VLM Airlines Sales Soar 20 Percent in Eight Months using Salesforce SFA and Salesforce Customer Service

“We originally considered other CRM solutions but instead chose Salesforce. It was a great decision. Eight months on, sales are up 20 percent with no equivalent increase in headcount.”


Challenge
  • Fast-growing European airline based in Belgium operating from multiple points of presence, with overlapping, disconnected databases, and customer management systems
  • No unified, company-wide systems for customer sales, marketing and service
  • 85 percent of airline passengers are business – which required the airline to adopt a more professional, cohesive approach to customer communications
  • Rapid growth (e.g., founded 1993; four millionth passenger recently carried) meant airline had outgrown local customer databases
  • Wanted a cost-effective and quick-to-deploy CRM system with rapid time to benefit

Solution
  • Deployed Salesforce SFA in just three weeks to all sales staff to create single, unified view of leads, opportunities, corporate accounts, and contacts
  • Deployed Salesforce's customer service application to underpin responsive, rewarding service
  • Introduced Web-to-lead functionality, allowing customer comments and feedback to be incorporated directly and automatically into Salesforce
  • Customized system to create tailored customer care environment and customized marketing gifts application—without involvement of technical staff
  • Implemented Vertical Response AppExchange application to coordinate mailing and response to airline’s customer newsletter


Results
  • Supported continued growth of one of Europe’s fastest-evolving regional airlines with an outstanding track record and reporting nine consecutive years of profit
  • Airline grew 20 percent through increased sales and marketing productivity in eight months since deploying Salesforce, with no commensurate increase in staff
  • Helped reflect a highly professional, organized and efficient airline in customers’ minds and contributed to VLM Airlines winning the "Regional Airline of the Year"
  • Introduced accurate, real-time view of customers, accelerating and enhancing decision making, such that decisions are now based on Key Performance Indicators, reviews, and analysis rather than on "gut feel"
  • Transformed the quality of the customer experience via functions such as Web-to-case, automated escalations, and unified communications
  • Frequent flyer and online booking system to be integrated shortly with Salesforce
 
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