LCC_#1
Veteran
First of all, I would like to say that I like the sandcastle. The team out in Tempe are young, enthusiastic, and go getters. I do believe in the vision of being a lcc with providing such full services that the the legacies have offered. I like the business casual approach and I feel after Stan Herman comes back with his creation, our look will reflect such.
BELIEVE ME, after those idiots in CCY, there is nowhere else but up.
Here is my concern.
There have been great decisions, but the implementation has stunk.
Examples:
1. Value..We set ourselves up by using the symbol LCC. While our labor cost may be lower than in years of past, we still have a legacy airline. It naturally cost more to offer certain extras that many take for granted. LOW COST to the customer means lower prices and easier cost structures...including First Class. While F/C is improving, it still lags behind the majors, yet we charge the same price. This is corperate suicide. Common sense will tell you that if AAAA gives you more for your money than BBBB, you will select AAAA. No different here.
We have essentially lied to our customers, whether it was intentional or not. We are striving to be a full service lcc. Perhaps the new website could explain that in the big waisted space on the front page. Claiming you are something and being that something are two different things and the public knows it. Most importantly, our FF's know it. POOR IMPLEMENTATION
2. Website/FF integration: A HUGE MESS!! I know I'm just a trolley dolly, but isn't there usually a testing time somehow for these types of changes. If not, there should had been a warning to all customers that the switchover may cause glitches and bombard special phone lines for FF's and corperate accts. for a week just in case. Most importantly, an apology for the inconvenience.
There is NO excuse for the wrong strips being on the wrong DM's card. That is just stupid. The company rushed all this out too soon. Privacy information has now been shared with complete strangers. POOR IMPLEMENTATION
3. UM/Dog transport policies: The east coast has a lot of dog shows that US has been carriers of. Because of a rush for consistancy (which isn't a bad thing), nobody out west thought beyond the PHX hot interiors to think of the lost revenue due to one coastline thinking. With UM's, in Asheville, NC alone, we transported anywhere from 500-750 UM's to go to summer camp. Many scrambled to other airlines that didn't have restricted policies. How about a summer exception? No, we gave other airlines well over $100,000 dollars, if not more. This decision was IMPLEMENTED POORLY.
4. Catering changes: If you tell the flight attendants you are going to do something, do it correctly. East was to get glassware back on longhaul flights June 14. Its July 12. Where is the glassware? Where is the memo? We are told that the menus have changed and that we are plating the food. Where are the plates? On the cold preset trays, without the flatware (classy plastic), with more work on the 26 seat A321..thats alot of dishes to pull when they could be put together wrapped in aluminum wrapping to warm up. Just let us know so we don't make fools when sharing with our ff's that things are improving. It lets them and us down and takes away credibility. Again, POOR IMPLEMENTATION.
5. ETC...SPEAKS FOR IT'S OWN POOR IMPLEMENTATION!!
These are but the few that I have seen personally. I don't care what policies or procedures we keep. As a Eastie, I could care less had we kept the America West name or called it Cheap Ass Airlines. All the changes matter not to me. It's a merger and mistakes will happen and decisions will be altered or changed. I get that. And believe me when I say I am farrrrrrrrrrrr happier today than 2 years ago. PLEASE READ AND DON'T MISS THE POINT HERE!!! There is an IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEM that nobody wants to admit to or take responsiblity for. We must do better here. It's like the guy who tells the girl he'll call and doesn't. Not only does it piiss her off, but he looses trust and credibility.
I know the Sandcastle employees want the very best of the new US AIRWAYS. I really have no doubt to that. BUT, you must admit when there are mistakes, own them, and reassure the customers that you understand and are correcting the problems...otherwise,..the traditional east coast customer or desserter will think NOTHING has change and we all know that is not true and something we easties have wanted to get away from.
Please...I am not here to put down those in Tempe or the new US Airways. These are but observations. It's not about change, time of, or money...but one word....IMPLEMENTATION!! It can make or break us!
Thanks for the time to share.
BELIEVE ME, after those idiots in CCY, there is nowhere else but up.
Here is my concern.
There have been great decisions, but the implementation has stunk.
Examples:
1. Value..We set ourselves up by using the symbol LCC. While our labor cost may be lower than in years of past, we still have a legacy airline. It naturally cost more to offer certain extras that many take for granted. LOW COST to the customer means lower prices and easier cost structures...including First Class. While F/C is improving, it still lags behind the majors, yet we charge the same price. This is corperate suicide. Common sense will tell you that if AAAA gives you more for your money than BBBB, you will select AAAA. No different here.
We have essentially lied to our customers, whether it was intentional or not. We are striving to be a full service lcc. Perhaps the new website could explain that in the big waisted space on the front page. Claiming you are something and being that something are two different things and the public knows it. Most importantly, our FF's know it. POOR IMPLEMENTATION
2. Website/FF integration: A HUGE MESS!! I know I'm just a trolley dolly, but isn't there usually a testing time somehow for these types of changes. If not, there should had been a warning to all customers that the switchover may cause glitches and bombard special phone lines for FF's and corperate accts. for a week just in case. Most importantly, an apology for the inconvenience.
There is NO excuse for the wrong strips being on the wrong DM's card. That is just stupid. The company rushed all this out too soon. Privacy information has now been shared with complete strangers. POOR IMPLEMENTATION
3. UM/Dog transport policies: The east coast has a lot of dog shows that US has been carriers of. Because of a rush for consistancy (which isn't a bad thing), nobody out west thought beyond the PHX hot interiors to think of the lost revenue due to one coastline thinking. With UM's, in Asheville, NC alone, we transported anywhere from 500-750 UM's to go to summer camp. Many scrambled to other airlines that didn't have restricted policies. How about a summer exception? No, we gave other airlines well over $100,000 dollars, if not more. This decision was IMPLEMENTED POORLY.
4. Catering changes: If you tell the flight attendants you are going to do something, do it correctly. East was to get glassware back on longhaul flights June 14. Its July 12. Where is the glassware? Where is the memo? We are told that the menus have changed and that we are plating the food. Where are the plates? On the cold preset trays, without the flatware (classy plastic), with more work on the 26 seat A321..thats alot of dishes to pull when they could be put together wrapped in aluminum wrapping to warm up. Just let us know so we don't make fools when sharing with our ff's that things are improving. It lets them and us down and takes away credibility. Again, POOR IMPLEMENTATION.
5. ETC...SPEAKS FOR IT'S OWN POOR IMPLEMENTATION!!
These are but the few that I have seen personally. I don't care what policies or procedures we keep. As a Eastie, I could care less had we kept the America West name or called it Cheap Ass Airlines. All the changes matter not to me. It's a merger and mistakes will happen and decisions will be altered or changed. I get that. And believe me when I say I am farrrrrrrrrrrr happier today than 2 years ago. PLEASE READ AND DON'T MISS THE POINT HERE!!! There is an IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEM that nobody wants to admit to or take responsiblity for. We must do better here. It's like the guy who tells the girl he'll call and doesn't. Not only does it piiss her off, but he looses trust and credibility.
I know the Sandcastle employees want the very best of the new US AIRWAYS. I really have no doubt to that. BUT, you must admit when there are mistakes, own them, and reassure the customers that you understand and are correcting the problems...otherwise,..the traditional east coast customer or desserter will think NOTHING has change and we all know that is not true and something we easties have wanted to get away from.
Please...I am not here to put down those in Tempe or the new US Airways. These are but observations. It's not about change, time of, or money...but one word....IMPLEMENTATION!! It can make or break us!
Thanks for the time to share.
