Meet Los Angeles International Airport's N.I.C.E.™ Problem Solvers

128

CSR

Virginia W./Yvonne L.

Rhea W.

We had a group of senior citizens travelers attending a religious conference who were upset because they were unable to obtain wheelchair service to get them from the baggage area to their respective vans. To solve their problem, we contacted the airline to obtain wheelchairs as only the airlines are permitted to contact the wheelchair employees. We reassured the group that they would soon be taken care of. We stayed with them until the wheelchairs arrived and they got their luggage. Their greeter hadn’t arrived but we made sure that they got to their vans to proceed to their hotels. The customers left happy and asked for our supervisor’s name and phone number. Ms Anita Matthew later called stating that she couldn’t leave the airport without acknowledging the professionalism of Virginia and Yvonne. She said that these two employees went out of their way to make sure that their arrival to L.A. was pleasant. Ms Matthew said that they were polite, helpful, considerate and very professional. She ended by saying that more airports should have employees like these ladies.

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127

AirportCenter

Daphne C

Kathleen Emerson

LAWA Accounting has been frustrated with the Airfield Bus billing system since the change to the SITA RMS program one year ago. The trip charge disputes by the airlines have increased in the past months. Accounting will send the disputed charges to Airport Operations or Bus Operations for clarification for correction. To solve their problem, Daphne met with staff from LAWA Accounting, Airport Operations ARCC and Bus Operations. By viewing the billing sheets it became apparent that the RMS system is charging airlines for bus trips for parked aircraft and for crew trips. Parked aircraft appeared as live flights. The crew shuttles bus is operated without cost by for the TBIT carriers and the orders appeared as billable. Airport Operations and Bus Operations will review the bus activity and billing paperwork weekly. Charges that are erroneous will be identified and marked as “non-billable.” Accounting will receive the corrected paperwork and can bill the airlines timely and accurately. Daphne stepped in as a representative for the Gate Managers to attend the meeting on June 30th. She was highly proactive in her research and was able to identify most of the errors for the month of June. She took all the paperwork and went back to examine the past gate charts to determine the live flights versus the parked aircraft. Daphne took the extra initiative to be part of the solution.

Through Daphne’s efforts, LAWA Accounting knows that they will continue to have the participation of Airport Operations on the bus activity billing charges. In the end the airline tenants of LAX will receive a bill for bus trips that is more accurate.

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126

CSR

Jan L

Linda P-C and Midori M

I was working TBIT departure when I noticed that the escalator was stopped. I went to the back to get the number to phone it in. I talked to some ladies who were standing at the bottom of the escalator. One lady, Edith Orner, was bleeding from a cut, about an inch long, on her lower leg. She asked for a band-aid. I asked what happened and I said I would take her to first aid. The other ladies, one of which had fallen on top of Edith, declined to go to First Aid and instead wanted to go with the others to the food court. I said I would bring Edith back to find them. I phoned the first aid office because no one answered their locked door. When they answered the phone I told the operator what we needed. He said they would send an ambulance. I said it was not a 911 call and we only needed first aid. They asked the age of the lady (81). And the 911 guys came anyway. They asked, Edith, what they could do for her. She pointed to the gash on her leg; they proceeded to wrap the wound. They then took Edith’s blood pressure, which was a little higher than normal she said but was obvious of no great concern. While this was going on I had gone back to find her friends. Edith was concerned about Lydia, who had fallen on her. Not finding her friends I returned to Edith and together we went to look for them. Edith was grateful for my help in finding some first aid.

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125

TSA

Welcome TSA!

TSA joins LAWA's "Resiliency Edge" Training and Incentive

LAWA and Project LIFToff are proud to welcome the TSA as participants in LAX's "Resiliency Edge" program!

Congratulations to the 48 TSA employees who took "Resiliency Edge" training on June 24 and now are part of the program's incentive.

Look for TSA success stories in this space - as participants in the training use the program's customer service "tools" to enhance the travel experience for LAX customers.

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124

CSR

Sandy W

Midori M

A lady arrived into LA ten hours late from Australia, and as a result missed her connection to Minnesota. With flights all booked they could not get her on a flight to Minn for two days, and when she learned that she broke down. She came to me in tears and said she had no idea what to do. She had no money and no place to stay. I engaged her and calmed her down telling her I would not desert her. I took her to her carrier’s counter and explained her situation to a rep, who also empathized with her. The airline was able to get her a voucher for two days for a hotel and meals and now her tears turned to tears of joy. She hugged me.

