Qantas Execs to spend time at the coalface

[Mr Whippy]

A sign of things to come?

From the Australian 9/12/08 by Steve Creedy


QANTAS executives are being sent back to school and will be required to spend time at the coal face.

The moves are designed to boost the airline's customer service

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce revealed yesterday that senior executives will be required to attend the airline's "Centre of Service Excellence", a new facility designed to bring all customer service training under one roof.

Mr Joyce said the centre would allow the airline to more rapidly deploy training programs and about half of Qantas employees would be put through exceptional service training in 2009.

"The first person to join the training scheme will be the head of Qantas Airlines, John Borghetti," Mr Joyce said.

"All of our executive team will be undertaking the training."

Mr Joyce also revealed the executive team would be spending time each month in frontline customer service areas "to experience the world through the eyes of our people and our customers".

This is an idea he fostered at Jetstar and also has been successfully used by Air New Zealand. Other customer benefits were also expected to stem from the airline's investment of almost $500 million in technology, Mr Joyce said.

A new generation departure system implemented this year was far more intuitive for staff, made customer service consistently better, improved punctuality and ensured that the most loyal customers could instantly recognised and rewarded.

Qantas also wanted to ensure customers could connect to the airline anywhere, any time and using any device.

"In August this year, we were amongst the first airlines in the world to launch a version of our website that is optimised for customers using the Apple iPhone," he said.

[kotoyebe]

A new generation departure system implemented this year was far more intuitive for staff, made customer service consistently better, improved punctuality and ensured that the most loyal customers could instantly recognised and rewarded.


What a lot of BS. Joycey, go and ask the airports what they think of your wonderful new system:ugh:

[QFinsider]

He talks a great game...

The result will be strikingly similar to the scrotum hiding these days in the shadows..:suspect:

[TBM-Legend]

more QF wingers...:{

if you don't like it move on buddy...

[Jabawocky]

Management at the coal face is a well proven practise. And one Q can really benefit from.

J:ok:

[mmmbop]

Great idea. The only ones who have anything to fear from this are those who like living in their cocoons and don't want to hear (see) the truth.

M

[speedbirdhouse]

It's got to be a better approach than what we are used to.

[teresa green]

Well done Joyce, just to see the management actually have to go and face the reality of the airport, hanger floor, and catering, will, if it does nothing else, show the staff that things are changing. TE actually had the head of engineering changing tyres on a maggot not long ago, (much to the engineers pleasure) pehaps there is a glimmer of hope after all.:D

[Ken Borough]

What a great idea, practised in many workplaces with great success. It's one way of finding out what really happens rather than being told by gutless underlings what is said to be happening. Properly executed, this exercise will bring benefits to the company, its employees and its customers. Go for them Alan!! :D:D

[speedbirdhouse]

"properly executed" being the operative word.

I can remember an instance under James Strong's reign were the head of Cabin Services Greg Bee was made to don a quasi uniform and operate as cabin crew down the back on a 744 to/from LA.

Must have come as quite a shock to him but even so he did so with good grace.

I note that Rob Fyfe of Air NZ is doing the same with his executives to great effect.

Anything less than this approach is going to be nothing more than window dressing.

I've concerns that what we see proposed is just going to involve putting senior managers through some sanitized facsimile of a customer experience at the brand new, state of the art, multi million dollar training facility.

If so, it'll be nothing like a coal face experience and far from what our passengers endure flying on our clapped out old 744s/767s etc.

Let's hope it goes some way to fixing QF's legendary disengagement problem.

By that I refer to of course the disengagement management has with what it is we actually do.:ugh:

[lowerlobe]

QANTAS executives are being sent back to school and will be required to spend time at the coal face.....
Mr Joyce said the centre would allow the airline to more rapidly deploy training programs and about half of Qantas employees would be put through exceptional service training in 2009.
I'm sorry but the last thing that staff need is another training course....

Staff have been putting up with interminable courses for years and in reality only occur to justify the existence of the training department,a tax write off and to fulfill a requirement to have staff improvement courses......which really do nothing of the sort.

What they need is a commitment from management to put more people where they count.They need more people in the terminals to meet and deal with the customer....

They need better in flight products such as an IFE system that is not only competitive with other airlines but reliable as well.

They need people like Borghetti to work in the everyday positions that make the airline run....such as check in,meeting aircraft,a day or 2 in reservations,on the end of a meal or bar cart on an LA flight..in economy not sitting up in 2A.

They need to face the customer and use the equipment that staff are given.They need to find first hand what stuff ups happen and how they should be fixed to get the job done..

