QUESTION for the AIRPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE people..

[tadjr]

We finally got another manager after a year (ramp manager? / assistant manager, not sure exactly what he is supposed to be....) anyway I asked him if he had an official signature to sign my overtime slip the other day. No was his reply. NO? WTF are you doing here then? We'd have been better off just hiring 4 more newhires off the street vs what we're getting for our money here.

 

[kao]

I know the drivers at UPS are union -- maybe more workers. Yet, UPS (and FedEx, too, I believe) has all kinds of management helping out over the holidays -- so, why can't USA/AWA have some sort of agreement with the unions and management to lend a hand? If there's hours to be covered and work to be done?

Although, I'm sure there's all kinds of reasons NOT to do this, unless the management helping has a clue as to what they're doing and not just getting in the way and adding to the chaos...

you are wrong---UPS union workers do not condone managment working. If they need more workers then then either offer the part timers or hire seasonal. The philosophy is that they are "stealing" work from the workers. And I could not agree more....you have many that would have gladly taken a temp full time slot for the season or even until this wacky training is complete...but no, the company has decided it is ok to burn employees out.

 

[hp_fa]

FWIW, I had a family member flying into PHX today and the website would seemingly lock-up and not get me basic flight status info. I got better info using an online flight tracker website.

 

[Jetsetter2Ord]

John John,
Buddy you KNOW that you learn best by DOING the work. The key is that it doesn't become and everyday thing and I was not referring to Station Manager level, I was referring to the ivory tower corporate types.

For example, why not force Joe Beery to use the web site to book his corporate travel??? That way when HE gets 16 errors and takes an hour to book a trip he'll have a fuller appreciation of what the custer experiences day in day out.

Why not have Sheri Shamblin fly for a day and see first hand how the Galley configs and cart pack out effect flight Attendents?

It's very very easy to sit around a conference room table and look at spreadsheets and create a plan that looks good on paper. It's another to actually have to carry it out on the front line. It would be both healthy for the company and the front liners.

Bob-

This is exactly the sort of suggestion I was talking about. Allow them to fly around with flight crews and see just sort of problems we encounter. Or have them observe the things that agents deal with at the gates/ticket counter etc. Instead of having an agent direct traffic for example in PHX, have management do the directing so that qualified agent can assist the counter to help expedite the process.

You would be amazed at how many workers at the corporate headquarters were off work during the holidays, when they could have been out assisting those that were in need on the front line.

I do know that this sort of thing is being looked at and listened to by management and even our catering deprt. A coworker had problems with the double provisioned meals in First Class. She wrote up an informative observation with suggestions on how to correct the situation and requested that a member of catering or management team accompany her on the next flight she was to work. They agreed to have a member of catering fly with and observe what problems are continually happening on the front line. Here it was proven that the FA was correct in the problems and issues that were addressed. From the observation they now have suggestions and solutions to make the necessary changes to make the frontline employees job more efficient.

You see, many of the frontline employees go to management with suggestions to make things more streamlined for all. It takes getting the information to the right individuals so that we can make improvements.

I know for a fact, that there are many FAs and agents that care about the product we are providing and encouraging management to see these issues in hand and help to make change so that your flight can be more relaxing and stress free.

So if we all take the time to document these ongoing problems, take pictures with your cell phone if you have to, and provide the proof to help get these matters resolved.

Just today, I personally delivered to Sherri Shamblin one of the pitiful breakfast sandwiches that IAD catering has been trying to provide our passengers all month. She was amazed at just what was being provided. In addition, I received an email from an individual at LSG sky chefs that wanted to thank me for my observations and to keep him informed of any further issues.

For those who like to think I have a poor attitude, you are wrong. I am one of the most consciences employees on the front line. I care about how our passengers are being treated, and go that extra mile to help make your flight pleasant. I take a stand for when something needs to be addressed and follow through until it gets resolved, even going to the top executives to address the situations.

I have gone out of my way to make sure that those families whose seats are split apart are accommodated to sit next to each other when at all possible. Sometimes others refuse to move for a family, but I at least do my best to help. I am observant to those who are seated next to those passengers of size and try to move you so that you and the passenger of size are more comfortable when I see that there are extra seats when available.

For the past month flying out of IAD, I am the one that changes that pillow case so that you dont have to use the dirty pillow that has been flying around for the past two days...even when the cleaning crew refuses to change them for you.

I am the one who contacts a maintenance team to inform them of the obnoxious noise in the ceiling vent so that you dont have to listen to the sound of blowing air to the point where you end up deaf from being subjected to it. Or that the duct tape used to temporarily hold your armrest together gets changed because it looks unprofessional. Or that the curtain was missing in the galley causing you no sleep from the galley light shining in your face on the red eye flight, and ensure that one was added for the future.

All in all, I am one of the employees that takes great pride in my job, many of which goes unnoticed or gets noticed but was not offered that A&B card or been told I will write a letter for you that never gets written. Regardless, the satisfaction just knowing that I did my job and did it well enough to leave a lasting impression on my fellow employees and passengers is all that care about.

I look forward to serving you in the New Year and hope that being a key part of the NEW USairways will help make this airline a success in the long run. We have many hurdles to overcome, but if we all work together we can do it! (I have not had a drop of company Koolaid either!)

 

[Bandit]

In CLT they need to hire more c/s agents,not more managers.They just hired 2 new shift managers,1 was a supv.,she was not that good of a supv.,so they made her a manager,the other he took the buy out almost 2 years agoand now he is back.We don't need any more managers we just need help.We don't have any one to drive the carts or to get wheel chairs off the a/c.Agents can only do so much till the burnout sets in.

