'The next 40
years should be
just as interesting'
“It's been an interesting 40 years, and it's
going to be Just as interesting the next 40
years,” said Sue Martin, senior data base
analyst-INT, after the service awards banquet.
Martin was one of the 22 employees honored
for 40 years of service with the company.
‘ ‘The company has always had a strongfam
ily feeling even though it has grown so much
in the last couple of years. Employees used
to bring their spouses and children into work
with them when they came by to pick up
their paychecks. You got to know the entire
family. You grew up together." Martin said.
Martin has also seen Piedmont's communi
cations system grow from an entirely man
ual operation to one controlled by computers.
“When I started with the company. I worked
the radio to aircraft system, a simplified ver
sion of our AOCC (Airlines Operations Con
trol Center) today.” Martin said.
“Then we had to manually fde our flight
plans, call for releases to get aircraft off the
ground, and make other checks. Now, all
that's done by computer.”
In the late seventies, Martin went to the
reservations department where she assumed
her current responsibilities of keeping track
of the termination points of all incoming
phone lines from the reservations centers.
“Not only have I seen the reservations of-
Sue Martin (right) was accompanied by her
son, Alan, at the service aweirds banquet.
fice grow from a manual to a completely
computerized operation. I've also seen it ex
pand from the one office in Winston-Salem to
five others,” Martin said. “It's been exciting
seeing that much change in technology in
such a short time.
“Retire? I think I’ll stay around a little longer.
I enjoy my work. Besides, like I said, the next
40 years should be Just as interesting.”
PI withdraws from
NASCAR sponsorship
Piedmont has notified NASCAR officials and
the Piedmont Racing Team that the company
will not renew its stock car racing sponsorship
after the conclusion of this year's Winston Cup
racing series in November.
Since the company’s association with NASCAR
in 1982, Piedmont has sponsored several drivers
including Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, who won
the Winston Cup championship in 1984, and the
current driver, Sterling Marlin.
As Piedmont and USAir approach operational
integration into a single, nationwide air carrier,
however, we face the major challenge of heighten
ing public awareness of the new combined airline
that will offer the best features of both merger
partners. It is imperative to reassess how adver
tising and promotional dollars can best be uti
lized to meet that challenge.
It was determined that we would reallocate the
significant sums of money involved in sponsoring
the racing team to other measures that can pro
vide greater direct influence on the future of the
new USAir.
The Piedmont-NASCAR association will end in
a spirit of goodwill on the part of both parties,
and car 44 will continue to carry the Piedmont
name and colors for the remainder of this season
with all the best wishes and support of all Pied
mont employees.
'Hi, this is
McLeon
Stevenson..'
Callers to Piedmont reservations hear a famil
iar voice when our agents are busy—an upbeat
McLean Stevenson asking them to please be
patient.
Since February, the former M*A*S*H star has
given a number of messages to waiting callers to
help pass the time before an agent responds.
Mixing humor with some marketing plugs like
current vacation packages, Stevenson gives our
callers a new twist to the standard “please hold"
messages of most airlines.
John Elrod, manager-reservations services,
said that customer reaction has been excellent.
“1 think people appreciate the humor," he said.
“Sometimes when our agents come on the
phone the people are laughing. We’ve had a lot of
compliments systemwide.’’
Some callers believe that Stevenson is really on
the phone and start carrying on conversations.
Others even ask agents to replay the tape just so
they can hear his voice again.
Piedmont changes the Stevenson tapes about
every three weeks. We’ve had special tapes for
such occasions as Valentine's Day, Easter, Moth
ers’ and Fathers’ Day, and some generic ones to
use any time of the year.
“In the future we hope to use the McLean
Stevenson daily recordings to promote such
things as first class, TBM (ticket-by-mail), fre
quent flyer, and Presidential Suites,” Elrod said.
The following is the current message cus
tomers hear when our reservations agents are
busy:
“Hi. this is McLean Stevenson at Piedmont
Airlines reservations. All the lines are tied up
right now, but there will be somebody on here
shortly to help you. Hey, you know what? This
gives me an opportunity to say thank you for
flying Piedmont. Great airline, isn't it? Nice peo
ple, friendly people, all kinds of programs, all
kinds of great vacation things at low fares. Boy,
I'll tell you something—I'd fly 'em even if I wer
en't working for 'em.”
J.
It’s a bird! It’s Superman! No, it’s a plane! Andy
Ttellers (left), district sales manager-DAY, and
Dan Brock, senior vice president-meirketing,
enjoy the view at the Dayton Air and Trade
Show held in July which attracted a record-
breaking crowd of more than 275,000. About
350 guests were entertained at the Piedmont/
USAir hospitality chalet.
Dayton employees (1 to r) Kevin Lennartz, res
ervations; Sandy Hiegel, sales; Tterri Clase, res
ervations; and Lisa 'West, reservations, assist
memorabilia seekers at the Piedmont/USAir
trade show booth at the Dayton Air Show.
Commemorative
medallion available
to employees
Piedmont has commissioned the O.C. Tknner
Company to produce a limited production bronze
medallion to commemorate the 40 year history of
Piedmont Airlines. One side of the medallion de
picts the origin of the company with the original
route, the DC-3 and the original logo. The other side
depicts the 40 years of growth of the company, de
veloping from an operator of DC-3s to the Boeing
767s.
All profit from the sale of the medallion will be
used to enhance the Thomas H. Davis Scholarship
fund into a self-perpetuating endowment for the
Business School of Wake Forest University.
The medallion in presentation box is available for
$25.00. The medallion, box and key fob are $30.00.
Additional key fobs are available for $6.00 each
with a medallion order Payment can be made
through payroll deduction. Send order, payroll
number, and COMAT location to INT E-115.
Piedmonitor • August 1988