Three Stories on Design of Outstanding Experience

Understanding customer needs and behavior is the key to design of winning value proposition. Dee Cooper, Product & Service Director of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., gives outstanding examples of what should or more often shouldn't be done to deliver inclusive solution to the customer. Read and watch hree stories by Dee on differentiation.

The ‘seat concept’ story on understanding the customer behavior

“One of our seat concepts had airbags in the seat cushion, and obviously, that made the seat much more comfortable and it was like a lumber support, you could sit up and you could move around and you could make it more comfortable. But for a consumer is very hard to know that you have to lift up, then to sit down, to move it around. Now normally what happens especially with seats, you may have this investment and put aboard magazines to show people how to use it, but it happens that people and especially men don't read the magazine because they don't want to be instructed. And what they actually do is watching one another, so things like headrests or footrests they work out by watching other people, but something subtle like stand up, press the button, sit down, move around will be lost in the translation”.

Dee Cooper, Virgin Atlantic (question 4)

The ‘messaging versus Windows’ story on understanding the customer needs

“We were talking about text messaging. We were the first airline to put onboard the on-demand hi-fi seatback entertainment system, so the customers can turn it off, fast forward, etc. as opposed to having to wait the movie to start as you always had to do with traditional old fashioned hi-fi systems. At the time when we were developing this hi-fi system we wanted to implement Windows there, so the customers were able to make Word presentations, Excel documents and to have everything that is on your computer. But first of all, the technology didn't yet do it and it slowed down the system and you wouldn't use it as a customer. But all you actually wanted to do really you wanted to send a message like "The plane is late. Please, don't come and pick me up yet, I'll ring you when I'm there". Or you want to say "I'm really happy that happened before I got on the plane". These are sort of last minute messages, you don't need to send them the whole e-mail because you have already sent them the whole e-mail or you would have done that before you got on the plane”.

Dee Cooper, Virgin Atlantic (question 3)

"Oh, I want it because it's more fun!" story on client experience

“We throw things at you. If you're in business class which we call Upper Class, you get a complimentary limousine, you can get driven as close as we can get you to the security point, you have even exclusive security point, you go to the lounge which is more like a five star hotel, nobody else has the lounge like that in the world, with waiter service, in our lounge at Heathrow we have Jacuzzi, there's a pool table, an outside area where you can stand outside and watch the airplanes, there's a full-service restaurant. Then when you go onboard you have the biggest flattest bed to sit on, you've got a great crew who give you great service, they also talk to you informally, you've got bar onboard. We give you a great value because it's the part of your ticket, you buy it and that's why people choose to fly us. That's what Virgin Atlantic is about. The business model is product and service differentiation, a 7-year-old child wouldn't understand that term, but they do understand: "Oh, I want it because it's more fun!" That's what it's about”.

Dee Cooper, Virgin Atlantic (question 6)

The Virgin Atlantic Story – Where people love to fly…

Back in the early 80s Richard Branson was probably best known for Virgin Records - the legendary record label that signed major names like the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and The Human League. In 1984, much to the horror of his directors, Richard announced to the world that a high quality, value for money airline would begin operating within three months. Three months, some licences, staff and an aircraft packed with celebrities later, Virgin Atlantic Airways was born. By the end of the decade we had flown over 1 million passengers and started shaking up services onboard by being the first airline to offer individual TVs to their business class passengers.

In 1992 Richard sold Virgin Music to Thorn EMI and invested the proceeds into Virgin Atlantic, improving on an already great service. In the same year we launched the first super economy service that went on to become our award winning Premium Economy. We spent most of the Nineties buying new planes, expanding our route network and generally breaking new ground in passenger service, both on the ground and in the air. In 1999 Richard sold a 49% stake in the company to Singapore Airlines valuing us at a minimum of £1.225bn. In the same year, for services to entrepreneurship Richard received a knighthood.

In 2003 came the launch of Virgin Atlantic’s revolutionary Upper Class Suite, the longest and most comfortable flat bed and seat in business class.

The new Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow opened in March 2006. Amongst the many unique features of the flagship lounge are a cocktail bar, a hair salon, a Cowshed spa, a brasserie and a games room.

In 2007 came the launch of Virgin Atlantic's brand new check in facilities at Heathrow Terminal Three. For Economy and Premium Economy passengers Zone A is now wider, brighter and more spacious, enabling passengers to check-in at kiosks in a faster and more stress-free way. For Upper Class passengers, came the Upper Class Wing which offers a private security corridor so passengers can speed through the terminal to the Clubhouse quicker than ever before.

In 2008 we operated a pioneering biofuel demonstration with Boeing and engine manufacturer GE Aviation on a 747 between London and Amsterdam. This was the world's first flight using biofuel by a commercial airline. Virgin Atlantic has also ordered 15 of the 787-9 Dreamliners which burn around 27% less fuel per passenger than the A340-300, the aircraft it will replace in the Virgin Atlantic fleet.