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Great customer services depend on strong partnerships, and the collaboration between Air France KLM and Cygnific is a prime example. Over the years, this partnership has grown, built on shared goals, smooth operations, and a commitment to consistency. Stéphanie Charlaix-Meyer, Senior Vice President of Customer Services Air France KLM, explains what makes this collaboration so effective. Originally, Cygnific managed KLM’s operations, but its role expanded to support the entire Air France-KLM group. This shift created a more unified and efficient approach to customer services across both airlines.
Reflecting on this partnership, Mrs Charlaix Meyer highlights its strength:
“We are truly on the same team, working together to deliver excellent service to our customers. When we face challenges, we do so as partners, always keeping in mind our shared goal: customer service excellence.”
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Expertise and Efficiency
One of the key reasons for Air France KLMs continued partnership with Cygnific is their deep expertise. Cygnific was formed by employees who had already been performing similar tasks within KLM, giving them a strong foundation in customer services operations that aligned with Air France KLM’s vision. Over time, they have refined their skills to provide high-quality support tailored to the airline industry’s unique requirements.
With Cygnific’s help, Air France KLM has streamlined customer interactions, particularly in handling group requests, travel agency support, and frequent flyer enquiries. Having a dedicated and specialised team has significantly improved response times and service quality, benefiting both the airline and its customers.
Seamless Customer Experience
A key aspect of this collaboration is ensuring a consistent experience for customers. The joint loyalty programme, Flying Blue, serves both Air France and KLM customers, making uniform service essential across both airlines. Cygnific plays a crucial role in maintaining this consistency, ensuring that frequent flyers and other customers receive the same level of support at every touchpoint.
Cygnific also provides customer services across multiple channels, including telephone calls, social media, online chat, and email. This multi-channel approach allows customers to choose their preferred method of communication while ensuring continuity between channels. For example, a customer can start an enquiry via social media and continue it over the phone without having to repeat information. This seamless integration enhances the overall customer experience and supports Air France KLM’s goal of delivering top-tier service.
Brand Identity and Specialised Support
Maintaining brand identity and service consistency is a top priority for Air France KLM, and Cygnific plays a vital role in upholding these standards. Dedicated teams receive extensive training to accurately represent Air France KLM, ensuring that customer interactions align with the airline’s values. This connection to the brand is reinforced through office design, training resources, and engagement initiatives.
Beyond direct customer interactions, Cygnific also provides specialised support for various customer segments. Their teams handle B2C (business-to-consumer) interactions, such as individual customers enquiries, as well as B2B (business-to-business), B2T (business-to-trade) and B2G (business-to-groups) services. This structured approach allows Air France KLM to cater to different customer needs while maintaining high service standards.
Agility in a Dynamic Industry
One of Cygnific’s most critical strengths is its agility. The airline industry is constantly evolving, often facing unexpected disruptions. Stéphanie highlighted that Cygnific has consistently shown the ability to adapt quickly to these changes.
This flexibility was particularly evident during the COVID-19 crisis, when global travel was severely disrupted, and customer service demand skyrocketed. Cygnific played a key role in managing rebookings, cancellations, and customer enquiries, providing reassurance to customers during a highly uncertain time. Through expertise, efficiency, and adaptability, Cygnific continues to be a valuable partner in Air France KLM’s mission to deliver outstanding customer services.
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Driving innovation in customer service
Innovation is a key area where Cygnific contributes to Air France KLM’s success. Stéphanie highlighted that while weekly performance meetings focus on key metrics like customer satisfaction and efficiency, strategic discussions on future innovations take place separately.
One major advancement in customer services is the integration of generative AI, which has the potential to enhance response accuracy and streamline communication. Additionally, improved translation capabilities are being explored to better serve Air France KLM’s diverse customer base, which spans over 30 languages.
Stéphanie emphasised that Cygnific plays an active role in adopting these innovations. They take active part in co-designing improvements and collaborate on new initiatives. This partnership allows both teams to utilise their strengths, ensuring customer services strategies remain cutting-edge while keeping pace with industry trends.
Wondering about our personalised approach is like? Discover the KLM customer service experience for yourself.
Conclusion
When asked to describe Cygnific’s service in three words,Stéphanie highlighted “collaboration, agility, and expertise.”
These qualities define the partnership and underscore Cygnific’s role as a crucial extension of Air France KLM’s customer services operations.
Ultimately, Cygnific’s role extends beyond that of a traditional service provider. They are an integral partner that actively contributes to shaping and refining Air France KLM’s customer services strategy. By combining deep expertise, innovation, and a collaborative approach, Cygnific helps ensure that Air France KLM delivers exceptional customer experiences worldwide.
