NEWS
December 2007
CENTRALIZED WAITING AREA A WIN-WIN
FOR AA CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES
By Kelly Vrajitoru
ChicAAgo News
Volume 2 Issue 2
They say two heads are better than one, and when it comes to problem-solving, gathering as many people closest to the situation together, is often key to finding a solution. At least, that proved to be the case recently by addressing the challenge of providing better customer service to some special passengers in Chicago.
With the help of front-line employees, including Operational Co¬ordinators (OCs), Prospect and AA Management, a meeting was held in late October. Those participating were encouraged to pres¬ent ideas and suggestions for improvement. A centralized customer waiting area was presented by one of the OCs present, and this idea was tested over the course of a few weeks, and the new procedure put into place almost immediately. This creative solution has proven to be a win-win for both customers and employees alike.
Based directly on customer and employee feedback, wheelchair pas¬sengers in Chicago now have a new waiting area for Prospect Air¬port Services. After checking in, agents direct wheelchair passengers to a centralized area near the ticket counters. A Prospect wheelchair coordinator mans the area, puts in requests and tracks the time it takes to locate a wheelchair. Waiting times are down, customer ser¬vice is up, and this new procedure allows for more flexibility when challenges arise.
Prospect agents are no longer searching for passengers since there is one central location, explained Dean Holmes, Manager of Prospect Airport Service. “This new area works really well,” he said. “Prior to this, our wheelchair pushers were walking back and forth the entire ATO trying to locate the passenger - they now know exactly where the passengers are. In addition, the amount of time it takes our personnel to assist a passenger from the ATO and then go to the concourse to drop off and copy another call from an inbound flight has dropped dramatically,” Holmes added.
“We needed to find a better way to take care of our wheelchair cus¬tomers,” said ORD OC Naamar Thomson. “We had too many com¬plaints about passengers not being picked up in a prompt manner. Some passengers were missed entirely. We also found ourselves re¬booking passengers - on some occasions on other carriers. This was not good for AA, as it cost us money as well as leaving the customer with a bad impression of our airline,” Thomson added.
“We had to do something about the negative impact that the previ¬ous wheelchair service was causing,” said ORD Customer Service Manager (CSM) Yolanda Shelton. “So we brainstormed and Voila! The centralized location was put together.”
Photo by Kelly Vrajitoru
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"It was truly outstanding – the young David Covert that helped me was a credit to himself and NWA…"
DJ Quirk Black Eagle, MT
"Chris was very kind. I could tell he enjoys his job very much. Keep up the good work!”
T. Kostich Fenton, MI
“Very professional and pleasant. Service was excellent”
E. Erb Toledo, OH
“I have never had to use a wheelchair before, but the young man was very kind and courteous. Without this I couldn’t have reached my destination.”
B. Winters Wilmore, KY
“Incredibly compassionate, courteous and professional…”
D. Sudrovech Beaufort, SC
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