Would You Video Chat With An Airline Customer Service Rep?

Sometimes you simply can’t get your frustration with an airline across simply by raising your voice talking to a customer service representative on the phone. Now you can look someone in the face via video conferencing — at least at Delta Air Lines. 

Delta announced today that it will pilot Delta Sky Assist, a video chat project, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport with the aim to connect customers with members of the airline’s reservations team.

Face-To-Face

Under the program, Delta has placed five interactive digital screens with receivers at the airport, allowing customers to connect face-to-face with airline specialists.

To use the new service, customers simply pick up the receiver and initiative a live video chat with a rep. They can then modify their reservation and share flight feedback.

The kiosks will also feature a keypad to allow customers to type out their messages to reps, lest they become so frustrated they feel the need to yell at the screen.

“We have the best specialists in the business — and now, they’ll be able to deliver customer solutions in an even more personal, face-to-face way,” Charisse Evans, the company’s vice president of reservations, sales, and customer care, said in a statement.

Delta notes that it will gather feedback from customers and service reps in order to determine if the service should be expanded in the future.

Latest Step

The Sky Assist pilot program is the most recent system Delta has tested in its mission to “listen, care, and connect in the platforms customers prefer.”

Back in May, the airline announced it would test replacing boarding passes with fingerprints when it comes to lounge access at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Eventually, the airline says it would allow passengers to use their fingerprints at any time that they would normally need to show a boarding pass, including when boarding the plane.

Delta has also tested biometric-based self-service bag drops where customers can drop off their bags with the use of facial recognition technology.