Data Drives Guests’ Safety as Travel Rebounds
Just weeks ago, US air travel rose to its highest level since the onset of the pandemic*. A strong recovery is also on the horizon for regions like Asia-Pacific, with Business Travel News positing China will lead the return to travel in the second half of this year**.
As guests come back to airport lounges, they will have undoubtedly higher standards for cleanliness and safety. Sodexo’s global airport lounge teams are prepared to welcome them safely and ensure their peace of mind. Our Appearance Care Services program leverages predictive data and robust analytics to anticipate guests’ needs so their expectations are met at each visit.
The Appearance Care Services Program At-A-Glance:
- Cleaning services, leveraging our global expertise in healthcare facilities management to promote an atmosphere of comfort and safety—a strategy we solidified prior to COVID-19.
- Laundry services, ensuring freshly laundered towels, uniforms and more. We evaluate service needs to establish an efficient workflow that promotes cost savings, and maintain quality standards aligned with what today’s travelers expect.
Data Drives Highly Personalized Service
Sodexo’s proprietary Site Management System (SMS) powers the Appearance Care program in airport lounges. SMS is a robust desktop and mobile platform offering a series of 25+ applications, including 300+ global standard operating procedures, a mobile training tracker, quality assurance and inspection tools, access to global best practices and more. Client-specific information is available on a specialized, regularly updated dashboard. “Every decision we make is rooted in SMS data,” says Arica Booker, Director, Facilities Management for Airport Lounges in North America. “We work in lockstep with clients, so everyone understands ‘the why’ behind the decisions being made. These range from how often restrooms are cleaned to whether or not we need additional labor in a particular area.” SMS further promotes transparency, opening conversations with our clients to reset expectations and develop customized action plans as needed.
SMS ultimately fosters consistent service delivery, and safer, more frequent interactions and touchpoints with travelers. Through standardization and traveler throughput data, we ensure the right services are deployed at the right times and with efficiency, all in support of consistent, exceptional guest experiences.
Our approach to appearance care is receiving praise in Asia-Pacific. “We’re hearing from our guests that they feel safe and protected,” notes Danny Chan, Director of Operations for the Cathay Pacific Lounge in Hong Kong. The Cathay Pacific Lounge recently utilized global best practices from SMS to deploy guest-centric solutions, like using automatic body temperature scanners and sanitizing surfaces in high-traffic areas every hour.
Post-COVID-19, Sodexo’s Appearance Care program will continue to evolve, incorporating Internet of Things (IoT), automation and more. But Booker asserts that even as offerings expand, our healthcare-based approach will remain:
“The pandemic cannot drive what we do. We need to let what’s best drive our approach to Appearance Care, and what’s best is providing all those we serve with the cleanest, safest and most comfortable environments possible. It’s not only what clients and guests expect; it’s what they deserve.”
Sodexo understands the changing face of travel in the COVID-19 environment, and we remain committed to employing initiatives to make all those we serve more comfortable, connected and safe.
Sources:
* https://www.dailynews.com/2021/03/15/us-air-travel-rises-to-highest-levels-yet-since-pandemic-hit/
** https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Corporate-Travel-Index/2021/Stronger-Recovery-Will-Come-to-AsiaPacific-in-Second-Half