 

[hp_fa]

Agents can only do so much till the burnout sets in.

That is exactly their business model. If they can keep the front line jobs churning it keeps the payroll down, obviously enough to justify the increased training costs that the churn produces.

I read the other day of the proposal that Phoenix is offering for the proposed larger Ops Center. It includes monies for future training costs. Why the hell is government providing tax monies to a corporation that has the net effect of indemnifying the corporation from it's own practices that cause employee churn? My tax monies are going to a corporation that uses that money to train people to replace people who thought they had a good job until the corporation purposefully set out to use, abuse and burn them out and then throw them on the trash can of life.

 

[tadjr]

Well after the conversation a friend of mine had with someone in management and what has transpired over the past few days, I think its time for the old DOT address cards to come out and play. Seems like the only way people are going to take notice. Quit giving out the local address a while ago and it looks like Tempe isnt getting the job done either. :down:

 

[john john]

Bob-

This is exactly the sort of suggestion I was talking about. Allow them to fly around with flight crews and see just sort of problems we encounter.

Have reserve pool of management flight attendants and when US runs short of FA’s just call out the reserve management flight attendants or let management have confirm ACM and they can help out with service on the aircraft and I bet the pilots would love to have reserve pool management pilots just to help out when they are short pilots

 

[exnw]

Have reserve pool of management flight attendants and when US runs short of FA’s just call out the reserve management flight attendants or let management have confirm ACM and they can help out with service on the aircraft and I bet the pilots would love to have reserve pool management pilots just to help out when they are short pilots

When this happens please schedule them to start
the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and get back home
the Monday after.

Christmas time start 23 Dec and finish 27 Dec.

See how much they enjoy it.

 

[wildirishrose]

The managers are free to come stand beside me any time of the day and see what we do. (Of course they usually come during the slow times for some reason). I say no to them doing the work. My manager was helping us out the other day and ended up screwing up more than helping. Customer sent to the gate, upon trying to board a delayed flight found out credit card had been denied and had no ticket. She had been there for 3 hours (and still would have made her conx), but the manager was helping out and didnt pay attention to no etkt. Just check the bags and move the line was all he was interested in. Now I get to explain to the customer why she cant go. Thanks boss!
Also our manager has been given suggestion after suggestion on ways to get things done (re staffing, scheduling, etc) and he usually says great idea, and then when its time to implement, we're back to the same old stuff that he's always done.
Last night 10 carts leftover in baggage. Once again his solution to the problem is put them in the back for the am to handle and I'll be in early to help. He had 2 agents willing to stay IF he would adjust one of their shifts since they had to start today at 11am and his response was no, just put them in the back.
Management KNOWS what needs to be done to get the job done, but for $ome rea$on wont do what need$ to be done to get it corrected. Hey, today is the first. Your bonus for last year is protected already. NOW GET US SOME HELP!!! h34r:

I'm confused, both of the baggage managers are women, there are no male Baggage managers in Phoenix BSO. AND the managers that are there are really good. So WHO are you talking about?

 

[tadjr]

So WHO are you talking about?

A city OTHER than PHX...

 

[barbeetantrums]

Barbee, what happened in PHX......
TADJR when will these people learn? As long as we keep getting it done some way it will go on.
CLT is burned out for sure.

What didn't happen in PHX?! Can't speak for customer service BUT...

Mechanics being called before pushback on almost all of my flights. No one picking up OT on the ramp. Lots of sick calls. Flight crews timing out. Rampers who are working but only at a slow pace (doing their jobs with molasses in their rear ends and without superhero efforts - pay disparity between east and west fleet service acts like kryptonite to all west rampers). Bag belt jams and outages. Flights arriving at unstaffed gates pretty much ignored unless the ramp sup specifically tells rampers to go to that gate. Not enough equipment as all the carts were for cargo. Weight and balance issues. Late arriving flights from bad weather at RNO, DEN, etc.

Ramp supervisors were going around trying to get us to sign up for OT. Not many fish biting in these waters. Mandatory OT was enacted and that time is not showing up in Workbrain in many cases and will probably not appear in the next paycheck. <_<

 

[SKY HIGH]

I have gone out of my way to make sure that those families whose seats are split apart are accommodated to sit next to each other when at all possible. Sometimes others refuse to move for a family, but I at least do my best to help. I am observant to those who are seated next to those passengers of size and try to move you so that you and the passenger of size are more comfortable when I see that there are extra seats when available.

For the past month flying out of IAD, I am the one that changes that pillow case so that you dont have to use the dirty pillow that has been flying around for the past two days...even when the cleaning crew refuses to change them for you.

I am the one who contacts a maintenance team to inform them of the obnoxious noise in the ceiling vent so that you dont have to listen to the sound of blowing air to the point where you end up deaf from being subjected to it.

sky high states: Separated families, dup seats, write ups. You are certainly mindful of one's job responsibilities, but, it's NOT impressive. Nor worthy of recognition because as YOU SAY, I HAVE GONE OUT OF MY WAY.......every position in this industry requires you to do that.
Keep up the good work, though.



only stating opinions.

 

[wench1]

you are wrong---UPS union workers do not condone managment working. If they need more workers then then either offer the part timers or hire seasonal. The philosophy is that they are "stealing" work from the workers. And I could not agree more....you have many that would have gladly taken a temp full time slot for the season or even until this wacky training is complete...but no, the company has decided it is ok to burn employees out.

This BS Trnign could HAVE BEEN DONE IN 1 weeks time!
But no, lets do bits and pieces, job security for the trainers, and lets go back for yet a 3rd round to train for ALL THE CHANGES!
Ya think this could have been all WORKED OUT!?
Amazing!