O’Leary outlines new customer relations strategy for Europe’s biggest airline
Ryanair, buy viagra the Irish airline spearheaded by Michael O’Leary, treat has announced a revamp of its customer relations strategy. The development will see the airline establish a new social media function, medicine appoint a dedicated team to respond to complaint emails and replace its archaic website with a new user-friendly flight-booking platform. The news, which emerged from the ISEQ-listed company’s AGM last week, represents a significant strategic shift away from the no-frills, macho culture associated with the airline during O’Leary’s time at the helm.
New Development
‘We should try and eliminate things that unnecessarily piss people off’, said O’Leary, after coming under renewed pressure from top brass shareholders who felt that the existing culture, emanating primarily from the CEO and his belligerence towards customers, was negatively impacting Ryanair’s sales performance and bottom line .
Infamy
The company’s strategy of decreasing fares while focussing on ancillary income streams such as commission from car hire, hotels and luggage has earned it one of the world’s most negative corporate images. Accordingly, Ryanair was last week voted the worst of Britain’s 100 biggest brands. However, like it or loath it, Ryanair’s ascent to becoming Europe’s most profitable and the world’s fastest-growing airline is admirable and without precedent for an Irish company. The company has placed an order for 175 new Boeing aircraft to add to its 303-strong existing fleet, a move aimed at increasing capacity to 110 million passengers by 2018.
Future
This bullish capital expenditure, together with 37% share price growth year-to-date and improvements in customer relations bodes well for Ryanair and its shareholders. Furthermore, news that the company must decrease its shareholding in Aer Lingus to enable the semi-state carrier to be sold off represents a fresh break from their fractious relationship and should help Ryanair focus on establishing more profitable routes
in new markets.
