Newspapers / Piedmont Aviation Employee Newsletter / May 1, 1988, edition 1 / Page 6
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Deone Bill Grubbs, district sales manager (JAX), has been in stalled as president of the SPCAL Club of Jacksonville, an authorized organization of the prestigious Association Internationale des SKAL Clubs. Membership in SKAL is by invitation and is limited to professionals currently oc cupying a post of executive responsibility in the tourism or travel industry for more than five years. * ♦ ♦ Cathie McDonald, program director-air ambulance. Piedmont General Aviation, has been named to the 11 - member national Dedicated Fixed-Wing Air Ambulance Advisory Board which will address issues such as safety, standards of operation, and patient care during transpor tation. Piedmont General Aviation and North Carolina Baptist Hospital announced the formation of AirCare In ternational in April. ~ * * * Piedmont placed fifth in the Ninth Annual Airlines of the World Chili Cookoff held April 10 in Long Beach, CA. Janisue Maynard, part-time station agent, and Willard Maynard, senior station agent, both DFW, used 15 pounds of American Bison to prepare the winning chili. The secret ingredient was flown in from Winston-Salem, thanks to Hollis Cook, operations manager (GSO). TWenty-two airlines were represented at the event which attracted over 11,000 people. The Maynards appreciate the support they received from Bill Wysong, station man ager (LAX); Allen Perry, director stations (INT); and Jack Brandon, station manager (DFW). * * * The weather was perfect for the 60 Winston-Salem em ployees who turned out April 23 for the national March of Dimes TeamWalk. Tkmmy Cooksey, a pilot crew scheduler, organized the Piedmont team which raised $2,379.88 for the charity. Hundreds of area residents took part in TeamWalk Piedmont, raising over $115,800 for the March of Dimes. * * ♦ Senior station agents Ron Wolz and Mike Walsh, both SDF, recently received Awards of Merit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their ef forts in spotting a runaway girl attempting to purchase an airline ticket. The awards were presented by Jim Oney, director of terminal services with the Regional Air port Authority at Standiford Field. * * * A1 Marlowe, retired Piedmont employee who was fea tured in the April issue of the Piedmonitor, requested that the following message be conveyed to employees: Through the years that I have worked with the air lines, I have never witnessed such an outpouring of generosity that the Piedmont family has shown. I had no idea that a fund-raising drive was being un dertaken by the Piedmont employees for the hand con trols and lift on the van. The big family of Piedmont has made it possible for me and my wife to lead a more nor mal life, and both of us are grateful to each of you. You have shown that through your kindness and compas sion you are sensitive to the needs of those around you. snorts The 19th Annual Piedmont Airlines Employee Golf Championship will be held at the Bay tree Golf Plantation in North Myrtle Beach, SC, September 19-21. The host hotel will be the Myrtle Beach Hilton. Watch for more de tails later as they become available. ifi 41 * Piedmont Airlines is a corporate sponsor for the Caro- linas Invitational at Charlotte, NC, to be held August 12-14. The event will showcase international sports exhi bitions in five of the summer Olympic sports including basketball, baseball, gymnastics, boxing, and cycling. Participating athletes are members of the U.S. National teams who will be competing in the 1988 Summer Olym pic Games in Seoul, Korea. Tickets range in price from $5.50 to $25.50 per event and can be purchased in per son or with a ticket coupon from the Carolinas Invita tional, c/o Charlotte Coliseum, 2700 E. Independence Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28205. Phone 704/372-3600. Tick ets will also be available at Ticketron Outlets in early June. For additional information call 704/376-1988. ♦ * * Piedmont is once again The Official Airline and a cor porate sponsor of The Crosby National Celebrity Golf Tournament. Included in our sponsorship agreement are a corporate tent and skybox used by the marketing de partment to entertain top accounts from throughout the Piedmont system. The Crosby has indicated that over $1 million will be raised to benefit drug abuse and education programs throughout the country as designated by the winning teams. The tournament, held