On Board sales is a true art. Getting the products and quantities right for each route, time and season, preparing the loading in such a way that crew can make optimal use of both time and space and doing so in such a way that customer requirements are met without losing sight of the financials is not as easy as it may seem and requires a great attention to detail.
We have more than a decade of experience in implementing and optimizing on board sales programmes. We look at all aspects; the passenger profile, the product line up, the pricing, the graphics but also work flows on board. To give you an idea on how seemingly unimportant details can make a significant difference; by rearranging the way the products are stowed in the trolleys (specifically, the hard-runners in locations that are most easily accessible and the quantities at such a level that very little time is lost looking for products) can cut the time required for a Food & Beverage service by 5 minutes. In itself that seems of little consequence. But on a 2 hour flight, those 5 minutes saved on a first service actually creates the time required by the crew to perform a second service. Had the first service been longer, there simply would not have been enough time for them to pass through the cabin one more time. And that second service will not only lead to greater customer satisfaction but will also increase sales by 15 to 20%. And that is a very significant result of something as simple as making sure the cola and orange juice is arranged in a certain way. Details are important.
It is a complex matter. Some things are obvious and yet easily overlooked. Everybody will understand that the passenger profile (and passenger requirements) on, let’s say, a Tuesday morning mid November flight from Milan to London are very different from an equally long flight on Saturday afternoon in early July between Miami and Sint Maarten. The business traveler on the former will have other requirement than the family on vacation on the latter. And that goes for the coffee as well as for the duty free perfumes. The bagel with cream cheese or M&M’s. A bottle of Scotch or a Sun screen. Leave it to us to find the right mix while maintaining operational flexibility (the aircraft may end up flying a different route and thus carrying different passengers). We will look at all details and make sure to optimize sales on board. More sales and customer satisfaction guaranteed!