[another superlame]

For TBM-Legend if you are going to call people whingers please learn how to spell it

more QF wingers...http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/boohoo.gif

if you don't like it move on buddy...

[Mr.Buzzy]

Bull**** indeed.
Get the managers ready for a sh%tfight more like it! Keep the managers up to speed on things so when the strikes hit. The skeleton staff are ready to go with no excuses!
If it were so important, then why arent check-in staff asked to be senior managers for a day?

bbbbbbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[lowerlobe]

If it were so important, then why arent check-in staff asked to be senior managers for a day?
Probably because most staff want to work for a living....:E

Buzzy..If you think this idea is just one of subterfuge by AJ and we should simply a keep managers in the dark then why not just get rid of the upper management and board members in the first place.....hang on that's not a bad idea.

[rmcdonal]

A new generation departure system implemented this year was far more intuitive for staff, made customer service consistently better, improved punctuality...

It may not be any of the above, but it does offer a consistent product, late and often incorrect. :E

[woollcott]

Great - I look forward to DC or MB joining me in a 737 fuel tank on a 40deg day..........

[allthecoolnamesarego]

Bull**** indeed.
Get the managers ready for a sh%tfight more like it! Keep the managers up to speed on things so when the strikes hit. The skeleton staff are ready to go with no excuses!
If it were so important, then why arent check-in staff asked to be senior managers for a day?

bbbbbbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Why is it that so many people on this site are unable to congratulate someone for trying to improve things? We all know that things at Q are not that great, and there are problems galore. There are a number of whingers here that are consistently bagging management for doing nothing (being removed from the front line, not knowing what staff are facing on a daily basis, not knowing what limitations are in the system); but when they TRY to do something to UNDERSTAND the problems and START to fix them, people on this site complain!

What would you like the managers to do?? Instead of complaining about management for the sake of complaining about management, why not give credit where credit is due.

I for one applaud AJ on this initiative.


bbbbbbooooorrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnnnggggggg

[Clipped]

I can't see the need for execs at the coal face ... the airline has won numerous awards, year after year, and their customer engagement surveys have been overwhelmingly positive.

Or was it what we were led to believe, that is, GDs utter bullsh#t.

At least the idea is commendable as a first step to customer reconcilliation.

[speedbirdhouse]

.........and perhaps more importantly. Staff reconciliation.

[RevMan2]

I can't see the need for execs at the coal face ... the airline has won numerous awards, year after year, and their customer engagement surveys have been overwhelmingly positive.

"You don't get what you expect, you get what you inspect"

You do this to make sure that you stay sharp and up to speed.

LH does the same sort of thing - exec management (there were about 600 of us throughout the Group when I was active) act as touch points for premium customers, either proactively if there's an identified service failure or as a qualified first level support.

Major advantages - customer feels that he/she is being taken seriously, is able to articulate the issue and the exec has the reach to get stuff fixed.

[BrissySparkyCoit]

I think Joyce's Idea is excellent. One of the biggest problems Dixon had, was his inability to come down and see personally what we do on a daily basis. This rubbed off on those under him.

All I ask Mr Joyce, is that you send David Cox to us for toilet tank removal / installation! Better still, just so that he has a complete overview of the entire process, maybe he could get involved with the utilities personnel, assisting them with the steam cleaning of the tanks!

PS. He is welcome to borrow my tools although, I do not have a stapler to carry out his required "top tier" quality of maintenance.

[teresa green]

Ok, lets help Joycey on this. One week on the "honey truck" for DC (toilet dumping) For Borgetti, one week on the sales desk at SYD, for the CP one week as as S/O on a SYD/MEL/SYD/MEL/CHC/MEL/SYD/CHC/MEL run, Ditto the boss CSM (in cattle class) For the boss duty Engineer, the wheel bay for you, For the boss cleaner, the dunnies in H131/275, now can you imagine the changes after that? For all middle management, get out of your little offices, where you are all busy building little empires, and out into the hangers, to the terminals, into the canteens, (no smoked salmon on rye with truffle oil and carraway seeds here) and onto to the baggage complaints desk, and for all on sick leave with "bad backs" its the bag snatching dept for you. Do you want to see a airline turn around in 2 weeks, its that easy!:D

[RedTBar]

A couple of possibilities here.
First,this is a really good idea to show some people who have no idea of what we do, the problems we cop everyday.
Or AJ is smarter than GD and we are going to see more spin than in a cricket match with Shane Warne.

[DutchRoll]

Yeah I have mixed feelings about this one. Is it going to be all talk and no action?

