Iman Ghorayeb, is a seasoned communications professional, perhaps best-known around these parts in her previous role as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Avaya. With that in mind, Iman knows a thing or two about customer experiences, and in this compelling op-ed below, she documents her nightmare experience at Cairo Airport earlier this month.
With years spent working in the Customer Experience (CX) industry, the complexity of delivering seamless service is well understood. Orchestrating emotionally resonant journeys—especially in high-pressure environments like air travel—requires robust systems, empowered employees, and well-designed processes.
In recent years, brands have heavily promoted the idea of connecting Employee Experience (EX) with CX to create more consistent, human-centric service. It’s a compelling narrative—and one that many companies are still far from realizing in practice.
A recent personal travel disruption with a global airline made that gap painfully clear. Over the course of 24 hours, I encountered eight separate service touchpoints—from frontline staff and the contact center to the mobile app, live chat, and email support. On paper, all the right tools were there. But none of them worked together.
Each interaction felt like starting over. There was no continuity, no escalation, and no resolution. The result wasn’t just inconvenience—it was a real-world lesson in how even well-resourced brands can fail when orchestration is missing.
- The Frontline Disconnect: Limited Empathy, No Empowerment
The journey began at the departure airport, where check-in was denied due to a situation that could have been resolved with minimal support. A frontline supervisor was approached for help, but quickly dismissed the issue.
She explained she had:
- No access to internet-based tools.
- No way to call HQ or operations.
- No authority to override or adjust travel.
Her demeanor was equally detached—perhaps due to working the first day of Eid while others were heading off to celebrate with family. That frustration came through clearly. Whatever the reason, the service response set the tone for everything that followed.
What it revealed: When frontline employees are emotionally disconnected and operationally unsupported, the brand’s promise is instantly compromised.
- Contact Center Fatigue: Multiple Interactions, Inconsistent Outcomes
With no support on the ground, the only option was to escalate through the airline’s contact center. This resulted in eight separate interactions: three phone calls and five live chats.
- The first two agents passed the issue on without engagement.
- The third call dropped mid-conversation.
- Each live chat restarted from zero—no shared history, no case reference.
- One agent finally attempted to help, but the issue remained unresolved.
What it revealed: Without a unified customer profile or case tracking, every interaction becomes a new problem, regardless of how many times it’s already been explained.
Even as a CX practitioner, navigating this process was draining. For customers without the same level of knowledge or patience, it would be enough to walk away for good.
- Digital Frustrations: Disconnected Systems, Poor App Experience
The airline’s mobile app looked promising. Travel history and account details were accessible—but once support was needed, the gaps became clear.
- Live chats dropped with no option to resume.
- Conversations didn’t carry over to new agents.
- A customer satisfaction survey appeared before the chat had ended.
What it revealed: A digital interface doesn’t equal a digital experience. Without continuity, even well-designed tools can become a source of friction.
This is a classic case of digital investment without experience orchestration—where the tech is present, but not designed to support real service needs.
- Email Support: A Silent Channel
In a final attempt, multiple emails were sent to the airline’s customer service team. They were marked urgent, detailed the issue, and even warned of potential escalation.
- The only replies received were automated acknowledgments.
- No human response came within the 24-hour window.
- No action was taken to resolve the issue.
What it revealed: A channel that isn’t monitored or supported is worse than no channel at all. It creates false hope and deepens frustration.
This was a reminder that offering multiple support channels is meaningless without proper orchestration, ownership, and follow-through.
AI Is Not the Fix—Unless EX Is Part of the Strategy
There’s no doubt that AI is reshaping the customer experience landscape. It brings promise: faster resolutions, predictive support, personalization, and 24/7 service. But this experience underscored something important.
What this journey revealed—through eight disconnected touchpoints—is that the real challenge lies not in customer-facing technology, but in how teams, systems, and decisions are connected behind the scenes—what the industry calls orchestration.
AI can route tickets, generate replies, and even analyze tone. But it can’t compensate for a frontline employee with no tools or authority, a contact center with no visibility into prior conversations, a digital platform with no continuity across sessions and a team culture that’s reactive, not empowered. When EX is ignored, AI becomes just another disconnected layer.
This wasn’t just a travel disruption—it was a personal, frustrating experience that unfolded in real time. And as someone who helps brands design better customer experiences, it became a painfully clear reminder that even the best intentions—and the best tools—can fail without orchestration and empowered employees.
The airline had the infrastructure: a mobile app, a contact center, live chat, email support. But none of it worked in sync. And none of it worked for me.
From a professional standpoint, it became a real-time case study in how customer experience breaks not at a single point of contact—but across the invisible seams between them.
What matters is not the number of channels a brand offers, but well those channels work together—and how well the people behind them are supported. Because sometimes, it only takes eight disconnected moments and zero resolution to turn even a loyal customer into someone who chooses not to return.
