From full-service to self-service: The airline industry takes off

The use of self-service technologies is dramatically increasing across industries; however, especially during the transition from full- to self-service, customers may need help. In the airline industry, many companies position staff beside check-in kiosks to help their passengers. In the current study, our goal was to gain insight into how intensive the assistance is and how successful the transition from full-service to self-service has been for the airlines. Specifically, we conducted direct observations at airports to note the frequency with which airline employees help customers. We found that airline employees are proactively assisting passengers through the kiosk check-in process. Much of the research on self-service focuses on the customer´s perspective. The current study is different in that it examined the corporate perspective. Despite the increasing trend toward self-service technologies, organizations must communicate with and provide service to customers through multiple channels (such as e-mail and phone, in addition to self-service) in order to meet customer needs. The role of professional communicators is essential to ensure the smooth transition from full- to self-service.