2
Piedmont
Piedmont plugs into
Walt Disney World
On June 8 at 8 a.m., the phones
began ringing at Piedmont’s new
reservations office, located in the
Disney World resort community of
Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
"We expect 500,000 calls for the
first year of operation or about
42,000 per month," Don Shanks,
assistant vice president—Custom
er Relations, said, "and over a five-
year period, with expansion, we
estimate we'll have a net savings of
8445,000."
The office, located on the fourth
floor of the new Sun Bank Building,
is staffed by 26 highly-trained
employees, all transferring from the
reservations offices in Winston-
Salem and Nashville. The new man
ager is Lew Horn, a 17-year Pied
mont veteran. Supervisor Ed
Laskowski has 33 years with the
Company, and Jim Shipton, 14
years. Supervisor Sharon Pack
joined Piedmont in 1970, as did
agents Susan Bean and Ann Mears.
For Agent Janet Creasy, who has
been with Piedmont only one
month, this will be her first perma
nent assignment.
“There are two reasons we chose
Orlando," Shanks said.
"First, Orlando has a veiy effi
cient telephone communications
system. It will save us $ 110,000 a
year to have calls from Florida
handled in Orlando rather than
Winston-Salem. Second, the num
ber of calls our Winston-Salem
office is receiving is growing
rapidly, and we need to expand in
order to provide the best possible
service."
Piedmont is leasing a portion of
Disney World’s automatic call dis
tribution system. There are 25 lines
going into the office which now
serves Miami, Ft. Lauderdale,
Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Orlando.
The office has the capability to
expand from the present 24 posi
tions to 44, if needed.
"We’re extremely pleased with the
way things are going and feel this
office will be a great asset to Pied
mont," Shanks said.
The new office is operating seven
days a week from 7 a.m. to mid
night and is expected to handle
approximately six percent of total
system calls. After midnight, calls
are automatically forwarded to
Winston-Salem.
Mail should be addressed to:
Piedmont Airlines, 410 Sun Bank
Building, Box 22207, Lake Buena
Vista, Fla 32830.
r
"I want you to know how grateful I am for your part in making
Piedmont what it is today." said Tom Davis, chairman of the board, at
thefive- and ten-year service pin luncheon in May. “'We've onlyjust
begun' is indicative of our situation, and the caliber of people we have
will ensure our success."
Amy McMillan. CRO. (above) was one of 28 employees who received
her pin from Davis at the luncheon, held at the Holiday Inn North in
Winston-Salem. Those employees unable to attend the luncheon are
receiving their pinsfrom their supervisors.
In his remarks. President Bill Howard said ‘You can be very proud
oj what's going on in your airline. Our on-time peiformance in 1980
was 84.9 percent, number one among all the trunk and local carriers.
In thefirstfour months of 1981. 85 percent of these same flights have
been on time.
"It takes all parts of an airline working well together to achieve our
good on-time peiformance. and our peiformance is a tribute to all of
you."
/
k
One hundred and thirty golfers
representing 25 airlines took part
in Piedmont's sixth annual inter
line golf tournament held at Arca
dian Shores Golf Club at Myrtle
Beach in late April. Players came
from England. Ireland and Can
ada as well as the United States.
Tournament winners are: (I to r)
Robert Bolling. Delta. JAX, winner
low gross: Paul Hoermer. Braniff.
JFK. runner-up low gross; Joe
Roorda, Frontier. DEN, winner low
net: Sheri Folger, general chair
man. Piedmont INT;John Chavez.
United Airlines. DEN. runner-up
Calloway: Lonnie Harvey. East
ern. ATL, winner Calloway: and
Victor Kastelic. American Airlines,
TUL, runner-up low net
Volume 32. Number 3
published for and about Piedmont people
by the Public Affairs Department,
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Rosalind D. Chostner, editor Cherryl Shamel, associate editor
Atdcui
for all
seasons.
The Payroll
Savings Plan
is one of the easiest, safest
ways to get started on the
saving habit. Even if
saving has always seemed
too difficult in past seasons.
A little is automatically
taken out of each paycheck
toward the purchase of
U.S. Savings Bonds. You’ll
never miss it, so you’ll
never spend it.
It just keeps growing
for some coming spring, or
maybe a warm vacation
during a cold winter.
It’s a plan for
all seasons. For all
Americans.
Take |
. stockXs.o'^
in^^^erica.
When i/ou i>ut jxiii of [four sdvin^s
into V.S. Sdi iuiis Bonds i/ou'rc
hcl})inii to hnilcl i brighter fut iire
for your count ni and for ifoursi'lf.
A public service ol this publication
and Tfie Advertising Council.
Congress debates
Tax on benefits
The Internal Revenue Service
wants to begin taxing airline
employees’ free or discounted
travel, beginning next January 1.
For a number of years, the IRS
has attempted to impose such a tax
but Congress has resisted. Con
gress enacted legislation which
extended a statutory ban on such
taxation in 1980, but on May 31,
that ban expired. Hearings are now
being held before the Select Reve
nue Subcommittee of the House
Ways and Means Committee.
If you want to maintain your pass
benefit without it being subject to
income tax, write your representa
tives in Congress at once! Include
in your letter that you have enjoyed
such benefits since you entered the
airline industry just as your prede
cessors in other areas of transpor
tation have enjoyed them without
being taxed.
Let your representatives know
that you consider it an abrupt and
unfair departure from past policy to
tax these benefits now.
Also request your representatives
to indicate their strong opposition
to such taxation to all members of
the House Ways and Means Com
mittee. Urge your senators to indi
cate their opposition to the tax to
aU members of the Senate Finance
Committee.
Your company joins you in vigor
ously opposing such taxation.