Rude Sign. Luton staff

[ericthepilot]

On our recent visit to London Luton, we were again amazed by the inhospitable female crew that greets your aircraft.
Don't get me wrong ops and ground staff are great, but ...
After parking, these *** storm up the stairs without introduction demand papers and passports. Of they go and any further request that day is met with a big sigh and the customary 20 minutes wait before action.
They must be on a union salary, otherwise they wouldn't getaway with it.
Too bad our owner goes there, I would gladly give anyone else in the area a shot at handling our aircraft.

[cambioso]

Do you refer to Signature?
If so, I know exactly what you mean, and agree wholeheartedly!
Jez

[hollingworthp]

Surely not Harrods who I find very friendly?

[ab33t]

Signature at Luton ?

[uberwang]

I have never had any issues with the girls.. They dont always smile but its not a brothel you miserable lot... You cant claim the girls or staff in Le bourget, Nice or Moscow are nicer..

Think this is a bit of a whine...:rolleyes:

[JetPark]

I am a fairly regular user of Signature at Luton and aside from the congestion issues they seem to have, have never had a problem with any of the girls. I guess it's all a bit subjective and depends upon the "luck of the draw" so to speak?

[Arkwright]

You didn't say which handler you used, but from the sound of it, it was Signature!!!!! :}

As has been said, its luck of the draw..... some of the csr's are excellent, but a few are simply dreadful...... one in particular..... never ever smiles, every request is greeted with a sigh and a dropping of shoulders....... hoestly love, if you hate your job that much, go get another!! :ugh:

There seems to be a recognised "dodgy" shift, and if you get that shift of csr's, just taxi past and go to Harrods...... lots of people have seem to be trying Ocean Sky or Harrods through sheer frustration.

[Phil Brockwell]

We have based a CJ at Ocean Sky and have had great service, nothing has been too much trouble and they don't rape you on late movements either.

[NICOOOLDUDU]

Concerning Ocean Sky, I think it is much better, and cheaper as well.
After that, if you guy went to Harrods, the new lounge is amazing to!

[Pace]

Eric

if this was recent the poor girls were probably frozen to bits and unable to smile.

Especially with the metoffice predicting a record warm winter due to global warming and reality dictating a record cold winter the poor gals probably were not kitted out for Siberian style winters.

That or your charm needs some work on because you can usually get a smile from the hardest nut and break the ice. (not literally ;)

So I blame the metoffice and the government :O funny how all gone quiet on the global warming thing over the last few weeks. Will that die a death like Bird flu X flu and Y flu? they cant give the millions of doses of Tamiflu away!
But thats changing the subject. :=


Pace

[L'Argonauta]

If you left them your business card you will probably receive a feed back survey form via email.

Fill that and tell them exactly what you think, last time i received their apologies and i had been refounded of a part of the handling costs...:cool:

[ericthepilot]

I have not been there in winter time yet, as our principal has no intentions to go to London, during those conditions that England endures, the low level light events.

It is a mere observation, after flying in there on a regular basis in the last 3 years and on and of in the last 7 years.
It seems I am not the only one noticing the lack of professionalism when visiting them ... And the lack of notion.

If I had a choice I certainly would give some other shop the chance to handle us !

[Spunky Monkey]

So you haven't been there this winter, and yet your post is of the 10th Jan.
So who pissed on your chips on the night of the 9th Jan?

Do you normally wake up and think, "Right, today, I am going to have a snipe at Rhine Radar for not giving me a direct to Munich last August".

Random mud slinging on an anonymous website, serves no benefit except to upset everybody.
Personally I find the staff there fine, I make an effort to treat people as I expect to be treated and it works.

However there are some "Sky Gods" who treat staff at FBOs as if they are servants. I have in the passed had to bite my tongue at the way people at all levels address each other.
There are some people who just don't understand the meaning of the word manners.

Okay Babe!:}

[Time Traveller]

Be that as it may, I think a small minority of agents would do well to remind themselves they are stepping onto someone-else's property and someone else's jurisdiction when they are boarding an aeroplane. I get quite irked when agents barge up the stairs, swing open the flightdeck door, (which I have closed for a reason) and start prattling off, while I am mid spiel through a departure brief.

If I'm feeling particularly grumpy, I ask them how they would feel if I barged into their office without knocking, while they were in a meeting. (and put mud all over their cream carpets).

That said, I have had good and friendly service from signature at Luton.

[ericthepilot]

I don't post that often ....

[7AC]

I have always found Signature staff to be pleasant and efficient no matter when we turned up and nothing seems too much trouble even for our little puddle jumper.

[Spunky Monkey]

Noticed!
But have haven't you got something more current to say, like no de-icing at Farnborough, which is FAR more important.

I think that you meant no harm, but the management at sig probably read this and are giving all the staff a hard time. There are some fantastic staff there, although there are a couple who need some extra training, and the whole place is being tarred with the same brush.

