Gatwick Airport has stepped into the digital age with its second website design in as many months, and a new initiative that encourages travellers to ‘tweet’ their concerns to the @gatwick_airport Twitter address.
The scheme is a pilot (no pun intended), and part of the airport’s £1bn renovation plans, which will see the Sussex hub transformed over the next few years.
Gatwick’s Twitter address will be advertised around the airport, with the slogan, ‘are you on Twitter? Get in touch, and let us know about your experience at Gatwick today.’
Bosses claim that its new social networking initiative will provide customers with a more ‘human and personal’ experience, and allow service staff to respond to complaints ‘there and then.’
A quick glance at the @gatwick_airport page reveals that staff are answering questions regarding a number of issues, including directions to the airport, security, and future expansion plans.
The website is also encouraging frequent flyers to register with its IRIS rapid arrivals system, which scans the unique patterns in travellers’ eyes.
Complaints are common, though rarely more serious than a broken air conditioning unit, or a particularly miserable EasyJet team. The airport has pledged to monitor the web page 24hrs a day, referring to it as a ‘response tool.’
A recent press release on Gatwick’s website suggests that officials are pursuing greater integration with social networks, possibly extending to Facebook or even smartphone applications in the future.
Of course, if the Crawley hub’s experiment with Twitter is a failure, then bosses may have to look at other ways to address customer concerns.
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