Much ado about Scoot

Scoot’s recent gaffe and the tone of their ‘apology’ has left some customers wondering about the airline’s processes and quality when it comes to operations and customer service. The use of public and community relations in this episode feels like a checklist item, and less an authentic attempt at recovery by the airline.

Scoot’s recent gaffe saw the airline sending emails – regarding Covid-19 testing for a Guangzhou flight - wrongly to customers that have no bookings made with either Scoot or to the Chinese city.

Their subsequent statement and apology shared with and through the media informed readers that there was no data breach and that the incident was due to human error. The choice of which elements to name in their statement certainly demonstrated where their priorities are.

There was no data breach and no drop of the ball regarding data and privacy. One less challenge to deal with.

It was human error. We can fix the human and there will be less error. One less challenge to deal with.

From a media relations and service recovery perspective, the steps taken come from a very well-worn playbook. What’s missing here is the authenticity and empathy that customers expect from the brands they interact with.

The pandemic has forced many people to adapt to new home and work conditions. It has also provided many with the time and space to get used to reading, researching and purchasing online. Their expectations of service providers have also changed, with many looking to brands to demonstrate empathy, humanity and transparency.

It’s surprising that Scoot made the decision to be more corporate and less aware or understanding of how such a tone would be perceived by customers. During this period, customers form opinions quickly about how businesses are interacting with stakeholders and the wider community.

What could have been a customer service win might have been diluted due to the corporate concerns of a data security or hacking situation. Those are legitimate concerns; but not something you wave around at customers and use to justify that the world is still revolving, move along.

Scoot’s world continues to turn; perhaps it might be prudent to empathise with past, current and future customers (that made bookings) about their concerns on usage of data, permissions around sending materials and also whether this bungle created some personal problems at home.

From a ‘let’s add value to the customer’ perspective, here are three suggestions the customer or communications team might want to consider.

Acknowledge the mistake. Unreserved apologies for customer service issues are normal and expected. It’s not about saying ‘Sorry but ______’ and all about saying ‘Sorry, we goofed up.’. Explain to internal stakeholders worried about admitting risk, that there is far more to gain with positive customer goodwill.

Laugh at yourselves. Use your social media channels – as you have so wittily before – to poke some fun.

“For all the wives about to hammer your husbands, no they did not book a flight at all. We sent it out by mistake. We promise we aren’t colluding with your husband. *slow wink*”

Offer a customer hotline or email for those who are genuinely concerned about the use of their data and details. Let them call in, and share their concerns. Act upon them.

One month later, share an info-graphic about how these customer concerns were acted upon. Bring in your findings from the investigation on the error then.

Reconnect with your customer base. Make the best out of the situation. Be creative.

Offer all email recipients a Scoot tee/cap/SWAG with Guangzhou printed on it. Find out how many families are there in the list. Do a meet the pilot/air crew photo opp with the young kids. Those that received more than 10 emails, get something better. A preview of the new aircraft when the world resumes travel perhaps?

Work with the marketing and communications teams to see how to turn this into an episode customer will remember about Scoot, for the right reasons. Don’t checklist the tools on the playbook and assume there’s been no reputation damage.

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