OAT - Please Answer!!
Join Date: Feb 2002
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Contacting OAT
Those of you who have had trouble contacting OAT.
The MD Anthony Petteford is aware of the problems and is taking action as we speak.
I have been unable to contact VORTIME but Desk Pilot's email link works so hopefully he will give me his contact details, which I will pass on to the MD who has promised to deal with this personally.
The contact information on the website is correct and should work. Unfortunately Susan Price is away at the moment, but her messages will be dealt with asap.
Anyone who feels they are getting short shrift from their initial contact with OAT please contact me via Prune and I will ensure action is taken.
Please don't assume that the company does not care because we have enough current customers, we are all well aware that in the future competition from the many FTO's will intensify and we need to get our house in order.
As has been said on here many times, it is not the training that is lacking, but other areas that are being improved as I type.
Hopefully this will close this topic on a positive note.
My regards to all.
Pete Begley
The MD Anthony Petteford is aware of the problems and is taking action as we speak.
I have been unable to contact VORTIME but Desk Pilot's email link works so hopefully he will give me his contact details, which I will pass on to the MD who has promised to deal with this personally.
The contact information on the website is correct and should work. Unfortunately Susan Price is away at the moment, but her messages will be dealt with asap.
Anyone who feels they are getting short shrift from their initial contact with OAT please contact me via Prune and I will ensure action is taken.
Please don't assume that the company does not care because we have enough current customers, we are all well aware that in the future competition from the many FTO's will intensify and we need to get our house in order.
As has been said on here many times, it is not the training that is lacking, but other areas that are being improved as I type.
Hopefully this will close this topic on a positive note.
My regards to all.
Pete Begley
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Thanks FFF - this is great market research for the distance learning course we are currently in the process of setting up! My regards to Alex when you are next in Bristol.
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Can't believe anyone is going to make a decision on whether a company picks up the phone or not!! When there are no complaints, only compliments, against the training and results both on the ground and in the air!! Marketing is not going to be a major factor when you start the course!
You think communication is bad now. Wait until you're looking for a job. then you will really know what its like to be in the dark!
You think communication is bad now. Wait until you're looking for a job. then you will really know what its like to be in the dark!
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Of course people are gonna make a decision on whether they get replies to their enquiries or not. It is a matter of first impressions. If it appears that marketing/sales dont give a toss it is only natural to suspect that flight training will be likewise. I must add that when I spoke to OATS about D/L ATPL theory some months ago I was responded to very promptly and efficiently and only turned it down due to cost.
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First impressions count. It is inevitable and, in my opinion, perfectly reasonable that people should decide whether or not to continue assessing any given school (or any other service) on the basis of how that outfit deals with their initial enquiry. The front-desk is the company's window to the world. If it is slack and inefficient, it's reasonable to assume that the rest of the company is as well and to take your business elsewhere.
As someone else has said, if you're in a position to spend £50,000 with a company, they should work bloody hard to get your money. After all, if you walked into a Jaguar, BMW or Porsche showroom with the same dosh, they'd be fawning at your feet! And they'll look after you with the same care for the period you need their services.
This isn't a comment on OAT specifically, but something that all FTOs should bear in mind. I do get the feeling that the past years of plenty have made some companies more than slightly complacent and arrogant in assuming that students will continue to beat down their doors. It's now a buyers' market. Use your purchsing power to get the best deal and to get the FTOs to try harder to get your business.
As someone else has said, if you're in a position to spend £50,000 with a company, they should work bloody hard to get your money. After all, if you walked into a Jaguar, BMW or Porsche showroom with the same dosh, they'd be fawning at your feet! And they'll look after you with the same care for the period you need their services.
This isn't a comment on OAT specifically, but something that all FTOs should bear in mind. I do get the feeling that the past years of plenty have made some companies more than slightly complacent and arrogant in assuming that students will continue to beat down their doors. It's now a buyers' market. Use your purchsing power to get the best deal and to get the FTOs to try harder to get your business.
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Problem Solved!
Thanks to VORTIME and everyone else who posted on pprune alerting us to this problem; it's helped us to be aware of it and sort it out.
All that happened is that someone was away for a few days and left the phone on answerphone to cover the night hours - which is reasonable! Unfortunately, this particular model is silent in answerphone mode, so didn't ring during office hours, so no-one else in the office could hear it!
We now put it back onto normal mode during the day, so if you ring during office hours you WILL be answered by a human being on the other end!
Despite the unfavourable publicity we got over it on this site, it has actually been quite useful to get such a vociferous response because we now know about the problem and can fix it. So, thanks, everyone.
All that happened is that someone was away for a few days and left the phone on answerphone to cover the night hours - which is reasonable! Unfortunately, this particular model is silent in answerphone mode, so didn't ring during office hours, so no-one else in the office could hear it!
We now put it back onto normal mode during the day, so if you ring during office hours you WILL be answered by a human being on the other end!
