EasyJet has moved customer conversations onto Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Centre, bringing support channels together and using AI to help advisers find information and handle routine tasks.
The airline carries more than 100 million passengers a year with a fleet of more than 350 aircraft. Its customer-service team of around 2,000 people handles an estimated 15 million to 20 million contacts annually, across seven or eight languages.
Those conversations are a key part of the customer journey, from booking through to boarding. Previously, advisers could need to switch between five or six systems to manage calls, log contacts and respond through channels such as live chat and social media.
Training staff to work across those systems could take around six weeks, says Ayesha Walker, easyJet’s global training manager:
“Previously, for a single enquiry our teams were working with multiple systems across call, logging and webchat which, even though we wanted to provide customers with a variety of channels to be able to contact us, managing this required a lot of movement for the team members helping our customers.”
The new platform gives advisers a consolidated view of customer conversations across channels. Microsoft Copilot can search easyJet’s approved knowledge articles during a conversation and draft emails for advisers to review and personalise. Live summaries provide context, while transcription helps staff capture and log conversations.
John Leighton, easyJet’s customer service director, says transcription has had a notable effect on how advisers work:
John Leighton, easyJet’s customer service director
“That’s the thing that has proven to be most impactful for our teams in how they assist our customers when they contact us. Our teams can now focus on that conversation rather than using six different systems. We want people who really need our support to have that support.”
Changes to contact channels and outcomes
Leighton says the share of customer contacts handled by phone has fallen from roughly 70% to 20%. Live chat now accounts for 60% to 70% of contacts, with the rest handled by email and social media. He says customer feedback indicates that customers feel they receive better resolutions through live chat.
Since the rollout, resolution results have increased by 20%, first-contact resolution has improved by around 10%, and customer satisfaction has risen by several percentage points.
The platform has also given easyJet more insight into why customers get in touch. For example, requests to add assistance to a booking can help the airline identify service needs and potential areas for improvement, Leighton says.
Automation and future development
EasyJet selected Microsoft as its contact-centre-as-a-service provider after a procurement process involving 10 suppliers. Leighton says Microsoft’s ability to demonstrate the platform, bring communication channels together and analyse customer-contact data informed the decision:
“We believed there was an opportunity to produce automation and find efficiencies but ultimately improve the service experience. Service experience is so vital. What we have always been clear on from the outset is that this is about enhancing and supporting our teams’ day-to-day activities, not only to help them support customers more quickly and effectively, but also to free them up to focus more on complex scenarios.”
The airline plans to introduce more detailed contact categories, breaking broad topics such as booking queries into specific requests, including adding a bag or seat. Leighton says routine requests with straightforward answers could be automated, allowing staff to focus on complex cases that require judgement or reassurance.
He says Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Centre will also provide a foundation for AI agents designed to perform specific tasks with team oversight.
Industry Impact
EasyJet’s deployment reflects a wider CX shift: contact-centre AI is being used not only to automate interactions, but also to reduce the effort advisers spend switching systems and documenting conversations.
The reported gains in resolution and customer satisfaction are encouraging, though the move towards chat and automation will make it important to preserve clear routes to human support for customers with more complex needs.
The airline’s plans for more granular contact data also point to a growing role for service interactions as a source of insight for improving the broader customer journey.
