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Going that Extra Mile for Our Customers

Our employees are what make Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport America’s Friendliest Airport.® In April, several employees were recognized for their outstanding customer service as part of the Airport’s FLY program. For those unfamiliar with the program, “FLY” stands for “Friendly, Let me help, and You.”

Customers who receive excellent service are encouraged to submit feedback at skyharbor.com. Additionally, managers and other Sky Harbor employees are trained to spot “FLY” service and also submit nominations for these employees. There were more than 300 employees recognized in 2011, and after judging many examples of exceptional service, the following stories were chosen as the 2011 Champions of Customer Service.

The first Champion of Customer Service is Alison Farnsworth and her story begins when the Airport received a call from a hospital in Salt Lake City. The hospital had a young teenage patient flying in from Mexico for surgery, but the patient’s flight was unexpectedly diverted to Phoenix. The patient did not speak English. The hospital needed to contact the patient and her sister who was traveling with her to explain to them how they would be picked up at the airport in Salt Lake City, and more importantly to tell the patient not to eat after midnight due to the surgery the next day. This occurred around 4 p.m., and Alison, who is an Operations Aid with the city of Phoenix Aviation Department, found the patient and connected her and her sister with the hospital. She also gave the weary travelers $20 of her own money so they could get something to eat before their flight.

Our second Champion of Customer Service is Randy Hausner, who also works as an Operations Aid with the city of Phoenix Aviation Department. Randy is >an overall Champion of Customer Service, and in 2011 alone, received 15 FLY awards. He has been recognized for personally escorting confused customers from one terminal to the next, helping elderly and tired passengers with their luggage, and much more. One passenger wrote, “He genuinely cared about me and helped me through an exhausting experience. I don’t know if I would have made it without him.” Others have noted that Randy has great pride in his job and the Airport.

Michael Lay is our third Champion of Customer Service. He is a Duty Manager for Prospect Airport Services which provides Skycap and wheelchair service at the Airport. Michael encountered a 77 year -old woman whose flight had been delayed. She was on her way to Croatia and stuck at the airport for seven hours. Michael notified her family of the situation and even helped find the next best connecting flight. The woman’s grandchild said, “I can’t say how thankful I am for Michael going above and beyond, taking care of her while getting her on a flight, and ensuring that at her next stops, she would also be taken care of. He is not only a priceless employee but simply a good person.”

Our fourth Champion of Customer Service is Abdiaziz Noor who works for International RAM Skycap Services. While at work, Abdiaziz came across a wallet containing credit cards and more than $1,000 in cash. He immediately turned it in, and the very grateful customer was able to retrieve it. (Station Manager, Terrance Clark accepted the award on his behalf.)

Each year, one of our business partners is presented with the Champion of Service Award. This year, Avila Retail receives the honors. Avila Retail has fully embraced “Friendly Let me Help You” standards by encouraging employees to distribute customer comment cards to passengers. In fact, the team frequently receives positive comments from customers on their service. In 2011, 35 Avila Retail employees were complimented by our customers for going above and beyond expectations. Avila Retail is also very supportive of our Navigator volunteers and enthusiastically participates in our annual Customer Appreciation Week. Accepting the award on behalf of Avila Retail were Kathleen and John Avila and local managers Guy Burrell, Cathy Davis and Cecile Sibayan.

Congratulations to all of our Champions of Customer Service. Thank you for making Phoenix Sky Harbor, America’s Friendliest Airport®. And, remember, if you receive outstanding service next time you are flying through PHX, visit skyharbor.com and let us know.

Pictured above: Michael Lay, Randy Hausner, Alison Farnsworth, Terrance Clark who accepted the award on behalf of Abdiaziz Noor, and representatives from Avila Retail – Kathleen Avila, Cathy Davis, Cecile Sibayan, John Avila and Guy Burrell.

Published: April 20, 2012