June 9-12 at Ber muda Run Country Club near Winston-Salem, will draw such celebrities as Bob Hope, Kathryn Crosby, Michael Jordon, and Walter Payton. Tickets, $12/person/day, can be purchased at the gate. 7 will choose Piedmont' On April 14, Piedmont Flight 486 en- route from Charlotte to Columbus, OH, experienced an uncontained engine fail ure and had to be diverted to Charleston, WV. Piedmont extends its appreciation to the cockpit and cabin crews for their effi cient and professional handling of the situation. Below eire examples of com ments from some of the passengers on that flight: The pilot of the plane as well as other flight crew members handled a potentially panic- producing experience in an exemplary manner. Al though visibly shaken, the stewardesses on board assisted passengers and worked hard to maintain calm in the cabin. I had just been handed a cup of coffee when the engine disintegrated and the plane began its descent. Upon preparation for landing I looked at my tray and discovered that not a drop of coffee had been spilled. I was truly thankful to have such a skilled and composed pilot flying the aircraft. I was a passenger on the almost ill-fated Flight 486. However, through this life-threatening inci dent, I have even greater admiration and confi dence in your operations. More, now than ever, when flying in the future, I will choose Piedmont. From the pilot to the flight attendants to the plane itself. I will always be thankful. As 1 was sit ting in the rear of the plane, 1 saw the hole in the fuselage, and I felt the end was near. The pilot should not only be commended for landing the air craft safely and smoothly, but also for expressing to the passengers after we landed that he appreci ated our calmness during the ordeal. The flight at tendants. . .were obviously shaken, but terrific. One flight attendant risked her own life by trying to get the lavatory door shut. With the damage to the plane, it is to the credit of the F-28 that it was still able to fly. Bad weather, lost baggage, cancelled flights—all difficult situations which can result in complaints from passengers. But that’s not always the case. Just take a look at the following letters praising our employees: I'm writing to let you know how impressed and satisfied we were with the Piedmont personnel (at BOS despite a major weather delay). They were ef ficient, pleasant, helpful and sincere in their efforts to service people as quickly as possible. They were also knowledgeable in rescheduling and rerouting . . .We were completely satisfied because we were treated fairly and with respect. * * * Pattie Holliday (lAH) professionally and effec tively defused my volatile personality with a show and expression of concern for my situation (when 1 found out the flight was oversold and 1 could not get on it). . .She booked me on a flight the next day, made arrangements for hotel accommoda tions at a reduced rate, and agreed to overnight care of my over-abundance of luggage. * * * 1 would like to take this opportunity to let you know how courteously my claim has been handled . . .Bruce White (MIA) was most concerned and helpful. . .Also, I spoke by phone with A1 Rieder (CLT-baggage). . .who was equally eager to help. * * * Michelle Ketterer (ATL) worked tirelessly for several hours to help me locate a suit bag carton that was lost. . A final compliment is due; she recognized me at the check in counter two days later. . .and asked about my lost luggage. * * * Your employee, Brittney Faust (LGA), 1) made me feel at home, 2) listened to my tale of woe, 3) put me at ease with her assurance that the airline would deliver the luggage the next morning (which was done). . .1 will fly Piedmont in the future. Employees show the “we care” philoso phy that has been a Piedmont trademark in many ways. Here are just a few exam ples of why people choose Piedmont: We were courteously treated by the agents at MIA and our departure was on schedule. The flight was smooth and we were thoughtfully in formed of our progress by the pilot. The profes sional service rendered by flight attendant Lu McMillian (CLT) was. . .ever gracious. 1 boarded the plane and was greeted by "Why hello Mr. Eglen, how are you—and your daugh ter?”