Schiphol revamping information provision in the terminal

From 2019 onwards Schiphol will be using new communication channels to provide even better assistance to passengers in the terminal who have queries or problems. The fundamental principle is that information should be available through the passenger’s preferred channel and at the desired location. A customer survey carried out by Schiphol reveals that passengers are keen to make more use of online channels and chat facilities to get information. What’s more, they still want to have the option of asking a real human being questions.

From the start of next year, passengers at Schiphol will be able to get in touch with a member of Schiphol’s staff by telephone, WhatsApp, chat and 16 self-service points in the terminals 24 hours a day. If need be, a mobile assistant will come and help the passenger in situ for complex queries or problems.

Passengers state that they would like to be able to communicate with Schiphol irrespective of their location. This is also evident in practice - passengers are making less and less use of the seven information desks permanently installed in the terminals. Which is why Schiphol has decided to close these information desks in a phased approach from April 2019 onwards. Their function will be taken over by the new 24-hour information services over the course of 2019.

As a client, Schiphol is in talks with Vebego, the information staff’s employer, on the consequences of this decision for these staff. In conjunction with Schiphol, Vebego is striving to provide the staff with job transition guidance, which will also entail looking at available jobs within Schiphol Group and its partners at the airport. Schiphol is in the process of making agreements with Vebego to ensure that if (for whatever reason) new jobs cannot be found for these staff, we will jointly do our utmost to find a suitable alternative solution for them.