Situation
A European airport had identified washrooms as one of five key touchpoints in the passenger journey where there was an opportunity to further improve satisfaction ratings - measured through the international program ASQ (Airport Service Quality) - and move closer to its vision of delivering the best airport service in the world. As part of this work, the airport ran a series of four enhancement trials across selected washrooms within the airport.
Complication
To understand the impact of these enhancements on passengers’ experience of the washroom facilities, particularly in relation to perceptions of cleanliness, the airport needed to uncover passenger views on each trial element to determine which was most effective at improving the washroom experience. In addition, to inform any future trials the airport might choose to run, the research also needed to provide a broader understanding of the factors that currently drive passengers’ overall washroom ratings, and thereby insight into which washroom features passengers consider most important.
Recommendation
Epinion conducted targeted on-site research to collect passenger feedback on the restroom facilities and assess the impact of the new initiatives. Using the Kano model – a strategic framework for analysing customer satisfaction by categorising product features – Epinion provided the airport with a clear basis for deciding which improvements hold the greatest potential. The analysis showed that “must-have” factors – particularly overall cleanliness and waiting time for restrooms – are by far the most important drivers of passenger satisfaction, while the new initiatives had only a limited overall effect. Most passengers were largely indifferent to the additional features, highlighting that the experience only improves significantly when the basic standards are consistently high. The study therefore concluded that once the hygiene fundamentals are firmly in place, investments in more attractive features – such as private facilities, an improved atmosphere, and the option to purchase personal hygiene products – can further enhance the overall restroom experience.