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123

CSR

Sandy W

Midori M

A man was stranded due to the volcanic ash disruption. He needed to find an internet kiosk where he could make alterations to his travel itinerary and rebook a connecting flight out of London. He was anxious since he could not find a way to get on the internet and he was afraid he would lose his connection once they got him to London. I told him not to worry, I knew exactly where we could go to find a business center in Tom Bradley terminal and I walked him over to it. There he was able to get all his trip alterations accomplished and with each key stroke he calmed down. Finally when everything was done, he looked at me and smiled. I felt good.

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122

CSR

Jan L

Linda P-C

As Linda reported: Jan was in terminal 4 when she approached a passenger and asked her if she needed help. The passenger explained that she had been waiting for the 3 pm Bakersfield Bus, which never came. She and two other passengers waiting for the same bus had called the bus company. They were told that the bus was on it’s way and would be there shortly. Still no bus arrived. The woman decided to phone her husband to come and pick her up. At that point, Jan was proactive and explained to the woman that she could take a bus to Van Nuys and then her husband could pick her up at the Van Nuys flyaway stop. That would save her husband time and distance and get her home faster. The woman called her husband and they both thought that was a great idea. He was bringing their two children with him and the closer distance made that a great option for the family - who all thanked Jan very much for her quick thinking.

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121

CSR

Robert E.

Linda P-C

I was working arrivals at Terminal 6 when a man asked me for help. His family was coming from London and he had gone to the Tom Bradley International Terminal to meet them, but there was no such flight there. Could I tell him how to get to the carrier’s desk to find out what had happened to the flight? I said: “Not to worry! You have arrived at the correct terminal by mistake. The flight you’re looking for, 6036, is really 935, and it is arriving right now. Stand here and I am sure your family will come through these doors soon.” Just then his wife and two children came through the door. As they left wrapped up in each other’s arms, he said “Thanks.”

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120

CSR

Robert E.

Linda P-C

During the volcanic ash hiatus a young couple came to me and asked for a “holiday store.” Their return to Zurich, they explained in heavy accents but understandable English, had been delayed for a week. They thought they would use the delay to extend their holiday by going to a beach resort; they were thinking of Gulf or Caribbean resorts since they would be on the eventual way back to Zurich. I assumed, mistakenly, that they wanted a retail store to buy appropriate clothing, a “holiday store.” Between their English and my limited German, I finally figured out that what they wanted was a travel agency to help them find a resort and arrange to travel there. I made a personal phone call to someone who travels a lot, but he didn’t know of any near the airport. I was about to suggest a concierge at some LAX hotel when I noticed a computer bag with their luggage. I suggested they walk to the Bradley Terminal North end where there was a concession that offered internet access. If they were computer savvy, they could be their own “holiday store.” This idea really appealed to them, and off they went.

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119

CSR

Meraj Q

Marivi M-F

Working the Tom Bradley International Terminal can be a challenge for many reasons one of them is that we encounter passengers from all over the world and sometimes they are lost and confused. This was the case when an Asian passenger approached me with a piece of paper where she had a phone number written down. I figured it out based on the signed gestures that she wanted to call someone to tell them where she was to be picked up. I used the same piece of paper that she had to draw a little map to show her she was at the TBI Terminal between T4 and T3 she pointed at TBIT on the paper and I said yes. I saw her smiled and looking relieved and then she bowed her head saying thank you then walked away, problem solved!

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118

CSR

Wilmer D

Marivi M-F

During my shift I noticed a cell phone on top of a chair. I asked a couple of people if it belonged to them they said no. I searched for the last phone call that was made and when a man answered the phone I explained who I was, where I was calling from and the situation. He told me it was his father’s phone and his father had taken a fight to Oakland, which had already left. He must have lost his cell phone at LAX (that was not the first time, the son said) and I told him I would leave the phone at the baggage claim office. He said he was at Long beach but he would come to LAX to pick it up ASAP. I talked to the baggage claim office’s supervisor and left the phone with him. As it turned out I happened to be so lucky to see the man when he was picking up the phone. He was extremely appreciative because due to my honesty his father did not have to spend money on replacing yet another cell phone. He said if his father were there he would have kissed me!

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117

CSR

Wilmer D

Marivi M-F

When I was working T1 a passenger approached me asking for the Bakersfield shuttle. I checked my binder and saw that the shuttle had just departed (it was 1pm) and the next one was coming up at 3:00 p.m. I told the passenger that if he took the bus to T 7, where he needed to go,. I would contact my fellow coworker working at T7 so he could be on the lookout for him as well as the shuttle, and my coworker would meet him at the bus and show him where to go. The gentleman was very thankful and he told my coworker he really appreciated the team work that was demonstrated while helping him in his journey thru LAX.

