Or: What we can learn from snow chaos
The snow chaos in Vienna hit us with full force in December 2023. An entire metropolis was cut off from the outside world, and air and rail traffic were completely shut down. The passengers were the ones who suffered: Uncertainty about how to proceed, a lack of information and no reliable explanations about possible alternatives were criticized by everyone. The problem (which has long been known, especially in air travel) is that delays are increasing. Technical difficulties, strikes and storms are some of the reasons. In Germany alone, 4.5 million passengers were affected in the first quarter of 2023, i.e. 30% of passengers. The inconvenience this causes is often considerable and, in addition to the demand for better information provision, there is also the right to compensation, which must be guaranteed in accordance with the EU regulation – a process that is often complicated and time-consuming. This affects both the travelers as well as the companies, in this case the airlines. The problem – in addition to the increasing number of inquiries – lies, among other things, in the non-consolidated and unharmonized processes as well as the often complicated and cumbersome procedures for customers, which require a lot of time and patience. But it doesn’t have to be that way! There are solutions that provide all relevant information transparently and tailored to the user, and also enable simple use and comprehensible processes for complex procedures for both customers and companies. One of these modern solutions is the Oracle Intelligent Advisor – a tool, that provides companies with decision-making automation for modeling and deploying business rules. Through an automated series of integrated branched questions, the tool helps to easily configure business and process rules and integrate further solutions – with minimal effort.
Let’s take a look at a specific case to see what an ideal solution for all parties involved looks like in the Oracle world. A flight is delayed or even canceled and the traveler is entitled to a refund. Using the Oracle Intelligent Advisor, a fully automated service request is made in the form of an interview process that requires minimal human interaction and is directly linked to the customer profile.
Here are three scenarios:
- Entry of the service request via the integrated Oracle Digital Assistant (an intelligent chat tool that can do much more than just chat) in the airline app, which guides the user through the questionnaire created with Oracle Intelligent Advisor. The service request is then automatically created, processed and a compensation offer with detailed explanations is generated in accordance with the predefined rules (EU261 and airline rules). This offer is stored in the app together with the history of service requests and is therefore accessible to the user. At the same time, all information and interactions are stored in the customer profile and are visible to the employee.
- The data is entered via cell phone, which recognizes the customer status via the Customer Data Platform (CDP) and forwards it to a service agent, who then enters the data into the Oracle Intelligent Advisor questionnaire. After internal processing, a notification is sent to the aggrieved party with the specific compensation offer. Alternatively, this process can also be carried out by the airline’s ground staff.
- The input channel for the service request is the airline web form or the dialog interface. The process is similar to the steps mentioned above: Entry of the service request via the questionnaire defined with the Oracle Intelligent Advisor. Processing and the compensation offer created in accordance with the predefined rules is automated and sent to the applicant. At the same time, all information is documented in the system and is available to all service employees.
This standardized approach in combination with software solutions that systematically take into account the different process paths – with the inclusion of defined elements (such as the questionnaire) – bring light into the chaos. The central data architecture guarantees valid information for everyone. This always gives customers an overview of their processes and eliminates the need for time-consuming face-to-face contact by intelligently limiting service requests to the essential information. Compensation calculations or additional information are automatically performed directly in the system and can be further qualified through interaction with the Oracle Digital Assistant. Service employees benefit from increased transparency and direct access to relevant data in real time, which in turn ensures satisfied customers and relaxed service teams.
We can’t prevent an unforeseen, exceptional snowfall, but we very much can prevent the resulting dissatisfaction of the affected passengers. Oracle’s intelligent solutions for automated decision making, including valid solution approaches and qualified communication, massively increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and give service teams more time for personalized service experiences.
Author: Vanessa Amrhein
Image: © BartekSzewczyk / istockphoto.com