CAS DE MARKETING EN ENTREPRISE
Grâce au marketing le Président Carlzon de la firme SAS, mobilise les énergies de toute l’entreprise pour mieux satisfaire sa clientèle et mieux rentabiliser son entreprise. Le texte est en anglais.
THE MARKETING REVOLUTION OF SAS
When in 1980 Carlzon became president of SAS, the airline campany loses money. The solution recommended in the past was cost reduction. Carlzon opposes and prefers to redefine the commercial competitiveness of the company. At that time, SAS had no competitive advantage and was content to carry passengers from one point to another. Carlzon rested substantive issues:
• Who are our customers?
• What do they want?
• How to gain their preference?
He decided to focus the company's efforts on business customers often traveling; but many carriers had made the same choice and offered a business class with free soft drinks. Carlzon then launched a study program to know the expectations of this clientele. His goal was to be better than 1% percent on details rather than 100% better in one area.
Market studies revealed the priorities of the customer: arrival on time and lose as little time as possible at the airport. Working groups Dozens were then set up to propose ideas. 150 were selected for a total cost of implementation of 250 million francs.
One of the most ambitious projects was to train all staff in customer focus. It was observed that during each trip, a businessman was in contact with five employees on average; each interaction accounted for SAS a moment of truth, a phenomenon recurring 25 million annually. They sent the ten thousand people working in direct contact with customers in a two-day seminar on the concept of service. Carlzon considered employees involved with customers as the most important internal resource. As for the managers, their role was to help the fighters to the front to do their job better. Its role was to help him to his managers to motivate their troops.
Results: In four months, SAS became the most punctual airline in Europe. It still is today. Registration is greatly improved and, in hotels managed by SAS, is done directly from the reception. Special limousines provide transfer from the airport to the hotel. The share of air tickets sold at full price gained eight points on the European network and sixteen on intercontinental routes, an important achievement in a flat market invaded by charter flights and price reductions. The strategy implemented by Carlzon illustrates how the vision of a leader can mobilize the energies of an entire company around a single purpose: satisfy the customer whom we chose to serve.
Source : P. Kotler et B. Dubois, Marketing Management, Nouveaux Horizons, 7e Edition, 1992, p 21.
Traduit en anglais par Augustin KASSI, 2015.