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116

CSR

Gemme Del M

Marlene T

An elderly couple was sent back and forth between Terminals 1 and 7. They looked lost and confused. The elderly couple had just arrived from London and was connecting to Philadelphia. They were directed to an airline at Terminal 7 and when they got there another person sent them to US Airways at Terminal 1. After waiting in queue for thirty minutes they were told to go to Terminal 7 again. They were totally frustrated. I used one of my strengths from my Personal Resiliency Profile to solve the problem, I assured them that I worked for the airport and I was there to help assist them. I noticed they only had fifteen minutes to make their Flight back at Terminal 7. They were tired and irritated. I called the Ambassador working Terminal 7 and put her on the alert to look for this couple and assist them. I took them to the A bus and asked the driver to drop them at Terminal 7. My fellow Ambassador was waiting for them and immediately turned them over to an agent for their airline who expedited their way through security. They left me saying, “We appreciate your help, that’s what we call the spirit of team work.” My fellow Ambassador said they were very happy to be met by a friendly face to help expedite them through a tiring experience.

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115

CSR

Gemme Del M

Marlene T

An elderly lady who spoke very little English had spent the night at Tom Bradley waiting for her daughter to pick her up when I encountered her on my AM shift. I used strengths from my Personal Resiliency Profile to solve the problem, I asked her where her daughter was coming from and she answered “Seattle.” Upon further verification I found out that she had exited the wrong way and was supposed to have connected to Seattle the night before. I offered to call her daughter and she was relieved. Her daughter said she was a diabetic and they had not stopped looking for her at the Seattle airport all night long. I took the woman to her airline ticket counter whereby the agent explained her ticket had a lot of restrictions and she would have to pay the corresponding charges. I had the agent explain this to her daughter to resolve the issue and after a few minutes the agent said,
“She’s good to go.” I also requested a wheelchair for her from origin to destination to make sure she would be given the proper assistance. She left happy, saying, “God bless you” and “Thank you.”

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114

CSR

Jan L

Linda P-C

I was in terminal #5 baggage claim. All passengers had gone except one lady. I asked if she needed help. She said she could not find her bag and that she had to go to Santa Barbara. I asked if she would be taking the Santa Barbara Airbus. She said no she was flying. I asked to see her ticket. She said she did not have a ticket, that her son made her arrangements. I asked if I could phone her son. I could not get him and left a message. After looking further she found her ticket. It was on AA at terminal 4 and left in 30 minutes. To solve her problem, I walked her to the AA ticket counter and asked the agent to help her and get her a wheelchair. He said she would not make the flight if she waited for the wheelchair. I took her through security, she got searched!!! As we walked I could see she was slowing down as she walked with her cane. I asked if she was OK. She said I’m 97 years old. I was looking left and right for a wheelchair. I got her to the gate and we then had to take a tram. At the end of the tram ride there was a wheelchair. I asked the attendant if she would help the passenger to her plane. She said she would and that the passenger would make her flight. The customer said thank you for all your help and assistance. During the tram ride I called her son in Kansas. Then called her other son in Santa Barbara to let them know that she would make her flight.

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113

CSR

Karyul H

Sabrina A

I saw that a couple of a flight from Asia was having trouble getting processed in the Customs hall. They looked so upset and confused, so I engaged them. Their problem was they didn’t have a complete address to put on their declarations form, and since they didn’t speak English they did not understand that that was the problem delaying them. I spoke to them in Catonese, which calmed them, while I worked with the partial address and their daughter’s name in Phoenix. They had her phone number, but I could not get her on the phone. Instead I was proactive and used Google and I got the full address that way. Then I stayed with them and soon we got them processed. They were so happy they invited me to visit them in Canton province China. But I was just happy that I could help them, especially with their language issue.

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112

CSR

Michael V

Sabrina A

A man from Israel panicked when he saw the Customs officers. The CBP officials called me for assistance, since I spoke Russian and the man spoke no English. I was able to translate to him that he would be OK, they just needed to go through certain steps to process him. The way I spoke to him, in a calm and comforting voice, settled him down. I helped him get his luggage and we got him on his way. He hugged me.

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111

CSR

Edith A.

Sabrina A

A passenger from Argentina arrived, but she could not be processed because she did not have her daughter’s address or telephone number in LA. I used all my resourcefulness to try to help her, but no luck. Then I got an idea, to be proactive, and I went outside the FIS area and looked around for anxious people. Sure enough the first one I went up to with a worried expression told me that the lady from Argentina was his relative, and he was the son in law. I got his address and went back and gave it to the lady so she could add the address to her documents. She said, “May God bless you!”

