Swiss research agency m1nd-set has released its latest research on employee engagement and the impact on customer engagement, satisfaction and spend levels.

The report provides detailed findings for both the airport retail and airport food and beverage sectors, from the agency’s Business 1ntelligence Service (B1S) analytics tool.

It demonstrates a strong correlation between employee and customer engagement and reveals the significance of employee engagement programmes as a means to drive customer penetration and sales revenues.

According to m1nd-set, the report shows that airport shops or restaurants with engaged employees have in excess of 60% more satisfied customers and a higher spend rate among customers. It also underlines the importance of interaction between staff and customers.

POWER OF ENGAGEMENT

Engaged customers can generate up to 25% higher spend than those who do not feel engaged. In duty free shops in particular, travellers are far more likely to make a purchase when they interact with the store staff. Store visitors who are approached by staff are 9% more likely to convert into buyers while store visitors who approach the staff themselves are 32% more likely to convert into buyers, according to m1nd-set.

The report, which includes qualitative and quantitative analysis, features airport food and beverage outlets for the first time, revealing travellers’ perception of airport bars, coffee shops and restaurants across airports globally.

Convenience and price are among the key drivers in choosing where to eat in airports, according to this first airport F&B analysis from m1nd-set. Fast service, healthy options and local flavours are the top three most important aspects for travellers’ airport dining experience.

Discovering new dishes and flavours, the provision of children’s menus and known international brands are also among the main priorities for international travellers surveyed by m1nd-set.

The report details a number of aspects of airport F&B, which travellers indicate they are satisfied and dissatisfied with, as well as the key reasons for visiting airport restaurants and coffee shops. It also provides a socio-demographic analysis, showing which customer segments tend to visit the various types of F&B outlets and why.

m1nd-set Travel Retail Research Director Clara Susset commented: “The research findings reveal the importance of employee engagement as a means to engage customers. The F&B customer experience is, as with the airport retail customer experience, inextricably linked to staff interaction and the experience with store or restaurant employees.

“The qualitative research we conducted around this theme demonstrates the impact of successful employee and customer engagement both on satisfaction levels and sales. We also see higher levels of engagement on social media and viral marketing benefits where airport retail and F&B customers have had a positive experience.”

Susset, who says consumers are more engaged than ever before and want to participate in influencing how other consumers behave added: “In a world where there is so much choice for consumers, whether in a high street, shopping mall, food court or airport, it is essential for consumer-facing businesses to create and curate their unique culture to ensure customers enter, purchase, enjoy, share, praise and remain loyal.”

m1nd-set owner and CEO Peter Mohn said: “Following the keen interest by airports and airport F&B operators in our consumer research on traveller behaviour at airport F&B outlets, we will be launching a quarterly newsletter on this fast-growing sector. More information and details of how to subscribe will be available in the near future.”