US Airways - January 2013 - (Page 14)

embark A Day in the Life Reservations agents at the Phoenix call center are at your service. By tara titcombe At the US Airways reservations call center in Phoenix, 620 agents answer customer questions 24/7. The center handles an average of 17,500 calls every day. Here we listen in with three agents during a typical shift to find out just how they do it. ★ Vacation Planner Clockwise from below: tim Vachon, Diane Smith, and justin rayzak Meet: Diane Smith Her title: reservations agent, uS airways Vacations tiMe witH uS airwayS: 15 years Diane Smith is already at her desk and set up for her shift when I arrive at the reservations call center at 5 a.m. She explains that all of her time is closely tracked, and she pulls up a chart to show me. I see the average time she spends on each call, as well as her total time on the phone per shift. Her goal is to spend 93 percent of her time on the phone. For the next three hours, we take calls mostly from travel agents asking us to change reservation dates or change a package to exclude ground transportation. We get a bit of excitement around 6:30 a.m., when a travel agent calls in a panic. Her clients are at the airport, ready to go on their honeymoon, but their names don’t match those on the reservation and they’re unable to get through security. Luckily, Diane calls the agents at the airport and discovers that they have resolved the issue. At the most there’s ten seconds between calls, and the entire time photos by christopher barr 14 january 2013 usairwaysmag.com http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - January 2013

US Airways - January 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Fantasy Trips
Hub Crawl: Boston Logan International Airport
Wine & Dine: Martinis
Adventure: Scotland Golf
Adventure: Skiing Whistler Blackcomb
Great Escapes: Quintero Golf Club
Gear Up: Pet Gifts
Travel Feature: Aruba — Little Island, Big Presence
US Airways Vacations
Celebrate San Francisco
The Cactus League
Must Read: Because I Said So!
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - January 2013