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110

CSR

Raha A

Sabrina A

A father came to the Information Desk with two small children, three and four. The littlest one, his daughter, was crying and I could see the father was getting frustrated. I put him the “box” and focused on his need, which was to calm the girl first and get the info he needed. I spoke to the little girl and I asked her why she was so upset. She told me she had left her kuola backpack on the airplane. I knew what to do – I called the carrier and asked if they could check. While I gave the father the info he needed, the carrier did a search and sure enough they found the backpack and soon the little girl had it in her hands. No more crying, now she was cheery and dancing. The father thanked me.

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109

CSR

Sara J

Sabrina A

A passenger from Israel looked weak. She told me he had recently had brain surgery, and I could see she was nervous and confused. I spoke Farsi to her and that calmed her. I explained that everything would be OK, that I was there to help her, and I conducted the translation for her to get through primary Immigration. The lady hugged me with tears in her eyes.

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108

CSR

Christina S

Sabrina A

A traveler from Korea had to stay overnight in Secondary Two. She was upset, lost and confused because she had no idea why she was there and she could not communicate because of the language issue. I spoke Korean to her and immediately her face got color back into it. I used a gentle voice to explain her situation, and explained what she needed to do to be processed and this worked. She nodded that she understood and she was able to communicate what the officers needed. The whole time she held my hand, very tight. Soon the sad look went out of her face and she brightened as she made it out of the FIS and it made me feel good to help her.

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107

CSR

Richardo V

Chris G.

While I was working in the FIS area I saw an arriving passenger in her 80s trip and fall. I rushed to her and comforted her. She was OK but she was scared. I stayed with her and I used my proaction skill to get her to the head of the line so she could be processed quickly. Her face softened and she calmed down and thanked me.

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106

CSR

Robert E.

Linda P-C

A couple came up to me during a slow period at Terminal 6 and asked for directions to a shopping center. It seemed they had been on a two week cruise, and their next flight would leave around 1 am, in ten hours. I mentioned how important it was that wherever they go, they had to be sure to get back in time to check in, that a taxi would cost about $30 each way, and that it would be getting dark around 8:45 or 9 pm. They asked for alternatives, so I explained that the Howard Hughes Center and Westfield’s Mall to the North and the La Plaza el Segundo and Manhattan Beach Mall to the south could be reached by public bus. That would also give them a sure way to get back to the airport in time, and the cost would be less than $5. I happened to have timetables for the Culver City Bus 6 and the Metro bus 232. I took them to the Lot C bus stop and explained that the Lot C driver would show them how to get to the LAX City Bus Terminal. They were so impressed that I could be such a full service local tourism guide!

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105

CSR

Robert E.

Linda P-C

A well dressed young man came up to me at the Bradley Terminal Departures Level and asked if I could show him to a mail box. I explained that there were no mail boxes at LAX, but, if he had time, he could take his mail to a Post Office off the airport. He explained that he had been driving from his home in Santa Clarita to begin a business trip that would take him out of the country for more than three weeks when he got a ticket for speeding. His flight was scheduled to leave in one hour. He was afraid that if he didn’t mail in the fine before he left the country that the fine might multiply. I suggested that he go to the desk of his airline. They might be able to mail the letter for him . A few minutes later he stopped by with a smile on his face and said he had taken my suggestion and at the airline desk he had run into an acquaintance from his office who had agreed to mail the fine for him.

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104

AirportCenter

Lester V

Rodney T

One day we were swamped. Planes were coming in late, all arriving at the same time, and they all needed gates. Just then a call came in from a woman who said her mother, an 80 year old lady, had left her purse at Cinnabun in Terminal 6. She explained that she had googled the airport and somehow the phone rang with me. She pleaded with me to help her and even though our pace was hectic, I didn’t want to disappoint her. So I did some research and looked up the number for Cinnabun and gave it to her. She thanked me, but I wanted to double check so I called the number after I hung up with her. It rang through to Coffee Bean, which recently had been assigned that number from Cinnabun. I got the correct number for Cinnabun from Coffee Bean and just as I had finished writing it down my phone rang again. It was the lady with the 80 year old mother, frantic again. I told her I had the current number for Cinnabun now and she was grateful. She called back a short time later to tell me that she had made the connection with Cinnabun and they had her mom’s purse safe and sound and she was so relieved and she was grateful for all my efforts to help her.

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103

AirportCenter

Lacy S

Rodney T

At the ticket counters the digital display signs go dark after a certain amount of time. The software program is written that way to allow for different carriers to post different flights. But one carrier had a need to remain at the counter for a series of flights and they needed an adjustment made to put in an “override” to allow the digital display to remain on and not go dark. To meet their need I took it on myself to work on my own time and see what I could do. I called our software vendor and I brainstormed with him on how we could do this. It took a while, but eventually we found a way. I was happy to do this, to accommodate our airline customer’s need.

