Originally Posted by
Gongzuokuang
Vivian Lo, Cathay Pacific’s General Manager of Customer Experience & Design, is quoted as saying:
“So for the main meal, we want to allow you to have a restaurant-type of ordering where we can make suggestions, discuss the dishes and explain what they are.” The alternative, Lo says, risks “commoditising” the airline’s service and “removing the joy of the experience, because it becomes just pressing buttons and the meal appears… it's a bit robotic.”
However, Lo expects that outside the main meal, passengers will in future be able to select drinks and snacks from their video screens. “In mid-flight times or during an overnight flight, it could be a good kind of enrichment to allow customers to order through the screen."
https://www.executivetraveller.com/n...ls-on-a-screen
Really? I'm reflecting back on all the times they rolled the trolly down the aisle and basically said "Beef, Chicken, or Fish". I was perfectly fine with that. I would have generally already decided from the menu, although sometimes a glance at the dishes might influence my choice. In any case I don't think I ever once had a conversation with a flight attendant about the meals. And I can't imagine any conversation about the food bringing me "joy".
They then eliminated the trolly and had PAX tell the FA what you wanted (from the menu) and they'd go fetch the meals one-by-one. That was fine (albeit slower) and could be ENHANCED by the screen as they could
show pictures of the meals instead of just the ridiculous written descriptions they provide. Heck, it would even remove choices from the screen as they run out of them.
The pictures do sound a good idea to me, though prone to discussion about the details the meal shows up with .....
The big problems with a "screen" entry, is the complete lack of free-format additional info.
For example: If you want to have your eggs sunny side down, then the menu creator would have need to think about that option, otherwise, it's over with your wish.
The just before Covid-19 introduced "hangers" to check-mark your choices, and you do have the opportunity to scribble additional notes (though they sometimes forget about these, since in the end, it's entered in a tablet). Collecting the hangers is the ideal moment to interact with the customer. Where the customer can choose, whether to just nap and let the hanger automation do its job, or waiting for the copy back from the cabin crew collecting.
Originally Posted by
Gongzuokuang
If done on the screen, they could include a button that flags "I have questions". It's akin to the call button, and would signal the FA to appear to "make suggestions or explain". And bring joy.
Not sure, if such a general "Q" would be very useful. Zillions of websites do have such a button, and these are usually useless.
Also, a "Q" would need passenger thinking to formulate the "Q", many premium passengers do have more things in their mind, than only some meal "Q"'s. A hanger scribble is much easier.
Originally Posted by
Gongzuokuang
All in all I think ordering from the screen would make things much more efficient and easier on both the PAX and the FA.
Efficiency: Yep, though that's often contrary to a premium experience and might appeal more to the younger generation, for whom a flashy tablet screen is their whole life.
Originally Posted by
Gongzuokuang
She is right about this: "“A lot of time customers want to order that bowl of noodles or the burger, and drinks, but we feel sometimes our customers are shy to press the buzzer” which summons a crew member to their seat, “so they might wait for the crew to come by" This is me. I don't think I have EVER pushed the call button. I just wait for them to come by, or wander by the galley. However, if there was an interactive menu where I could order a drink and it would just show up, I'd push it. It would improve my experience.
Yep, there is a big difference in pressing the buzzer and selecting a snack/drink outside the meal times on a screen, the latter I would like to see (though just getting up for a short stroll to the galley is also a nice thing).
Originally Posted by
Gongzuokuang
I think they can still have an upscale premium service during the delivery. If they want the FA to chat with PAX, do it during the delivery of whatever is requested.
Yes, with some granularity, as I wrote above. Be aware, the staff "delivering" the meals, are usually the more junior ones, which in turn tend to be "shy" to communicate with older, more senior people.
Originally Posted by
Gongzuokuang
Of course, all of this is moot until HK and China start allowing visitors again. :-)
Given the amount of social unrest coming up in China, it's unlikely borders will be opening up any time soon.