How do you deal with customer pressure?
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Australia
What pressure?
Up in the box with a famous commentator was a guest, an ex cricketer of renown who had been a Battle of Britain pilot.I.E another god.
He got a bit uptight about the continual comments of "pressure" the players were supposedly under.
Finally - he retorted - "Pressure you wouldn't know what pressure was until you had a Messerschmidt up yer ar*e".
It had the necessary salutary effect.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,937
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From: UK/OZ
Acton Crash
Whatever the cause, what tragic irony I feel... whilst we try to improve safety by posting about "doors-off" filming and this particular thread about client pressure we lose colleagues in an aerial filming accident at 03.40 hrs during a TV shoot.
We can hope that the cause was a set of circumstances out of the control of those involved.
Mickjoebill
We can hope that the cause was a set of circumstances out of the control of those involved.
Mickjoebill
Last edited by mickjoebill; 12th February 2013 at 23:13.
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From: Australia
2sticks has posted just below re Paraguayan accident, perhaps the threads could be combined. In any event here is a quote from the article he linked to it. Sums this thread up quite nicely.
One report from neighbouring Argentina says that the planned departure time for the R44 of 7.15pm was put back to 9.00pm and that the pilot had raised two objections to flying - firstly that the R44 was not suitably equipped for night flight, and secondly that there was an approaching storm front between the departure point at Concepcion and the intended destination at Asuncion. The report goes on to say that Oviedo insisted that the flight went ahead. The wreckage was found the following day.
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: malaysia
a lot of good advice in the threads. If a client still wants a go at it after me telling them about the wx and stuff, I tell them they still have to pay even if we get stranded somewhere plus waiting and other costs. And I will land even before I get uncomfortable with the situation. Has never happen twice with the same clients tho.
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Warrington, UK
My company once advised a customer that it was unlikely that they could get him to his destination(on high ground) due to the weather. They could land him at an airfield an arrange onward transport. He came back and said that he'd found someone else who could do it.
A few days later he got in contact again to say that his pilot had scared both of them half to death in the weather and had dropped at the above airfield from where he had to make his own arrangements. Said he wouldn't question their decision again.
A few days later he got in contact again to say that his pilot had scared both of them half to death in the weather and had dropped at the above airfield from where he had to make his own arrangements. Said he wouldn't question their decision again.
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
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From: Downeast
I hope the company raised rates on him.....as their original agreement went out the door when he decided to go with the other operator. That was my policy.....loyalty was rewarded.....dis-loyalty was penalized.
Joined: May 2002
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From: Wanaka, NZ
This topic might also be extended to employer pressure as well....i have, but only very rarely, been subject to pressure from customers regarding operational aspects of a task. I find that easy to deal with, and in-fact it's simply part-and-parcel of the job. I have never had difficulty with a customer past that point once I've had my input to the equation.
What is fundamentally more difficult to deal with is employer pressure, which I see far more frequently than coming from customers. How to deal with that, whilst preserving your employment, is far more challenging with greater implications that just telling a client straight when faced with the same pressure.
What is fundamentally more difficult to deal with is employer pressure, which I see far more frequently than coming from customers. How to deal with that, whilst preserving your employment, is far more challenging with greater implications that just telling a client straight when faced with the same pressure.
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 336
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From: USA
Lots of good stuff here on this thread.However, it seems to be slanted towards charter and off shore work.There is a lot of pressure on EMS pilots too.In the US, the hospital based system, where the medical crew are the "customers" and the base is run by a flight nurse,is notorious for putting pressure on pilots to fly under less than ideal circumstances.Add to that is the pressure pilots put on themselves with the mistaken notion that, if they don't take this trip:
(a) The patient will die.
(b) I will get fired and will have to move out of my hometown and Billy's ballet classes and Melinda's soccer career will come to an end.
(c) I will have to go back to (heaven forbid!) flying oil workers in the GOM and so on and so forth-----.
It is all well and good to kick the customer in the teeth,and, I suspect,some of these anecedotes are apocryphal,but if your company does not support you (as most EMS companies won't, including the Largest Air Ambulance Company In The World ) you are toast.
Bottom line,one has to walk the fine line between customer service,judgement and safety on a daily basis.That is what you get paid for.
Or did you think you were hired for your good looks and stick actuating skills ??!
Alt3
(a) The patient will die.
(b) I will get fired and will have to move out of my hometown and Billy's ballet classes and Melinda's soccer career will come to an end.
(c) I will have to go back to (heaven forbid!) flying oil workers in the GOM and so on and so forth-----.
It is all well and good to kick the customer in the teeth,and, I suspect,some of these anecedotes are apocryphal,but if your company does not support you (as most EMS companies won't, including the Largest Air Ambulance Company In The World ) you are toast.
Bottom line,one has to walk the fine line between customer service,judgement and safety on a daily basis.That is what you get paid for.
Or did you think you were hired for your good looks and stick actuating skills ??!
Alt3
Last edited by alouette3; 14th February 2013 at 13:47.
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From: New Zealand
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Australia
I must respectfully point out that A3 stuffed up with one small item.
All good families in the past used to have one turn to the cloth, now a fair dinkum helicopter pilot should at least have one as a piano player!
Billy's ballet classes
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 118
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From: North America
So it sounds like everyone is able to handle customer and even management pressures - what about self imposed pressure?
I.E. Those times where others have done a job but you are at the edge of your ability (minimal power, space in a confined, weather that might or might not be good enough, precision with a long line or a landing) where you know that there is very little margin but if things go well you will get the job done (and you get the rewards that come form success).
How do you handle that?
I.E. Those times where others have done a job but you are at the edge of your ability (minimal power, space in a confined, weather that might or might not be good enough, precision with a long line or a landing) where you know that there is very little margin but if things go well you will get the job done (and you get the rewards that come form success).
How do you handle that?
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: USA
Decredenza,
Self imposed pressure is probably the most difficult to deal with and the most dangerous.And,the further you are into the task at hand (i.e patient already on board,last load of the day,returning home with the boss on board etc) the tougher it gets to turn the bus around.
By definition "self imposed" implies "not applied externally".I have seen my own company use that phrase often to cover their asses.
"We have never pressured anyone to fly in those conditions,infact we have rules to prevent them from doing it,after all, safety is our number one priority.This was a case of self imposed pressure."
See what I mean?
Alt3.
Self imposed pressure is probably the most difficult to deal with and the most dangerous.And,the further you are into the task at hand (i.e patient already on board,last load of the day,returning home with the boss on board etc) the tougher it gets to turn the bus around.
By definition "self imposed" implies "not applied externally".I have seen my own company use that phrase often to cover their asses.
"We have never pressured anyone to fly in those conditions,infact we have rules to prevent them from doing it,after all, safety is our number one priority.This was a case of self imposed pressure."
See what I mean?
Alt3.