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102

AirportCenter

Mike V

Coordinator

All TSA passenger checkpoint screening at Terminal 7 was closed for more than 90 minutes due to a screening breach. This stopped screening at Terminals 5, 6, 7, & 8 as all are connected via corridors on the sterile side of screening. To solve passengers’ problems, I met with Airport Police and TSA at the Command Post at Terminal 7 screening and after the situation was resolved I partnered with Mike Corlett and Steve Sipos of Airfield Operations to facilitate the restart. I briefed the Terminal 6 Airlines managers of what the problem was, how it was resolved, what time screening was restarted, and our action plan to expedite the return to normal operations for their airlines. I further advised the airlines that I would be remaining at Terminal 6 until normal operations were restored and offered to help in any way they requested. I then floated between the screening checkpoint and the Customs hall to ensure that all passengers, both arriving and departing were handled in the fastest manner possible. Mark Weller worked with Mike Corlett at Terminal 5 and they worked quickly to balance the screening lines between Terminals 5 and 6. I heard words of thanks and gratitude from many travelers that I spoke with along with various airline, service companies and concessions employees. All appreciated hearing about LAWA's sincere efforts to mitigate the unfortunate and unpleasant situation as quickly as possible.

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101

AirportCenter

Neil T

Rodney T

I got a call from a carrier representative who needed a gate to park an aircraft for three hours. The plane had just arrived and deplaned its passengers, but was scheduled to go out the next morning. The rep who called me needed a gate for three hours until he could move it to an overnight slot designated for it. I found him a gate, but I told him I had a flight from another carrier set to arrive in four hours and I needed that gate for that customer. He promised to be off in three hours, but as we got close to the three hour mark I called him for a status on moving the aircraft.

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100

AirportCenter

Rodney R

Rodney T

We have six baggage carousels in the Tom Bradley International Terminal baggage claim area. The airlines like to have a carousel all to themselves for their arriving passengers. As best we can we all try to accommodate them. But sometimes flights will be delayed and other times ten flights will all arrive simultaneously and it doubling up on the carousels becomes necessary. In these cases, I am proactive. For example one night recently I had ten flights all arrive at the same time, and I worked to match up flights with similar carriers so that I could assign two flights belonging to the same carrier to a carousel to share it. They liked this solution and it allowed them to keep their passengers together. I do this as much as I can.

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99

AirportCenter

Daphne C

Rodney Thompson

I know it might seem like a little thing, but when I do the gate scheduling I look for ways I can help our airline partners in ways they may have never considered. For example I know there’s one carrier that flies to Japan that likes to have its gate assignments on the north end of Bradley. There’s another airline that likes the south end since all their admin offices are close by those gates. Whenever I can I create gate assignments that gives each of them the gates that work best for them. A little thing maybe, but I know it creates conveniences for them and their passengers.

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98

AirportCenter

Daphne C

Rodney Thompson

When an international flight arrives, Customs blocks off domestic access to that arriving gate so the passengers departing off the international flight can go directly to the Customs hall. One day a flight from Japan was four hours late. It was supposed to get in at 9:00 am, which would have been fine for the domestic carrier which operates at that gate area in the afternoon. But since the Japan flight didn’t get in until the afternoon I could see that was going to affect one of our domestic carriers which would not be able to use the boarding gate that had been assigned to it. I was proactive and I anticipated the problem and I engaged other carriers to find a way I could meet their needs, but also free up a new gate for the domestic airline affected by the late flight from Japan. I was able to do that and therefore the passengers on the afternoon domestic flight never had any negative impacts.

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97

AirportCenter

Jonel G

Rodney Thompson

I knew the volcanic ash issue had caused a lot of frustration for our airline partners and their passengers, so I created a spread sheet that could provide a daily log of the numbers of flights that were delayed and the number of PAX affected. Each day during the crisis I would call each airline and get their numbers. That way I had the report ready when the PR department called. I was proactive by thinking of our Public Relations Division and media outlets because I knew they had to get the numbers to the outside media without delay and I wanted to meet their need as much as I could.

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96

AirportCenter

Lacy S

Rodney Thompson

I try to be as proactive as possible when I do the scheduling for airline gates and I pay particular attention to how I type in the model number for an aircraft when I make an assignment. This is critical because some aircraft, such as an A 380, which carries 500 people, can only use certain gates. If a number gets transposed into the computer during typing that could create a situation whereby the plane arrives and gets sent to a gate that cannot accommodate it. That would inconvenience 500 people, and so I am very careful!

