American Airlines Awards Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Employees for Improved Customer Service

FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Airlines employees at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport celebrated a customer service victory this week as the airline announced the top five airports to be honored for improved customer experience and innovative problem-solving during the second quarter of 2010. The program is called the Customer Cup, the winners of which are announced each quarter.

"We created the Customer Cup to build competition between airport teams who are focused on bettering processes, products and interactions to deliver an improved customer experience," said Mark Mitchell, American's Managing Director – Customer Experience. "A good customer experience is the foundation for building customer loyalty, and we recognize five airports each quarter that are making measured improvements in enhancing the travel experience for our customers."

Customer Cups are categorized and awarded by market size from largest stations to smallest stations according to flight activity. The award recognizes airport teams for their performance in serving customers at the airport across six primary customer touch points: gate interactions, the boarding experience, delays and delay management, onboard interactions, baggage handling, and baggage resolution. Northwest Arkansas was awarded the Customer Cup for a second time. The first cup was awarded to the station in the fourth quarter of 2009, for improving internal customer satisfaction ratings by nearly four points. Northwest Arkansas also saw a 22 percent improvement in baggage handling.

The improvements are a result of changes the station made to better the customer experience while at the airport. American employees at Northwest Arkansas continue a "back to basics" approach to customer service, encouraging employees to make every interaction with a customer an opportunity to make a difference in their experience. By better managing delays and creating a local Safety Committee that meets regularly, the airport has seen a significant increase in customer satisfaction in the second quarter – leading the pack in making the biggest improvements year-over-year compared to other American Airlines cities.

"Winning the Customer Cup for the second time is a great honor and we are proud to be recognized once again for our employees' dedication to customer service in Northwest Arkansas," says Vikki Rodriguez, American Airlines General Manager – Northwest Arkansas. "We remain focused on providing exceptional service to every customer to make their travel experience more enjoyable, and by going that extra mile, that lets our customers know we truly appreciate their business."

The Customer Cup is part of a broader focus the airline has put toward improving the experience for its customers. With more than 250 employee teams across the network, American encourages all employees to bring forward ideas and solutions to problems they've identified in the travel experience. With stations competing for the Customer Cup honor quarterly, employees who contribute earn network bragging rights and a party in their honor for working hard to improve the airline's customer service rankings.

"Given the challenges the industry faces, the Cup is a great way to recognize the accomplishments of our employees," Mitchell added. "It's through their dedication and ingenuity that we can deliver exceptional travel experiences of our customers."

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in more than 130 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

SOURCE American Airlines

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