Employee Training, Our Best Means To Customer Service....Our Best Means To Success!

by Bruce Botterman, President
Wisconsin Aviation Trades Association

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article is an editorial by the author, and may not reflect the opinion of other WATA members, corporate sponsors, MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE or its advertisers. Nothing can be reprinted without the written consent of the author, WATA and MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE. Any use of the information presented is done so without permission and at the user's risk.

One of the issues facing WATA member companies today (fixed base operators, support service businesses) is a declining labor pool. There are not enough people to fill the available jobs in the industry, and turnover tends to be high with competition with the airlines and corporate flight departments. As a result, general aviation (GA) businesses find their staffs doubling up on assignments, working overtime, and finding less time to devote to personnel management, such as training, supervision and evaluation. Yet it is good personnel management which is necessary to retain a productive labor force, and in turn to provide good customer service which will ultimately affect the profitability of GA businesses.

As a pilot, have you ever walked into a fixed base operation and asked for service, only to find the person at the desk at a loss, uninformed, or they just don't seem to care? They hesitate when you ask them as to the availability of en route charts or car rental, scheduling a flight instructor, overnight hangar space, or simple directions to reach your final destination in the community. That kind of employee response suggests that personnel management and employee training are lacking in the business.

A company "orientation and training syllabus or manual" can help in ensuring that the employee understands his/her job because the job description is clearly written; has the information and training necessary to do the job; information on the history, goals and objectives of the business; and understands the organization of the business and how the employee is to relate to his/her supervisors and coworkers when an organizational chart is included.

Additionally, the syllabus can include a short biography of each employee as a means by which to introduce the new employee to other staff members, strengthen working relationships, and so that each employee can easily identify the skills and interests of each other in developing an employment team.

The syllabus needs a section for evaluating work performance and to provide feedback from the supervisor to the employee and vice versa. Just as the employee wants to know how he/she is performing, the supervisor or employer should seek input from their employees. What questions or concerns need to be addressed, and what observations have been made that might lead to increased productivity, job satisfaction and employee retention, and ultimately better customer service? A good employer may not adopt all of the suggestions made by an employee, but by encouraging input, the employee will grow, feel that his/her opinion has value, and develop a feeling of self worth.

Such a management philosophy creates a good work environment! The company training syllabus can also serve as an excellent reference guide for commonly asked questions by customers. Owners/ managers should take the time to meet with staff to identify these questions, and the answers to them. They can also ask you, their customer, what questions you have had over the years about their business, and include these in the syllabus. Once a business has a orientation and training syllabus, it should be updated regularly.

WATA member companies are encouraged to speak with other businesses, technical colleges, the university extension service, and their local chamber of commerce to determine what training they provide in areas of office and personnel management, bookkeeping, accounting, word processing, and customer relations. The Wisconsin Aviation Trades Association and National Air Transportation Association (NATA) can provide specific job training in areas of aircraft fueling, flight training and charter operation management.

Employee training and evaluation is not just one more thing on a business owner's "to do" list. Rather, it must be a priority and an integral part of running a business. By strengthening their personnel skills as business operators, fixed base operators not only strengthen their businesses and are able to provide better customer service, but they also eliminate one more distinction between the airlines and general aviation businesses, and therefore strengthen their position as a viable career option.


EAA Aircraft Maintenance Director Receives FAA Safety Award 

OSHKOSH, WIS. - Daryl Lenz, director of aircraft maintenance for the EAA Aviation Foundation, has been recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for his support of aviation activity within FAA's Great Lakes Region, as well as for all of general aviation.

The special Flight Safety Award was presented to Lenz during the Wisconsin Aviation Mechanic and Inspection Authorization Renewal Seminar at Oconomowoc, Wis., which was sponsored by FAA's Milwaukee Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) and the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics. Lenz was among the presenters at the seminar, which included nearly 400 aviation technicians from Wisconsin and Illinois.

Lenz, who joined EAA full-time in 1987, is responsible for the maintenance of all airworthy aircraft within the EAA Aviation Foundation's collection of more than 200 airplanes.

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