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Aligning the airport community to improve LAX guest satisfaction: Every journey begins with a very important first step
Journal of Airport Management,
11
(3),
243-257
(2017)
Abstract
Los Angeles World Airports has launched an unprecedented and transformative culture change which, when implemented with its ambitious multi-billion dollar capital programme, will re-envision the LAX experience for millions of customers. The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) community is setting the stage to create ‘LAXceptional Xperiences’ each day and every day. It is re-inventing LAX from the ‘inside-out’ as well as from the ‘outside-in’. This innovative coupling of unparalleled ‘outside-in’ re-building of facilities and infrastructure and a passionate commitment to ‘inside-out’ metamorphosis of how business, processes and invaluable airport people serve customers strives to usher in a new era for LAX and its customers that is as exciting as the iconic city it serves. Only in its second year, guest satisfaction key performance indicators have already shown improvement and it is only just the beginning.
Keywords: customer service, guest experience, culture change, airport brand, strategic roadmap, therapy dogs
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Barbara Yamamoto was recently appointed Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Los Angeles World Airports, which owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, Yamamoto leads a customer service culture change that fosters a hospitality mindset and an exceptional guest experience ethic amongst all who work and do business at LAX with the goal of creating ‘LAXceptional Xperiences’ airport-wide. With 16 years of experience at LAX, she has managed the Guest Services Division, which includes guest experience members, volunteers and therapy dogs, all stationed in the terminals assisting guests and providing exceptional experiences. She has also served as Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Ethics Officer from 2005 to 2008 and LAX Community Relations Director for five years, developing and implementing community relations programmes designed to enhance communications with the surrounding airport communities.
Joanne Paternoster is currently Chief Executive Officer at Butterfly Consulting and is recognised for her airport customer experience management expertise. Before launching Butterfly Consulting, Joanne served as director of customer services and standards for the Aviation Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey where she was responsible for spearheading the development and implementation of the Port Authority’s successful Airport Customer Service Improvement Program and the first Airport Customer Service Manual that has been used as a benchmark by airports worldwide. Today, Joanne serves as a consultant to airports worldwide including Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) as they design and implement a strategic, airport-wide Guest Experience Initiative to enhance guest satisfaction at LAX, which includes the launch of their innovative customer service airport brand ‘LAXceptional Xperience’, facilitates customer service courses for Airports Council International (ACI) Global Training Hub and was a Principal Investigator on the recently published guidebook, Airport Cooperative Research Project (ACRP) Report 157 ‘Improving the customer experience’, available at: http://www.trb.org/main/ blurbs/174127.aspx (accessed 27th June, 2017).
