Engagement with our Customers
Now, more than ever, our Customers are seeking an operator they can trust who also offers them great value for money. Engagement with our Customers to improve their holiday choice, experience and enjoyment gives us the greatest opportunity to retain and attract new customers – the key to continuing profitable growth!
How we engaged during the year
The business took a proactive, “Customer First” approach to managing the exceptional circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This included early decisive actions on our flights and holidays programmes, supported by comprehensive customer communications across all touchpoints, as well as simple and clear amendment and cancellation policies.
We firmly believe the way in which our Company responded to the pandemic will be remembered by our Customers, and we are very proud of the way in which we looked after our Customers in refunding over £1.7bn of their advance deposits in a timely and accurate manner.
Our Contact Centre now operate a multi-skilled agent model, enabling improved operational effectiveness when dealing with unpredictable and fluctuating contact volumes. The use of channels such as WhatsApp messaging mean we can use automation and increase productivity, whilst improving operational resilience by maintaining the ability to manage customers queries in the event that phone lines are oversubscribed. Self-service development capabilities in “Manage my Booking” have reduced reliance on voice calls, whilst providing an efficient and cost-effective way for customers to fulfil changes and amendments to their bookings.
Our Chief Executive Officer regularly speaks to media outlets such as Travel Weekly to share Jet2’s views on latest industry issues and developments, allowing our Customers to connect with us outside of their usual holiday experience.
Key outcomes during the year
Engagement with our Suppliers
A stable supplier base with trusted partners is key in helping us offer our Customers a fantastic holiday experience, whether that be hoteliers, aircraft manufacturers or our supportive banking partners.
How we engaged during the year
Our Chief Executive Officer personally spends significant time in resort building and developing relationships with Jet2holidays’ hotel partners, who number over 4,100. This presents an opportunity to not only discuss how we can work better together to improve our Customers’ holiday experience, but also to reiterate the importance of effective risk management by hoteliers, to maintain the highest standards of safety and hygiene at all times so that Jet2holidays can continue to offer ‘package holidays you can trust’™.
Additionally, frequent dialogue with our hotel partners has allowed us to collaborate and share new ideas on how to manage future activities now international travel has fully resumed.
Working with over 4,300 non-hotel suppliers, we seek open, constructive and effective relationships with them to help sustain the successful delivery of the Group’s Leisure Travel services.
We expect to resume our annual supplier conference in the forthcoming financial year. Historically, these conferences have focused on how we and our supplier partners work together effectively to build mutually beneficial long-term relationships. The coming year will continue this focus, along with reflecting on new ways of working following the resumption of international travel to pre-pandemic scale.
The Group foresaw strong consumer demand following the reopening of international travel in early 2022 and was quick to share its operational forecasts with key suppliers including airports, ground handing operators and the Home Office - responsible for Border Force. The Group continues to work closely with these third parties to mitigate the challenges that a ramp up to full operational capacity entails.
The Group undertakes comprehensive negotiations with aircraft and associated engine manufacturers regarding all fleet expansion and replenishment opportunities. We are keen to develop and maintain our relationships with both aircraft manufacturers to ensure that our dealings with them represent the best quality and value for our wider stakeholder groups.
The Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Chairman maintain constructive and effective relationships with our many financing partners, who have assisted in providing additional financing since the onset of the pandemic.
Key outcomes during the year