Russia’s S7 Airlines Rolls Out Controversial Crew Feedback Scheme

Russian carrier S7 Airlines wants to improve inflight service by rewarding flight attendants with bonuses based on positive feedback from passengers. However, the way the airline is going soliciting feedback is ruffling some feathers…

S7 Airlines shares crew names & pictures with passengers

Telegram page Aviatorshina shares the details of a new customer feedback system that S7 Airlines is rolling out. Shortly after a flight, S7 Airlines will be sending a post-flight survey to passengers, asking them to rate the inflight service.

Not only will passengers be able to rate the overall service, but they’ll be able to rate the service of each individual flight attendant. The idea is that the service scores from passengers will translate into a monetary bonus for crews, based on a combination of their individual and collective performance. The airline hopes that this will encourage flight attendants to go the extra mile.

Now, you’re probably wondering — how on earth are passengers supposed to rate the service of each individual flight attendant, since it’s not like most people remember the names of crew members? Well, S7 Airlines has a (controversial) solution.

As part of this post-flight survey, S7 Airlines is providing the pictures and first names of each crew member on the flight, so that they can be rated. The airline explains that including names and pictures is necessary “for the convenience of travelers.”

S7 Airlines flight attendants are reportedly outraged by this development. They not only fear for their safety, but are also worried about the objectivity of the ratings. The airline has tried to reassure employees that their privacy is being protected, because the post-flight survey includes the following reminder:

“Remember that photos are personal data of employees and are therefore protected by law. Don’t save them to your devices.”

Right, I’m sure that’ll work…

I appreciate the idea behind this initiative, but…

In general, I very much appreciate what S7 Airlines is going for here. It’s great to incentivize staff to provide good service. Furthermore, I think there’s huge value in having individual employees rated, rather than the overall experience.

For example, it’s common to get post-flight surveys on a variety of airlines, where you’re asked to rate the service. The problem is, maybe there was one flight attendant who was awesome, and one flight attendant who wasn’t. How do you go about rating service on such a flight?

S7 Airlines has come up with the only practical option I can think of for rating individual employees, which is to remind passengers of the (first) names and pictures of crew members.

I also understand why crew members aren’t happy about this, though. I mean, some people are pretty creepy, so having your picture and name shared with everyone you’ve flown with might make some people uncomfortable. Now, how much can someone really do with just a first name and a headshot? I’m not sure, but I can appreciate how some staff don’t want that.

The other legitimate concern is that I wonder how objectively people will rate crew members. I mean, let’s be honest, sex appeal still sells in Russian aviation. Just look at Aeroflot’s rather erotic safety video…

I can’t help but think that for some people, the post-flight survey will turn into a game of “rate the hottest flight attendant” rather than “rate the best service.”

Bottom line

S7 Airlines is trying to incentivize flight attendants to provide better service. The airline is doing this by providing monetary bonuses based on results from post-flight surveys. While plenty of airlines have post-flight surveys, what makes this unique is that each crew member can be rated individually, and their pictures and first names will be shared with passengers.

Unsurprisingly, this is proving very controversial with flight attendants, who view this as an invasion of privacy. I like the idea behind what S7 Airlines is doing, but I can also appreciate the privacy concerns.

What do you make of S7 Airlines’ feedback system?