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95

AirportCenter

Carlyle K

Rodney Thompson

Carlyle K
Rodney Thompson

Recently we had two military transports scheduled to come into LAX. When that happens we give priority to the military to find them gates. The problem was that after we had done our scheduling to accommodate the transports, the military called to tell us that the arrival of the two planes was going to be delayed 24 hours. That means that all the scheduling we had done needed to be redone. I called the airlines whose gate assignments would be affected the next day and I engaged them in a calm way. I explained the situation and asked for their cooperation to work with us as we redid gate assignments. I was proactive and did my homework to find some gate switches I could achieve without inconveniencing the airlines too much, and this helped because a few of the airlines thanked me. The airlines knew the urgency in accommodating the military and were happy I had worked out as much of the switching as possible in advance so we could save passengers from being disrupted

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94

CSR

Wilmer D

Marivi M-F

During my shift at terminal 1, I encountered a passenger who had a panicked look on his face. He told me he had just gotten off one of the airport shuttles and had left a folder with his passport in it. He was desperate because he did not know what to do. I comforted him by saying I would go and get one of the shuttles and would ask the driver to communicate via radio with the dispatcher so he/she could let all the drivers know about the folder and would look for it. I could see the color coming back into his face. Within 20 minutes a driver arrived and delivered the folder with his passport. The passenger kept on thanking me for what I had done. He said he could not believe some one had gone the extra mile for him and said I had saved his life! He wanted to give money, but of course I would never accept money. I did it because that was my duty and because I love helping people!

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93

CSR

Anna H

Marlene T

A French lady arrived at the airport early to find that her connecting flight from LAX to HOU was departing two hours late. This would mean she would miss her international connection to Paris. She was crying and asked me for help. I engaged her and immediately took her back to the airline counter whereby an agent placed her on standby for the earlier Houston flight so she could make her connecting flight to Paris. Thinking creatively like this worked and the lady was so happy she hugged me and couldn’t stop thanking me.

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92

CSR

Novella K

Marivi M-F

A couple came out of an international fight and looked confused. I asked them if I could help and they proceeded to tell me they wanted to go to Santa Monica but did not know how to get there. To solve their problem I gave them all their options: they could take city transportation bus, a taxi or the share ride vans. This might seem like a little thing, but not to them. They were extremely grateful that I took so much time to make them feel welcome to LA and went through all the details on each potential transportation choice. The couple decided on the shared ride van services. They were happy, which made me happy!

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91

CSR

Anna H

Marlene T

A Serviceman and his family came into Terminal 5 from Hawaii. He was extremely agitated. He had left all his pertinent information, transfer orders and tickets on the aircraft. He was continuing to North Carolina. I immediately realized his distress and engaged him in conversation then took him and his family to the baggage claim service so agents from their carrier could make a call to inspect the airplane. He remembered his seat number. This proactive step worked! The agents found his documents and returned them to him. He and his family could not have been happier!

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90

CSR

Wilmer D

Marivi M-F

I was working terminal 6 at the gate area. There my main duties are to direct passengers with connecting fights to the shuttle before having to go out of the secure area. This particular day I noticed more that the usual number of passengers who required the shuttle services. I found that due to the long lines at terminal 5 the passengers were being directed to go thru security at T6 but were departing from T5. I encountered an elderly lady who expressed to me that if she had to walk the long tunnel leading to the shuttle she would not make it in one piece. So I told her to wait a second and I went to get one of the wheel chair employees to take her to the shuttle, which they did. The lady was very happy. She smiled, held my hand and said “Thank you”.

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89

CSR

Sandra W

Marivi M-F

I was engaging as I approached a person that looked confused. He asked me what the process was for a diplomat arriving from Melbourne, Australia. He told me he was an Australian commissioner and the passenger he had come to meet was the Governor of Australia. He wanted to know if he could go and meet the Governor at the gate. I found out that the Commissioner had the proper ID and paper work that would allow him to enter the US Customs’ area, so I took him to the Security guard’s desk to inform them about the situation. Then the Commissioner proceeded to the gates, but before he left he told me how impressed he was with my decisive action, but also he said that he was pleasantly surprised to see LAX so service minded and so geared up to meet a need such as his.

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88

CSR

Sharon R

Marlene T

A lady came to me at Terminal 6 at the gate area very upset. She was crying hysterically, and I stepped forward to soothe her. She had missed her flight to Honolulu, and she was upset because she thought she would lose the money she paid for her ticket plus lose her chance of getting there. I engaged her with eye contact and calming words, telling her everything would be all right and that I was with her now. She calmed down enough for me to walk her back to the airline ticket counter where I found someone who would help her. The agent saw how upset she was too and immediately rebooked her on the next flight. Right away she began smiling and that made me feel very good.