. . .Gary Wassom (CLT), a flight attendant who had been on a trip from London to Charlotte in August remembered my name! This best exem plifies the "Piedmont Spirit.” Captains Mel Blocker (CLT), Tbm Stancil (CLT), Mason Linker (CLT), Wayne Throckmorton (GSO), etc. have be come more than just pilots, they are my friends. . . Your Presidential Suites with Pat Rentz and Jo Law (both ATL), and Sherry Dickinson (CLT) make traveling so much more enjoyable. ■•> * * The book In Search of Excellence certainly de scribes what your people do. . .1 inadvertently left my sport coat on board. . .A diligent search via tele phone was instigated by Pam Bush, Mike Sullivan, and Bob Tieke (all EYW). . .Pam Bush hand- delivered the jacket to me at my hotel that evening at dinner. Yes—the $1,000 in cash was still in the pocket. * * * 1 left my briefcase in the car that brought me to the airport. . .Lisa Gray (JAX), the gate attendant, asked me "How are you?” 1 poured out the whole sad story. She immediately took charge, relieved my worries and promised to have my bag in my of fice the next morning. And, she delivered. * Iff * Phyllis Copeland (CLT-based flight atten dant) exhibited the professionalism and personal touch which, in my view, epitomizes the standard of excellence which Piedmont has successfully achieved in an industry lacking same. ♦ * * Deborah Young (SYR-based flight attendant) made what would otherwise be an uncomfortable, boring flight very pleasant. * * * TWo of your very efficient staff members in Tkmpa, Michelle Barbone and Don Hassinger, took the initial steps and located the camera at your security check at the London airport. The camera had been found by another Piedmont em ployee, Margaret Chaloner (LGW). * ** I had called two of my clients that morning and told them that 1 would meet them at 3:30 p.m. in Rich mond and the response from both was ‘ 'it couldn't be done.” Not only did we leave on time, but 1 arrived at my appointment at 3:15 which included a Hertz car rental pickup and getting two pieces of lug gage that I had checked in Philadelphia. ♦ ♦ * It was a welcome experience to have the type of service in your first-class section as displayed by Mary Armstrong (GSO-based flight attendant). * * * We learned that my wife's father was gravely ill and not expected to survive for more than a few hours. We desperately tried to find a shuttle to Tkmpa (from MIA). Every airline had huge lines and there were no flights available. . .When I got to Piedmont. . .1 explained the emergency. . .was met by your Derek Dodge who informed me that there was a flight leaving in 15 minutes and that we would be on it. Mr. Dodge went out of his way to reassure us and personally saw to our luggage. . .We made it to Tkmpa and the hospital just in time. . . ComplimentEU'y letters are received from many people, including employees of other airlines. Fbllowing are two peo ple with other airlines who wrote to com pliment Piedmont: Some of every airline’s personnel are motivated only by a desire to make a salary; others are genuinely eager to assist the travelers, smooth the rough spots, and afford the traveling public the type of service that they seem to expect. Many of your agents at both ends of the Rochester/New York (LGA) link are doing this kind of a job; nota bly, Bill Heron (ROC) and the people he super vises in ROC, and a newly named supervisor, Ron Peel (LGA). They are doing a terrific job of dealing with a demanding, sometimes irrational and al ways impatient public. * * * On March 13, Eastern Flight 465/464 cancelled. Ron Altman and crew (E'YW) arranged for an extra section Piedmont flight. Without the assis tance of your dedicated crew. 119 passengers would have been stranded in Key West. Please thank the crew for all the extra work and for the professionalism which they exhibited. people pleasers Congratulations to Donna Feldman, cus tomer service (INT), who was the number one People Pleaser for the month of March with five compliments. Feldman has re ceived a total of 14 compliments this year which puts her in first place. Other People Pleasers for the month of March were Paul Rondeau, flight atten dant (BWI), Eric Lown, flight attendant (CLT), and Judy Zachary, reservations support (INT) who received four compli ments each. For the first quarter of 1988, there was a 30percent increase in complimentary letters over the first quarter of 1987. Thus far, we have received 2,228 letters complimenting 2,667 employees compared with 1,717 letters complimenting 2,080 employees in 1987. Piedmonitor • May 1988
Piedmont Aviation Employee Newsletter
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May 1, 1988, edition 1
6
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