Centerlines - January 2008 - (Page 30)

PASSENGER FOCUS making them happy,” she said. The program has benefited the Houston Airport System, said James, in that both airports have “very friendly employees, and the passengers notice that.” McClinton added that Houston Hobby has won the J.D. Power and Associates award Music is always part of a Houston Friendly celebration for customer service for two years running, and Bush Intercontinental came in approach than a heavy-handed second. “Obviously, people are feelapproach” to customer service. “It’s ing the impact or noticing something encouraged people to emulate the about the service at this airport sysmost outstanding service examples tem,” she said. by actually rewarding people.” According to James, quarterly ceremonies are held to honor Customers Come First employees and their actions. “I think Said McClinton, “It’s taking the the best thing that you can do is set passenger’s needs to the next level. a good example by rewarding the Instead of saying, ‘Sorry, we can’t people who deserve to be rewarded. help you,’ finding a way to accomAnd I think other people then seek to modate them.” emulate them,” he said. For example, James said, employThe supervisors and the senior ees are shown how to properly managers of all employees who are offer assistance by not just sending being recognized are invited to the customers down the road without ceremony, James said, “so they are further guidance but “making sure recognized in front of their managethat someone will pick them up and ment and their coworkers.” A brief take them the next step of the way,” summation of the service action that he said. “Looking at the customers caused the employee to be nominatrather than carrying on a conversaed for the award is read during the tion among your coworkers while ceremonies. “We have music at the you’re serving someone. Really payceremonies, refreshments, so it’s a ing attention to the customer is what festive occasion,” James said. it amounts to—really making them In addition to a gift certificate, the primary focus out here.” recipients of the award receive “It’s kind of a mind-set,” said a certificate signed by the direcMcClinton. “It’s raising awareness tor of aviation as well as a custom and setting an example and telling Houston Friendly pin. people how this can benefit them Programs that work best, and the airport system as a whole.” explained de Rodriguez, are those McClinton added that providing that have a scaleable reward sysoutstanding customer service is part tem. “People are driven by lots of of the vision and mission statements different things,” she said. “Whether of the airport system. “The vision incentives drive people to be extra statement is to be the center of friendly, I don’t know, but it does regional transportation by 2020 and draw more attention to the progrow the Houston Airport System gram.” And, keeping the program at to support 80 million passengers by the forefront of employees’ minds is then. That’s our focus—bringing in important, said Rodriguez. Constant more passengers, expanding and Aviation Director Richard Vacar addressing a Houston Friendly assembly Lorena de Rodriguez, president of AviaEd/SSi, an Arizona-based training and instruction firm, agreed that a customer service program can only be successful if everyone within the organization is involved. “Everyone who works at the airport is involved in customer service,” she said. As part of the training for the Houston Friendly program, each employee working at the airport, including airline personnel, contractors and concessions workers, views a video when he goes through the employee badging process. The video outlines the details of the program, offering tips and guidance on how to give the best customer service possible. “We show some examples on how to do it, how not to do it. It’s very visual, so it doesn’t rely on a lot of words or concepts that might be difficult to grasp,” said James. Commented de Rodriguez, “Houston did a fabulous job and exemplifies the way [a program] should be managed. They distribute their training through a video that everyone who goes through the badging process watches and then they bring in the incentive process to draw it back to it.” James added that the approach the program imparts through the video is more of a “motivating 30 CENTERLINES | JANUARY 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Centerlines - January 2008

Contents President’s Message Canadian Airports Associates’ Corner Policy Center Regulatory Front On the Hill and On the Stump One on One: Dave Barger Revenue: The Concessions Awards Environment: O’Hare Expansion Passenger Focus: Houston Friendly Safety and Security: After Comair, What Next? Air Service Recruiting: Charleston’s Acquisition of AirTran On Management: Performance Benchmarking at DFW Now Underway Grand Opening Conference Previews and Reviews New Members Index of Advertisers/Advertiser.com Box Scores

Centerlines - January 2008

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