they will be effected? It is quite obvious that in order to reduce chaos, airlines need to communicate effectively with their customers regarding any changes to their travel arrangements. The most obvious method would be to use the fastest, cheapest and most reactive communication tool able to reach out the masses in seconds – the SMS text.
Some airlines may already be capitalising on the advantages of SMS marketing and communications, however there will be some holidaymakers who are left in the dark as to whether they can still get away on their pre-booked trip.
Darren Daws Managing Director at the UK’s leading SMS provider Textlocal said “This is a perfect example of how bulk SMS can be used quickly and effectively to communicate with a large group of people. BAA, and the associated airlines wouldn’t be expected to call all of their customers, but an appropriate text guaranteed to notify people in minutes could be the answer to limiting the panic and confusion around the strike, if it goes ahead. Airlines could use flight booking data to text customers to inform them if their flights have been cancelled, re-scheduled or simply text the number to call or include a website address to find out the latest information. Clearly, the beneficiaries from such a fast approach are BAA, who can concentrate more on dealing with correcting the issue at hand. The holidaymakers who may be affected, could easily receive information updates directly to their mobile phones, and know that they are being kept in the picture”.
SMS text can be used as a solution in all crisis management situations. If the strike goes ahead, there is no instant communication substitute that can reach people on a global scale in a matter of minutes, and businesses can rectify, or certainly reduce the damage by reaching out to people when things like this occur.