Of course there are those with other motives, but as an FBO they are pretty outstanding compared to most.


Although the barging up the steps and into the cockpit I would understand, that is wrong. It hasn't happened to me, but I am sure that your point has been taken on board.

[Pace]

The only time I was at H A Rrods & Sons I thought they were pretty well up there own backsides. If people say they are great, then I am not going to argue against that, it was just my experience.


Spunky come on you are doing exactly the same as you are complaining about with your above post :ugh:

The fact is if you go out to a restaurant and get bad food or service you complain on the spot with the hope that your complaint will be rectified.
If it isnt and others get the same bad food and service then that restaurant will not survive long.

It is far better to complain about a service you are paying for which isnt up to scratch. That is the only way management can find the faults and improve their business.
By improving their business everyone wins.

Pace

[cleo]

Speaking as another UK FBO rep - if you experience a service level below your expectations then please TELL US! At least give us the opportunity to know that you are less than satisfied and perhaps resolve the issue on the spot.
Reading about a bad experience on here is not the way to discover that your company has not been up to expectation and it makes it difficult to find out why without specific times and details.

[NLTR]

I can only agree with you Cleo!

Guys, why don't you pick up the phone or send an e-mail to the ops manager and tell them about your bad experience with the crew? I am sure that they will appreciate your feedback.

[Arkwright]

I can assure you that Signature Luton management are more than aware of some of their staff shortcomings.......

[cambioso]

The only problem that I have with you Cleo, is that I don't see you enough!!
Lots of love,
Jez

[cleo]

Jez - here is your next opportunity!
There will be a retirement party for our lovely friend on 26 March so get yer Falcon up here :) XXXX

[Paradise Lost]

There will be a retirement party for our lovely friend on 26 March so get yer Falcon up here
Cleo, didn't your mummy tell you not to post your party invitations on FB/*******/Pprune, lest you get invaded by hordes of unwashed pilots? See you there.......

[cleo]

PL - if I had listened to my mummy I'd have missed out on a an awful lot of fun :p
I didn't tell you lot WHERE the party will be - those wot need to know, know :ok:
And if ya need to know PM me.

[ericthepilot]

Well it has come so far that we now will try a different FBO chain other then Signature. There has to be better treatment out there in Europe then what we are currently experiencing.

[Spunky Monkey]

"Cheerio then".

If you aren't going to be more specific, then there is probably no help that can be given to you.

[Phil Brockwell]

IMHO Signature purchased a few unrelated FBO's and has never really made them a unified experience - some are OK, some are very good I don't think any are terrible, but tend to fall short when they share a location with the better ones (Landmark / Ocean Sky etc). I would not necessarily agree that they are particularly keen to hear from you if you have a constructive complaint.

PB

[keithskye]

I have been flying out of Signature Luton for several years (our CL604 is based there), and I have to say that the majority of the staff are excellent and quite friendly, and make a real effort to accomodate your needs, despite being burdened with a lot of very silly rules (most imposed by the airport authority). Having said that, there are one or two of the CSRs that should not be working there, as they do have an attitude problem as well as an apparent lack of understanding of what their job entails or the service they are supposed to provide. My biggest pet peave is that those same few CSRs with the bad attitudes also seem to have no idea how to operate vehicles around aircraft on the tarmac! They stop and wait when there is no need nor reason to, and drive so slowly that I swear I could walk faster! They obviously have no clue how to determine what aircraft are moving or how they will move, etc.

Most of the girls (and Harvey, as well!) do a very fine job, and it is because of them we have not up and gone off to Ocean Sky or Harrods, even though Ocean Sky has offered competitive rates, especially on fuel. Our negotiated fuel price with Signature is still about the best in Europe, and being able to keep our aircraft in Hangar 125 gives them the edge when comparing them with Ocean Sky or Harrods.

[ericthepilot]

I concur with Phil. Same in South Florida for example.
The competition in Fort Lauderdale Int. smokes Signature, and gives you a much better QOL and for money experience. Any other FBO makes money of visitors not willing to go to Signature.
In Miami Int., Signature is the sole FBO on the field, no competition and they do a great job and nice facility. They rob you blind there too. That's why the competition is always winning when visiting multiple FBO airfields with a Signature FBO on the field as well.
Might be a good business plan. Start an FBO where Signature is on the field and you have a great customer base. All those landing there are by default willing to try your FBO, out of experience of being ripped of so bad.
I am in the wrong business again .......

[merlinxx]

Signature:ugh: Owned by BBA (British Beltings & Asbestos):=

[Dodo56]

Little history lesson for you merlin ;)

BBA started its corporate life manufacturing drive belts for industrial machines, moving on through asbestos and filters into hydraulics then systems and services, finally aircraft handling.

The origins of the name BBA no longer form any part of the company , having divested their nonwovens division a few years ago.

There has been no charge for this information :)