Nomad Handheld Devices Empower Delta Agents to Assist Customers on the Go

Mobile customer service tool adds to airline's stable of customer-centric innovations

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Jun 28, 2017, 11:30 ET

ATLANTA, June 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has rolled out 100 handheld devices to help gate agents drive more personal engagements with customers at its home airport in Atlanta. The convenient "Nomad" tool is the size of a cell phone and gives agents the ability to make seat changes, rebook customers, check bag status, board or check-in customers, and print bag tags and boarding passes all in the palm of their hand.

"Exceptional customer service sets Delta apart from our competitors and, with mobile devices now in hand, our agents can be more proactive in providing solutions to customers no matter where they are in the airport," said Gareth Joyce, Delta's Senior Vice President – Airport Customer Service. "As we evolve this technology, the opportunities are endless for agents to leverage innovative thinking to create engaging moments while helping customers along their journey."

Nomad devices will save customers time, cut line waits and help Delta teams better adjust staffing when bad weather or other factors impact the operation. And this is just an early version of the tech. The global airline plans to continue to source employee and customer feedback to learn what other capabilities these devices should have, all while expanding the test to other hub markets.

Over the past year, Delta has led the industry on a number of innovative customer solutions like replacing ID checks throughout the travel ribbon with fingerprint scanning, biometric-based self-service bag drop, RFID baggage handling, real-time bag tracking via the Fly Delta mobile app, more efficient and high tech automated screening lanes and a groundbreaking app that helps Delta pilots avoid turbulence for a more comfortable flight.

Delta first piloted the mobile customer service device concept in Miami where agents shared their thoughts on what functionality would be most useful on blue sky days and when bad weather impacts the operation.

"We loved having this tech in Miami," said Roger Williams, Delta Operations Service Manager. "Agents would carry it right out of the break room and on to the concourse, and were immediately ready to help customers. Our feedback drove real change – we suggested they add this or improve that and updates were made to the device, including simple touches like adding a seat map view."

The Nomad device got its name from the freedom it provides agents to move around and untether from a computer when helping customers.

About Delta:
Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each year. In 2017, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the sixth time in seven years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented six consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 322 destinations in 58 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and Facebook.com/delta.