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Virgin America’s guide to not screwing up customer service

March 12, 2010 | Internet Marketing

How do you promote a new, discount airline? If you’re Virgin America, brainchild of the British billionaire and provocateur Richard Branson, it’s easy: You take five of your most glamorous flight attendants and build a reality show around them.

Sir Richard’s U.S. offshoot isn’t just selling cheap tickets; it is selling an experience — and one that few other domestic airlines are trying to match. When Virgin America launched in August 2007, it promised to make “flying good again,” by offering, among other perks, in-flight live concerts, Wi-Fi, MP3 players, mood lighting, music in the bathrooms, and even absinthe on the menu.

But trendy amenities can only do so much. Virgin’s bigger selling point — and its hardest ongoing challenge — is the customer service. So far, Virgin is doing something right: In 2009, it ranked first in Zagat’s annual global airline survey of midsize carriers and won best cabin staff in North America from the World Airline Awards. So how does the company get hundreds of flight attendants and ticket agents to keep their cool in the face of unruly passengers, inevitable flight delays, and the everyday drudgery of their jobs? Virgin’s solution is twofold: Hire people with an independent streak, and then stress test them with one of the most rigorous training programs in the industry.

Get the full story at BNET

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