Creating a Customer-First Culture and Taking the Change Sky High

Their Big Challenge

Aer Lingus prides itself on providing a stellar guest experience. While its satisfaction scores reflected that, the company recognized opportunities to further improve and set defined service standards, especially important in such a highly competitive industry. In addition to creating a cohesive workforce rallied around a new mindset, Aer Lingus also had a very specific goal in mind – to garner a four-star rating from Skytrax, an internationally recognized evaluation system that measures frontline product and service quality standards.

They needed to communicate and build staff capabilities to seamlessly execute on the new strategy to deliver top-notch guest experiences. The new messaging and approach required more connectivity among the staff and the training they received.

Melding Mindsets

 Adding to the challenge of rolling out a new change approach was the need to appeal to two different generational mindsets within the same company using the same materials and tools.

Also, while functional needs of the guests were being met, Aer Lingus wanted to focus on meeting guest’s emotional needs; a significant brand differentiator for the airline.

Disruptive Methods

• Root Learning Map® experiences 

The Immersive Process

With a clear strategy designed to create a more synergistic workforce and achieve its four-star Skytrax rating, Aer Lingus wanted to develop experiences showcasing great services and connecting everyone’s role in delivering those services.

Partnering with Root Inc., the airline:

• Leveraged creative visuals and dialogue-sparking resources.
• Helped staff learn how their roles contributed to the guest experience.
• Used a Root Learning Map®module to engage employees and highlight guest experience.
• Started with smaller focus group tests to refine the visual and dialogue.

The Root Learning Map® experience:

• Brought to life the opportunities and the barriers to a consistent guest experience.
• Helped groups engage in open and productive discussion.
• Promoted consistency across all stages of the guest journey.
• Allowed participants to see the bigger picture, and understand what it meant to their individual roles and others.

Results

• Aer Lingus became the only four-star airline connecting Ireland and North America.
• In less than a year, it became the first Irish airline to achieve the four-star ranking, joining a select group of only 40 airlines worldwide to hold the distinction.
• The Root Learning Map® became a part of the onboarding process so all new employees would start with a similar mindset – again facilitating the consistency the company craved.
• 1,600 employees were part of the roll out

Marc Giles

Guest Engagement Manager, Aer Lingus

One of the most defining moments during our Learning Map® experience with Root was to see other key stakeholders around the room experiencing that wow factor the highly visual training perpetuates. There was palpable excitement among the group, which only made the program more effective because the energy became contagious. We will continue to use it wherever we can since it has been instrumental in helping to achieve our guest experience goals.