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87

PilotGroup

Sharon R

Marlene T

I spotted a woman with an infant and a toddler sitting in baggage claim and I noticed she had been there for almost two hours. I engaged her, but she did not speak English so I looked at her luggage to get her name and I addressed her by name and asked if I could help her. She showed me her ticket and I saw that the flight she had been scheduled to connect with had departed an hour earlier. I continued to engage her and I offered to walk her and her young children up to the ticket area. There I found an airline agent and explained the situation, and the agent responded to her need also, and rebooked her on a flight to Reno leaving in another hour. I walked the woman and her babies to the Security line and made sure they got through Security and got to their gate. The look in the lady’s eye was worth a million dollars.

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86

PilotGroup

Myrl W

Marivi M.

A family approached me very upset because they had misplaced their hotel and Super Shuttle vouchers for Disneyland. They didn’t know whether they had left the vouchers on the plane or at the departure gate back in Vancouver, British Columbia where they had flown in from. I engaged them to calm them down and I assured them I would help them. I called to their carrier’s rep, who called the arrival gate where their plane was still parked, but there were no vouchers there. And so we kept trying. I called another agent for that airline and that agent called to Vancouver, and sure enough the gate agent in Canada had them in hand. We explained to the family that the packet would be put on the next plane from Vancouver and soon they would have their tickets to Disneyland. They told me they were very impressed that I knew exactly what to do, and they thanked me.

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85

PilotGroup

Marge M and Marilyn R

Marlene T and Rhea W

Two ladies were very upset because their flight to Fiji got cancelled. They were headed to a remote area near Fiji to see their missionary children and their grandkids. The ladies approached Marge and Marilyn for assistance, and the two worked together to explore how to get them rebooked. The carrier they were on had only two flights a week and that meant the ladies would have to wait four days until the next flight, and would miss seeing their missionary children. Marge and Marilyn continued to think proactively and they came up with a way that got them on an alternate carrier, a flight that got the ladies out and on their way that evening. Two weeks later Marilyn was working in Terminal 6 when one of the ladies spotted her and told her how wonderful their trip had been. They got a chance to see their missionary children and grandchildren and none of that would have been possible without the help and creative efforts of Marge and Marilyn.

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84

PilotGroup

lLynda C.

Linda P-C

A mother and daughter were late arriving in LA and they missed their cruise that they had come to catch. It was a $5000 cruise and when they called they were told that in fact the ship had left and there was nothing that could be done. I engaged them to show that I cared, and together we came up with the idea that they might call their cruise insurance person, and they did. That person suggested that they might want to fly to the first port of call for the ship and hope they could get on there. He said he would investigate to see if that could work. They were upset and anxious, but they were very happy that I stayed with them and comforted them and tried to help. I found them a hotel they could stay at overnight while the insurance man investigated, and as I sent them on a shuttle bus to the hotel we did not have a resolution, but we had hope!

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83

PilotGroup

John S

Marivi M.

This is a short story, but it had a big impact. A woman was frantic because she didn’t have change to make an important phone call. I adapted to her situation and I was also proactive because I suggested she use my cell phone. She did and got through to the person she needed to contact quickly and she was very grateful.

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82

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Geraldine G

Sabrina A

I was working at the information counter at the departure level when two very upset passengers approached me and asked for help with a serious situation. They had just arrived from back east. It was a father and daughter. They came to meet the man’s wife and deliver some very sad news. The news was that there had been a death in the family and they needed a quiet, private place to deliver the news. Immediately I engaged them and told them there was a small, private room that I thought they could use, and I offered to check on it. I got approval and got a key and I took them there. They were so relieved, I could see it in their faces. I was just happy that I could bring comfort to them at such a painful time.

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81

PilotGroup

Verena K.

Sabrina A

Four travelers from Germany approached me asking if I could page a member of their party they could not find. The person had been with them, but got separated. I conducted a page, but still the person did not respond. The four, who did not speak English, were getting progressively more upset, and so I was proactive and called police. This produced the answer because the police reported that a man by that name had slipped and fallen outside and had been taken to a local hospital. I was able to translate for the people, then I helped them get a rental car so they could hurry off and meet their person at the hospital. They were still very upset, but relieved and grateful for all the help I gave them. They told me that.

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80

PilotGroup

John S

Marivi M.

This is a report by Marivi M: suddenly John S was seen running toward the middle aisle at Terminal 3. He was followed by Supervisor Rhea W. At first it was hard to detect what they were running toward, until it became evident that a man was lying on the pavement. He had fallen and he had some bleeding on his head. Immediately, John called for assistance as Rhea calmed the man and assured him he would be OK. The two of them worked to keep him comfortable, while also working to divert cars so the man would not be hit. Soon help arrived, but I want to commend John and Rhea for doing what one human should always do for another!

