What is ‘Customer Experience’ at ABE?

October 1st, 2021

What is customer experience, and why is it so important at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE)?

Customer experience is exactly what it seems: what the customer experiences when interacting with a company. On the other hand, customer service is how the company interacts with the customer.

ABE doesn’t just wait for customers to let us know when we need to step up our game. We are proactive in identifying if there’s a need to be met.

So how do we better serve our customers?

“Our job is to understand and anticipate our customers’ needs,” said Tom Stoudt, Executive Director, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority. “This means researching and paying close attention to areas that cause customers distress and responding with solutions that make their experience easier and more convenient.”

A few good examples of how we have identified customer needs are the Sensory Room, Military Resource Center, and Airport Book Exchange.

The Sensory Room is a quiet and calming space for anyone who is feeling the stress of a change in routine or the usual noise of an airport.

The Makala A. Ashmar Military Resource Center is available for all of our active and former service members and their families to enjoy. This room is a thank you to all of our military members and families from ABE.

In need of a good book to read on the flight? Check out the Airport Book Exchange (ABE) bookshelf in the Wiley Post Departure Building! The books are donated through a regional partnership with the Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton Public Libraries. There are books from all genres and for all ages – and free! #ABEreads

ABE is also proud to have three volunteer programs: C.O.P.E., Junior Navigators, and Navigators – all local community members who want you to have an enjoyable experience at ABE.

C.O.P.E. (Canines Offering Passengers Encouragement) is a therapy dog program. We currently have 20 dogs in the program, and they can be identified by their blue C.O.P.E. logo bandanas. You can even ask their handlers for a trading card! These dogs are the perfect foil for stress.

Our Junior Navigators and Navigators are local teen and adult volunteers who can help you find a gate, offer suggestions for local sights or restaurants, or even just to have a nice conversation with before you are called for boarding. Just look for someone wearing a black polo with the Junior Navigator or Navigator logo.

Do you have a question or concern? Use a courtesy phone to speak to a customer service representative. Need a wheelchair or assistance through TSA and to your gate? Passenger Services is here for you.

After working for 40 years in the medical field, Janet Davis believes there are four parts to making sure customers have a positive experience at ABE: good customer service, attention to details, good communication skills, and cultural sensitivity because there are so many aspects of travel that can cause stress or anxiety.

“We have to be committed to creating a smooth, pleasant, and calming experience for the customers.” Janet Davis, Passenger Services at ABE

All of us at ABE want our customers to have the best customer experience possible when spending time at our Airport. Tom Stoudt agrees. “We communicate directly with our customers so we can better understand their perspective. Their feedback enables us to talk with our partners at the Airport in an effort to improve the experience.”

In other words, we want to know when we get it wrong, because that will help us to get it right.

Your positive customer experience at ABE is as important to us as it is to you.

Thank you for trusting us to take good care of you at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE).