US-East Observation Rides In Full Force

[azjetdude]

Bigboybus says "I actually blame management (east) for allowing us to become indifferent towards procedure. For the past few years they have never focused on enforcing procedure with anything. Uniform compliance, safty procedures, serving procedures all have gone unchecked for years. This allowed F/As (me included) to do what ever we wanted to do. Our attitudes have become: we've been unsupervised for years, and now who are you to tell us how to do our job? I hope Tempe knows how to confront these attitudes and work ethics, because it's going to be a tough one to tackle. I applaud their efforts though."

WHAT THE ??????

You are kidding right? Its the companies fault that you are lazy and look like trash? NO WAY!

I always love going to recurrent and hearing FAs say...."I'm a safety professional" and "treat me like an adult".

This takes the cake on lack of responsibility.

If you need a baby sitter to tell you what to do, if you can't read the policies and procedures without someone telling you to do so, you have a lot of growing up to do. Not only that, but with the total lack of personal responsibility, you become a nightmare to your co-workers.

 

[SKY HIGH]

[quote name='PineyBob' date='May 16 2006, 06:11 AM' post='381275'
Uniformity of customer experience is ONE area that SWA has and IMO is a key reason for their success. Granted the Inflight service isn't very much but the level is KNOWN and consistent.

If they truly want to make US Airways into a world class carrier then this is the first place to start.
[/quote]

SKY high states: CONSISTENCY. Bob, you're soo right on that one. However, during PAST MERGERS, "consistent" service procedures never lasted for long. MEMO: Serve the cup. No, new MEMO: Serve the can. NO! Just the cup. Do a standard beverage service to PHL. NEW MEMO: Packaged Lemonade. NO, they hate that. NEW MEMO: Cokes and Sprites. HOT MEALS everywhere! NO, discontinue them to ORD, Florida, and Texas. NEW MEMO: Peanuts only. NO Pretzels.

DO NOT REPEAT PAST MERGER MISTAKES WITH SERVICE PROCEDURES.

 

[N109UW]

In CLT, getting new uniform pieces or new luggage is like pulling teeth. If I want new shirts, I have to buy them. Forget that they're yellowed, have grease spots on them, collars are worn out. A man with the intitials R.M. in CLT inflight will tell you there's nothing wrong with them.

You must be asking the wrong person. I just got 5 new shirts and a pair of pants.(All at Company Expense) No problems or hassle. R.M. hasn't dealt with uniforms for awhile, like almost 2 years. He used to be a tough sell sometimes on replacement items. But he never denied me items if I persisted. See Jim down there, he never gives anyone a rough time.

 

[hp_fa]

ghost riders are flight attendants on special projects who fill out compliance forms to turn in for data. Check riders are inflight supervisors who will announce their presence in advance and have the authority to discipline.

FWIW, ghostriders out West are usually customers. Usually FF'ers whom the company rewards for keeping tabs on the entire travel experience. So, the same term is being used by both workforces to describe different things.

West has, on occassion, had "audit" flights where another FA will ride along and make comments that are non-punative. They are normally trying to get a statistical idea of compliance with company policy on those flights. There would also be supervisor check rides, where you would find out at the gate that a supervisor was riding and doing a check ride. Everything was fair game for those flights and they were potentially punative.

 

[JMM]

Everyone is so up and arms about this crap. Do your job, do it as it is written in the policy and procedures handbooks. If you do not like it, either quit or work with the company to change it.

It is NOT your right to do whatever you want. That is NOT how it works. If you were a nurse and disagreed with what the doctor wanted you to do, you think you would not get in trouble if you did what you wanted to???

You are paid to do what you are told and work WITHIN the system to change what you do not think works. And, it is about time that some things start to change out east AND west.

Personally I do not care if you have been with the company for a year or 40 years, there is a proper way to wear your uniform, DO IT. If you do not, you should be written up three times and on the fourth time FIRED on the spot! Uniforms should be clean and pressed (including starch) everytime you report for work! The whole idea of wearing a "uniform" is so that everyone looks, get this, UNIFORM!

There is a proper way to perform service, DO IT! Do not change it because you are lazy. Do not chane it because your feet hurt or the load is light. Do it the same way everytime so that it is ALWAYS consistant. Do what you are told or work within the company to change the way it should be done.

If you cannot afford new uniform pieces pay-roll deduct it, if you do not like that option than QUIT and go work somewhere else. If you cannot afford new lugguge, payroll deduct it or QUIT and go work somewhere else.

We, as FA's, are paid to do things a particular way. Yes, southwest is successful because it is CONSISTANT. The only way to be consistant is to enforce the policies of the airline. And, if you do not like the company policies, it is NOT your right to NOT follow the rules. You have two options:

1. QUIT!
2. Work within the company to change the policies while still following the current procedures!

The word QUIT is in my post a lot. Please, do yourself, and the rest of us a favor and do it if you are not happy. There are 1,000's more ready to do your job for less and they would be HAPPY to follow procedure.

 

[john john]

Do your job, do it as it is written in the policy and procedures handbooks.

This might be a good suggestion work by the book work to rule

 

[desertgal]

That would get you fired at West.

EDIT to say, That would get the 'A' FA fired, and the other 3 suspended. Unless, of course, it is a second offense for one of them, then they would be fired, too.

 

[SKY HIGH]

Everyone is so up and arms about this crap. Do your job, do it as it is written in the policy and procedures handbooks. If you do not like it, either quit or work with the company to change it.

It is NOT your right to do whatever you want. That is NOT how it works. If you were a nurse and disagreed with what the doctor wanted you to do, you think you would not get in trouble if you did what you wanted to???

Sky high states: Service procedures become inconsistant for a variety of reasons. The number one issue is weather and/or turbulence. U has a large number of short-haul flights, throw in bad weather, full flight and "procedure" may not work. Not getting hurt is more important then a beverage service.
Number Two: flight attendants work with what they are given! Ever work a flight to the west/east coast and not have enough ice? cups? shortage of service items, meals in first? You may have to deviate from procedure.
The worse offense that is taking place is to the best customer, the Frequent flyer and first class customers. First class Pre-departure drinks are rarely done. Bottle of waters have replaced what is supposed to be a "beverage of choice". Why? Some might say, full flights, monitoring overheads, checking bags and getting the flight out on time would prohibit that "procedure." Now, is that reality or laziness?

 

[JMM]

Sky high states: Service procedures become inconsistant for a variety of reasons. The number one issue is weather and/or turbulence. U has a large number of short-haul flights, throw in bad weather, full flight and "procedure" may not work. Not getting hurt is more important then a beverage service.
Number Two: flight attendants work with what they are given! Ever work a flight to the west/east coast and not have enough ice? cups? shortage of service items, meals in first? You may have to deviate from procedure.
The worse offense that is taking place is to the best customer, the Frequent flyer and first class customers. First class Pre-departure drinks are rarely done. Bottle of waters have replaced what is supposed to be a "beverage of choice". Why? Some might say, full flights, monitoring overheads, checking bags and getting the flight out on time would prohibit that "procedure." Now, is that reality or laziness?

sounds like excuses to me

 

[lodoboy]

okay, yes it is nice that the company is actually caring about what is going on on their a/c, and yes, procedures are important.I however have an issue with these new procedures that have been handed out. I have brought this up to procedures and per them, "It has been researched thoroughly".

What do you do on a flight that is scheduled for both short-haul, and Movie-market at the same time? The guidelines that have been distributed are very ambiguous and hard to decipher. For example, on the PHL-SJU turn, it says that this is a short haul service, hence, push-pull, and coffee water, however it also says that this is a Movie-market, hence, push-pull, coffee and water and then arrival service 90 minutes out. The problem with the latter is that, on a flight that is actually 3+10 - 3+20 in duration, 90 minutes out falls right after the coffee service. Also SJU is the only Caribean destination that doesn't cater sodas, if I'm not mistaken.

No one seems to know how to fix this issue and the F/A's continue to interperet the guidelines the best they can.

Something needs to be done on making communication from the company clearer. I can't wait for a Ghost Rider to hop aboard one of my flights and try to hand me that guidelines paper, It will come back to them highlighted with all the inaccuracies that abound on it!

 

[Zarah]

IDs are not to be displayed while on the AC.

 

[EMBFA]

"Those" type F/A's that you will have your ID hidden from view which to me is acknowledgement of guilt. Especially if you contrast that to the F/A's who hustle, whose ID is almost always in plain sight.

:blink: You mean thier employee ID? Thats is NEVER to be displayed on an aircraft. They are to be put away or at minimum hidden from view! Even if it wasn't a major safety/security issue, how tacky looking having that thing on while your working on the plane- makes it look like your ready to leave!

 

[SKY HIGH]

sounds like excuses to me

sky high states: EXCUSES shouldnt exist. But, there's that opportunity when NO ONE knows what to serve on a particular route. NO ONE has the service chart. And, then someone decides what the service SHOULD BE. When's the last time you flew RIC to CLT?...what's that? No serve?...express? Gotta service chart?

Solution: Put the SERVICE FLOW back on the manifest and/or
Laminate it inside a galley compartment door.

No room for interpretation NOW.

 

[USCREW]

Everyone is so up and arms about this crap. Do your job, do it as it is written in the policy and procedures handbooks. If you do not like it, either quit or work with the company to change it.

It is NOT your right to do whatever you want. That is NOT how it works. If you were a nurse and disagreed with what the doctor wanted you to do, you think you would not get in trouble if you did what you wanted to???

You are paid to do what you are told and work WITHIN the system to change what you do not think works. And, it is about time that some things start to change out east AND west.

Personally I do not care if you have been with the company for a year or 40 years, there is a proper way to wear your uniform, DO IT. If you do not, you should be written up three times and on the fourth time FIRED on the spot! Uniforms should be clean and pressed (including starch) everytime you report for work! The whole idea of wearing a "uniform" is so that everyone looks, get this, UNIFORM!

There is a proper way to perform service, DO IT! Do not change it because you are lazy. Do not chane it because your feet hurt or the load is light. Do it the same way everytime so that it is ALWAYS consistant. Do what you are told or work within the company to change the way it should be done.

If you cannot afford new uniform pieces pay-roll deduct it, if you do not like that option than QUIT and go work somewhere else. If you cannot afford new lugguge, payroll deduct it or QUIT and go work somewhere else.

We, as FA's, are paid to do things a particular way. Yes, southwest is successful because it is CONSISTANT. The only way to be consistant is to enforce the policies of the airline. And, if you do not like the company policies, it is NOT your right to NOT follow the rules. You have two options:

1. QUIT!
2. Work within the company to change the policies while still following the current procedures!

The word QUIT is in my post a lot. Please, do yourself, and the rest of us a favor and do it if you are not happy. There are 1,000's more ready to do your job for less and they would be HAPPY to follow procedure.

I am a nurse as well as a flight attendant and can tell you that you can't make a lateral analogy between the two. As a nurse, I would follow the nursing practice acts as well as medical ethics, and if the doctor was wrong; I would not be able to blindly follow orders.

 

[FCYTravis]

The pre-departure drink thing is a biggy. On US West, it's SOP to provide a pre-departure beverage of choice in the F-cabin - and I've never had an FA not do it. Now I know the A321 cabin is pretty vast and you've got a jillion things going on at once... but every time a US Westie FA manages to navigate through the teeming boarding throngs to 2D with a Bailey's on the rocks and some snack mix, it's greatly appreciated.

I hope the pre-dep drink comes over to US East.