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

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

Rony Timmermans
Executive Director, Finance & Commerce


Challenge
  • With no Sales-CRM system in place, management found it challenging to evaluate individual performance
  • 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 (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 to all sales staff to create single, unified view of leads, opportunities, corporate accounts and contacts
  • Deployed Salesforce Service & Support to underpin responsive, rewarding service
  • Introduced web to leads 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 co-ordinate 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 has grown 20 percent since deploying Salesforce eight months ago, with no commensurate increase in staff
  • Increased sales and marketing productivity by 20 percent in eight months
  • 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.  Decisions based on Key Performance Indicators, reviews and analysis – not ‘ gut feel’
  • Salesforce SFA deployed in only three weeks
  • 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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