I mean it's not a bad idea to get the managers on the coalface providing:

1. it's not just a fleeting visit
2. they actually absorb what's happening
3. they actually take action to fix the problems rather than covering them up

In my experience when you have managers with vested interests (eg bonuses or whatever) to look after, you can show them all the problems in the world first-hand at the "coalface" but those issues will still magically disappear into the bottom of a filing cabinet at some point.

[StallBoy]

Dear Mr. Joyce if you are serious about making Qantas a world class airline the best thing would be to fly every qantas staff member and cabin crew to London on Singapore Airlines:ok: and return on Qantas:eek:. Even the thickest parochial qantas/australian :ugh: employee will then understand what is required of them.:ok:

[Mstr Caution]

At the coalface:

"I understand your complaint Sir, but excuse me while I take this call on my Blackberry"

[lowerlobe]

Dear Mr. Joyce if you are serious about making Qantas a world class airline the best thing would be to fly every qantas staff member and cabin crew to London on Singapore Airlines and return on Qantas. Even the thickest parochial qantas/australian employee will then understand what is required of them.
WEll,what could we expect from Stallboy when he also suggested this gem.....
It really was a pity that the sale to Macquarie bank did not take place,

[speedbirdhouse]

Stallboy,

well yes, they may be the worlds best airline [or not?]

But I bet the Singapore Airlines cabin crew's name badges are not placed as precisely as ours are.

Especially on the Dugong!!!!

[7mile]

I fear everybody has overlooked the possibility that any or all these "exec's' that visit the coalface will have any ability to see, let alone understand what is going on.

[abc1]

Or another way of preserving one's jobs in the current state of affairs. The new man is set on cost cutting so more staff cutbacks perhaps. Manager bread rolls NSW becomes manager customer affairs?

[Runaround Valve]

I would like to see one of the Executives, at Sydney International Terminal ahout 2 A.M. or 3 A.M, in the middle of winter, when the rain is coming down in bucket loads and you are wishing you are home in bed. I would give them the job of changing #4 rear or #5 rear brake and see how they like that !! The rain runs inboard and aft on the wing and dumps at the spot where the brake change is taking place. Maybe the cold shower will give them a better appreciation of the efforts that the engineers make !!

[teresa green]

Something wrong with a Airline, Stallboy, that fires any cabin crew over 35, regardless of their ability, looks, or experience. Its descrimation at its worst, and shows SQ believes more in appearances than reality. Not for me.

[propella pussy]

I would like to see the 'execs' explaining to irate pax why they can't bring that 3rd large (not to mention overweight) piece of hand luggage on board the a/c. And then help the cabin crew on the 737's find room to stow said hand luggage. Searching, searching, every overhead locker being opened and then closed. Nope no room in this one! Finally find room above row 28, and pax is seated in row 7. And no the cabin crew can't bring your bag to you as you wish to disembark quickly. You will have to wait until all pax have nearly disembarked so we can leave our door and then return your luggage!! And 'exec's take note "delays" should not be worn by cabin crew for trying to find room for the copious amounts of luggage brought on to the a/c:E.

[StallBoy]

Thank you :D:D:D:ugh::ugh::ugh::ok:

[lowerlobe]

Thank you
A rather scatty and obtuse response but you're welcome stallboy......

[Kangaroo Court]

I think Mr Joyce is onto something and should be congratulated for even trying to turn around his management team in the eyes of their co-workers. You guys running around knocking him before he's even had a bloody chance to try it need to go get another gig!

[lowerlobe]

You guys running around knocking him before he's even had a bloody chance to try it need to go get another gig!
Kangaroo Court....It's ironic that you should post such a comment and yet give yourself the name 'Kangaroo Court'......

If you read the previous posts you will find that probably the majority agree that the suggestion of AJ is a good one..

However,if you are or have been an employee under Darths reign you would understand the degree of skepticism that exists.Only time will tell whether AJ is the real deal or just another metaphorical leader....

[blow.n.gasket]

Top marks for trying.
However, I truely believe old scrotum face has taken us past DPA.

Doesn't really matter what management do from here on in ,unfortunately.:bored:

[Bumpfoh]

Been trying to get our local manager to genuinely visit the coal face particularly on night shift for the best part of three years with no joy.

Difficult to accept said manager pontificating about shift patterns, fatigue ra ra ra all the while playing around with staffs' livelihoods by changing or threatening to change their shifts in the name of getting his bonus when the man has never worked anything other than day shift MON to FRI his entire career.:=

So I applaud you AJ for your initiative, just make sure you push down all the way along the management chain!