Aerocare customer service — operational and strategic handbook
Overview and scope
This document addresses customer service for Aerocare operating as an airport ground-handling and passenger-assistance provider (baggage handling, passenger meet-and-assist, ramp services, and irregular-operation recovery). The guidance below is written from a frontline operations and contact-center perspective and is intended for use by service managers, contract leads and senior supervisors charged with delivering consistent performance at scale.
Delivering reliable Aerocare customer service requires alignment between operational teams (ramp, passenger services, ops control), the contact center, and commercial contracts. When these three areas share a single tiered SLA framework, clients see fewer delays, complaints drop, and net promoter scores improve by an average of 10–20 points across the first 12 months of remediation programs in comparable ground-handling rollouts.
Contact channels, accessibility and hours
Core customer-contact channels must include: a 24/7 operations hotline for on-airport disruptions, an 08:00–20:00 local-hours general service desk for reservations and billing, an email/ticketing system with auto-acknowledgement, and a monitored social-media channel for public-facing communications. Example channel templates: operations line +1-800-555-0123 (24/7), service desk +61 2 9000 0000 (08:00–20:00 local), and [email protected] for written requests. Use a dedicated short code or IVR option specifically for disruption reporting to avoid queue congestion.
Accessibility means measured SLAs: voice answer within 30 seconds for operations calls and within 90 seconds for general inquiries; written ticket auto-response within 5 minutes and agent response within 2 business hours for priority items. For passengers arriving with reduced mobility, maintain an on-airport desk staffed at least 90 minutes before first scheduled departure and 60 minutes after last arrival to cover late/early flights and transfers.
Performance metrics and targets
Track a compact set of KPIs that drive day-to-day decisions and contract outcomes. Do not exceed 10 primary KPIs; the most effective programs use 5–8 that combine speed, quality and commercial health. Data should be collected in real time and reconciled daily at 06:00 local time with a weekly executive summary.
- Average Speed of Answer: Operations ≤ 30 seconds; Service Desk ≤ 90 seconds.
- First Contact Resolution (FCR): target 75–85% for service desk queries.
- Average Handle Time (AHT): 3:30–6:00 minutes depending on call type.
- Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): ≥ 4.4/5 measured post-interaction.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): target +40 to +60 during steady-state operations.
- Incident acknowledgement: P1 within 15 minutes, P2 within 2 hours (see escalation matrix).
Use rolling 28-day windows for trend analysis and a 12-month view for contractual performance reviews. Tie incentive/penalty mechanics in contracts to a small number of high-signal indicators (e.g., on-time service delivery rate and verified complaint rate per 1,000 passengers).
Operational processes and escalation
Standardize processes with clear ownership and documented decision authority. For example, ramp-vehicle incidents are owned by the Ramp Supervisor (level 1), aircraft delay coordination is owned by Ops Control (level 2), and client account or contract disputes escalate to Commercial Leads (level 3). Each incident should have a timestamped log entry within the operations platform showing owner, action taken and outcome.
- P1 — Safety/security incident: immediate call to Ops Control, acknowledge <15 minutes, on-airport response within 30 minutes, full incident report within 24 hours.
- P2 — Major operational disruption (aircraft delayed >120 minutes): acknowledge <2 hours, implement recovery plan within 4 hours, client update every 2 hours.
- P3 — Service failure not impacting safety (baggage misconnection under 24 hrs): acknowledge <8 hours, corrective action within 48 hours, root cause within 72 hours.
- P4 — Billing/administrative query: acknowledge 2 business days, resolve within 10 business days, escalation to commercial lead if unresolved.
Automate escalation rules in the CRM/ticketing system so no manual re-routing is required; automation prevents human delay and provides an audit trail for contract disputes. Maintain a daily 09:00 cross-functional stand-up during irregular operations to review active P1/P2 items with a single shared dashboard.
Training, quality assurance and continuous improvement
Onboard new customer-service agents with a 10-day blended program: 4 days classroom (SOPs, safety, regulatory), 4 days supervised floor time, and 2 days mock crises. Certification should be competency-based: agents must score ≥ 85% on simulated scenarios (irregular ops, vulnerable passengers, billing disputes) before independent handling.
Quality assurance is a mix of live monitoring and recorded sampling. Target a QA sample of 5%–10% of interactions per agent per month, focusing 60% of reviews on P1/P2-related handling. Use calibration sessions weekly for the first 3 months and monthly thereafter to align scoring across supervisors. Feed QA results into 1:1 coaching with action plans and measurable improvement targets (reduce average error rate by 50% within 90 days).
Billing, pricing and contract mechanics
Pricing typically uses one of three models: per-flight fees, per-passenger fees, or fixed monthly retainers. Example market ranges (indicative): ramp handling $150–$1,200 per flight depending on aircraft size; meet-and-assist passenger support $8–$45 per passenger depending on complexity; monthly retainer for service-level guarantees $3,000–$25,000. Always state currency and include clause for fuel/crew surcharge adjustments linked to published indices.
Invoice terms should be Net 30 with a 21-day formal dispute window. Include granular billing detail on each invoice: flight number, date/time, service codes, staff time in 15-minute increments, and any third-party charges (e.g., airport fees). For contract renewals, use a 90-day notice period and a performance review that maps KPI achievement to any year-on-year price adjustments.
Sample contact block (template): Customer Service: +1-800-555-0123 (24/7 ops); Service Desk: +61 2 9000 0000 (08:00–20:00 local); Email: [email protected]; HQ (billing): 123 Aviation Way, Suite 200, Sydney NSW 2020; Website: https://www.aerocare.example.
Compliance, safety and incident reporting
Customer service intersects with safety and privacy. Ensure all agents complete mandatory aviation safety familiarization and data protection training (GDPR or local equivalent). Maintain public liability insurance limits consistent with airport requirements (typical industry minimum US$10–20M) and workers’ compensation coverage per local law. Annual audits by internal compliance and a third-party audit every 24 months are recommended.
Incident reporting timelines must be explicit: immediate notification to airport authorities for security incidents, Ops Control incident logged within 60 minutes for safety events, and a written incident report to the client within 24 hours. Maintain an archive of incidents and remedial actions for at least 7 years to satisfy most regulatory and contractual record-keeping requirements.
