“At Finavia, our goal is to give passengers an outstanding passenger experience. We want our airports to be memorable. In my job at large, I aim at making this happen.
A regular day at work includes taking care of small details as well as working on large future plans. This year I have, for example, been busy with renewing all childcare rooms at the airport, and I am also planning events at the new central square Aukio, located in the new long-haul terminal area.
My job is very mobile. One moment I’m at the office, the next I'm somewhere in the passenger area at the terminal. I try to visit the gate area daily, as there are many things that need to be looked after. For example, all devices and screens need to function properly and all the premises should be impeccably clean. Sometimes I need to be at the gate area just to personally observe and examine how people use a certain space.
I often walk from one end of the terminal to the other three times in one day. Sometimes that means up to 20 kilometres of walking, so you need to have the right kind of shoes for it!”
A professional problem-solver
“My work is guided by passenger feedback, research, data, and wishes and observations made by people at the airport. We measure passenger satisfaction via feedback devices, and I follow the scores and make reports on our progress.
If we get feedback on something that can be fixed right away, I find out who can help me solve the problem. Many things are easier to deal with on the phone than via messages. Especially issues that have anything to do with safety need to be taken care of immediately. Sometimes the solution requires further planning and collaboration, so a huge part of my job is about problem-solving together with people.
In addition to passengers, the best experts of customer experience are people who work at the airport, and in this job you really get to know the whole community here. The expanding airport is like a Rubik’s cube where every move has an effect on something else. The renovations are also visible in the passenger areas, and sometimes taking all shareholders into account is a balancing act. In my work, knowing this whole ecosystem is very important: who is responsible for what, and who can help.”
Planning the future airport
“Changing travelling habits also affect how we develop the airport. For example, we are now seeing a rise in people travelling with dogs. Our customers have asked for a dog bathroom at the airport, and this is something that we are currently planning further. Five years ago, this was not yet a service that our passengers would have asked for.
At the airport, planning new things must be meticulous, because in this environment, safety always comes first. With proper planning we can minimise surprises at the last stages of a project.
I value the piloting culture at Finavia. We can actively take new ideas and plans further, hands-on. A development idea has rarely been met with a no. We also closely follow what happens at other airports, and on our benchmarking trips we learn from best practices elsewhere.”
Passenger experience is created by the whole work community
“We have defined the four pillars of our customer experience – confidence, gift of time, refreshment and Finnish experience. In my work, the customer is always right at the centre, and I think it should be visible in the everyday work of the whole community. When the airport is seen as a whole, ensuring good customer experience becomes a shared goal all employees work towards.
For me, it is especially rewarding to see the results of my work at the airport and seeing that it can bring joy to passengers.”
Read about how the airport tries to relieve passengers’ travel stress.
