I’ve noticed lately that Continental is doing everything possible to
push its users, well, it’s more like SHOVE their users to use their website rather than allow them to make a free call for assistance in booking flights.
I write this because the last time I called Continental’s toll-free number for assistance in booking a flight I couldn’t find online, their recording before the agent came on said that there is an additional $10 to $15 fee assessed for booking by phone rather than doing it online. Well, I hung up and searched for another carrier with no fee to use the personalized phone service.
I can understand why they do this. Airlines are having a hard time and pushing people to the site saves them on personnel costs. It makes sense logically. Or, does it?
I’d almost bet that more than 50% of Continental’s customers would rather talk to someone on the phone, who is an expert at doing the flight research, to come up with the best flight plan. Now, what happens when Continental gives their customers a shove out the door by charging for the call to a live person? Well, they go elsewhere. There are plenty of airlines that are willing to answer the phone to make a sale.
Any good marketer would do everything within their power to get a qualified person on the phone talking to a sales rep who will sell them their products and services. Contitental’s marketing strategy in this respect is 100% backwards and makes no sense to me. They must be losing customers to the competition because of this insignificant “fee” to speak to a live person.
I heard this statement once, and I don’t know how true it is, but the statement was made by a family member who is a flight attendant. He said “I read that all the airlines need is an extra $20 per customer in order to come out of the hardships they are experiencing.” Well, if that’s true, all I have to say to the airlines like Continental is “get creative.”
I don’t remember which airline it was that offered a “Friday’s” type of meal on the plane for an extra charge, but I was the first to buy every time. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now and I believe I would also be willing to pay for additional luggage insurance, like they do at car-rental places, to insure the total value of my luggage.
MY SOLUTION & MARKETING ADVICE TO CONTINENTAL AIRLINES: Be Creative! Keep your fees, but make the message more enticing. If anyone calls the toll-free number to book a flight don’t turn them away with a pre-recorded message talking about fees. Just make the additional fees part of the ticket for booking over the phone. And, turn the $10 to $15 fee into a “bonus discount” or “savings” to entice people to use the online booking process.
No one wants a FEE, but everyone wants to SAVE!
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