Despite the unfavourable publicity we got over it on this site, it has actually been quite useful to get such a vociferous response because we now know about the problem and can fix it. So, thanks, everyone.
Last edited by oxford blue; 23rd May 2002 at 10:41.
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I've actually been in touch (w/Susan), just didn't fancy introducing myself as VORTIME!!
I hope to be doing the ATPL's at OAT once the cash arrives and I'm glad you're speaking of improving the front end so more students may enjoy the talent within OAT.
Cheers
VORTIME
I hope to be doing the ATPL's at OAT once the cash arrives and I'm glad you're speaking of improving the front end so more students may enjoy the talent within OAT.
Cheers
VORTIME
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OAT Statement
Dear Pruners
Just thought I should pay you the courtesy of following up on the OAT threads that have been going on recently. I shall comment separately on the 2 most prevalent.
1. OAT - Please answer!
Unfortunately I have had no response via email from Desk Pilot, but I see VORTIME has been succesful in contacting us. I can only hope that DP has found a solution to his problem. With regard to ringing OAT and getting an answer machine, the MD assured us this morning that the answer machine has gone. In future when you ring OAT, you will get a Person at the end of one of the seven lines.
2. The end of OATS?
As was stated in the thread, restructuring and redundancies really were long overdue and did not/ do not mean that OATS is on the way out, in fact good news this morning. Thanks to the efforts of the new MD and his staff, we are assured an improvement in performance this year, as a consequence of this and new business contracts, OAT will be purchasing new simulators to FNPT2 standard, refurbishing some classrooms and finally replacing some of the Senecas with new ones. On the HR front due to the new business, 6 of the Flying Instructors who were in line for redundancy are now needed so great news for them.
I hope this has cleared things up for you all. In future, should anyone have any similar trouble, please try the email and fax facilities as well, but failing that I am contactable here and will pass on details to the relevant department.
On a personal level, I do feel that there may have been a bit of a wind up element to some of these posts, but I treat all complaints seriously unless proven otherwise. Perhaps now I can get back to training.
Regards and good luck to all in your careers.
Pete Begley
Ground Instructor
OAT
Just thought I should pay you the courtesy of following up on the OAT threads that have been going on recently. I shall comment separately on the 2 most prevalent.
1. OAT - Please answer!
Unfortunately I have had no response via email from Desk Pilot, but I see VORTIME has been succesful in contacting us. I can only hope that DP has found a solution to his problem. With regard to ringing OAT and getting an answer machine, the MD assured us this morning that the answer machine has gone. In future when you ring OAT, you will get a Person at the end of one of the seven lines.
2. The end of OATS?
As was stated in the thread, restructuring and redundancies really were long overdue and did not/ do not mean that OATS is on the way out, in fact good news this morning. Thanks to the efforts of the new MD and his staff, we are assured an improvement in performance this year, as a consequence of this and new business contracts, OAT will be purchasing new simulators to FNPT2 standard, refurbishing some classrooms and finally replacing some of the Senecas with new ones. On the HR front due to the new business, 6 of the Flying Instructors who were in line for redundancy are now needed so great news for them.
I hope this has cleared things up for you all. In future, should anyone have any similar trouble, please try the email and fax facilities as well, but failing that I am contactable here and will pass on details to the relevant department.
On a personal level, I do feel that there may have been a bit of a wind up element to some of these posts, but I treat all complaints seriously unless proven otherwise. Perhaps now I can get back to training.
Regards and good luck to all in your careers.
Pete Begley
Ground Instructor
OAT
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Pete, thank you for that clarification. I hope that OAT's communication problems are now a thing of the past! And I welcome the news for your rescinded FIs. I hope that you'll be able to recall all of them in due course.
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Actually, I've been treated like God by Bristol GS...and I only left them 1000 pounds. Bristol has been EXTREMELY helpful and efficient. Great product + great service...doesn't sound like the UK.
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Many thanks
Pete B,
Many thanks for your speedy intervention- I have been in meetings all day today so only just picked up your email. Will be in touch Friday (tomorrow) when the OATS office opens.
Very impressed by your response so thanks for that.
Kind regards,
Desk-pilot
Many thanks for your speedy intervention- I have been in meetings all day today so only just picked up your email. Will be in touch Friday (tomorrow) when the OATS office opens.
Very impressed by your response so thanks for that.
Kind regards,
Desk-pilot
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Before I took my final ATPL exams last year I did a brush up with Oxford. It was sooo frustrating trying to get on the course, but I did and the instructors were great.
After the ATPL I revisited Oxford and HANDED in an application form to start the CPL/IR.
I NEVER recieved a response. Needless to say I went to a school who appreciate the business and put in the effort with their students (and they're a lot cheaper with no compromise in quality!).
OATS are a shower IMHO!!!
After the ATPL I revisited Oxford and HANDED in an application form to start the CPL/IR.
I NEVER recieved a response. Needless to say I went to a school who appreciate the business and put in the effort with their students (and they're a lot cheaper with no compromise in quality!).
OATS are a shower IMHO!!!