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79

AirportCenter

Paul N

Rodney Thompson

One afternoon the gate control software failed. This created havoc and confusion for all our airline carrier partners in the Bradley Terminal whose flight information boards suddenly went dark. I, along with all my colleagues on duty in the Airport Center, used our adaptability strength and we went into a manual mode. We were proactive as well and we immediately began calling the all carriers to notify them about the problem. We told them about our action plan and how we were implementing manual procedures to get information about arriving and departing flights up onto their boards for their customers. This calmed them that we were so proactive, and we stayed with it, working manually and letting our partners know that everything that could be done was being done. We worked this way for several hours until the system came back up, and even then we continued to engage the reps from the carriers to keep them informed and up to date each step of the way until things returned to normal.

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78

AirportCenter

Rodney R

Rodney Thompson

I sent an arriving flight to the remote gate so I could accommodate a Lan Chile flight which had just arrived from that earthquake-stricken country. I could sense that the representative from the carrier I sent to the remote area was upset because his passengers would have to be bused back to Bradley from the remote area. I continued to engage him and I explained the reasons for my decision in a calm tone. I told him about curfew issues out of Santiago, Chile and the special needs the Lan Chile flight had. That calmed him down that I would take time to explain the situation in a calm, measured tone and in full detail. He accepted my decision and said he understood.

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77

AirportCenter

Neil T

Rodney Thompson

A traveler was frustrated because he was supposed to meet someone on World Way West, but he ended up at the Bradley terminal and was very lost. His call came into the Airport Center as I was on the other line with an airline carrier handling gate management issues, but I could hear the frustration in the man’s tone. I asked him to hold a moment while I finished up with my carrier contact, and that calmed him, that someone would care and not abandon him. A moment later I got back on the line with him and used my knowledge of the airport to paint a visual picture. I gave him “markers” that he could follow out of the terminals area and find his way to World Way West. He thanked me profusely and told me I was very professional.

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76

AirportCenter

Jonell G.

Rodney Thompson

A carrier station manager called very upset because he was about to board a flight which was leaving from the remote area, but the gate for the bus to that remote area was blocked off for repairs. I calmed him by telling him I would investigate, which I did on the spot and I discovered that someone had made a keystroke error in the computer. I continued to engage the airline manager telling him I was sorry that the error had occurred and I took full responsibility, but most of all while talking to him in a calm tone I worked quickly and I found him a bus gate very close to the original one where he had been sending his passengers. This made him happy that I was pro active and took control and fixed the problem so quickly. Then I was proactive again and I called over to our OPS department in the terminals and I asked if one of our supervisors could hurry over to the gate area I had given him and help direct his passengers onto their buses. Then I called the airline manager back and told him we had someone hurrying over there to help. This reassured him too, then one last thing I was proactive, and the next day I called him to apologize again for the computer error. He thanked me for being so thorough and helpful.

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75

AirportCenter

Norris

Rodney Thompson

An airline rep called me upset because there was a computer glitch and he couldn’t make an update to the message board at his boarding gate. The message said “Delayed,” and he wanted to update it to say, “Boarding.” After a mechanical their plane and was ready for boarding, but passengers were milling at the gate confused, and he needed to give them the latest information. Since I’m new at my job and had not yet had a situation like this, I turned to Lacy sitting beside me while I kept the airline agent calm, Lacy called our IT department. But IT couldn’t make the adjustment from their end, and so Lacy and IT called our vendor, who made the fix to the glitch on his end. All the while, I continued to keep the airline rep engaged and informed of the steps we were taking, and this calmed him down. As soon as we had the problem fixed, he said “Thank you, you guys are great!”

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74

AirportCenter

Lacy S

Rodney Thompson

An LAPD officer called the center very anxious. He was trying to make contact with one of his fellow officers who was on a flight. He wanted me to confirm if his colleague was in the air yet and what time he would arrive. He didn’t know his colleague’s airline. I engaged him, which calmed him, then I explained that we did not have access to airline passenger manifests from our end. But I could sense his anxiety and I assured him I would help him. I asked him what city his colleague was going to, and he said Chicago. Then I checked and saw that we had four airlines flying to Chicago at that time. I asked him to wait a moment, and I found the phone numbers for each of the four. I told him to call each one and give his colleague’s name and they could confirm which flight the other police officer was on. He was very happy and he said thank you for my attention to him and working through each step patiently.

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73

AirportCenter

Welcome - AC Team

Airport Center Success Stories

We're proud to welcome members of LAWA's Airpot Center into LAWA and Project LIFToff's "Resiliency Edge" customer service program.

Superintendents who operate the Airport Center play a critical role shaping positive impression for both internal and external LAX customers.

We are grateful to the team from the AC for joining the program and participating in "Resiliency Edge" training - we look forward to seeing customer service "success stories" from the AC in this space on the LAX Story Page.

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72

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lLynda C.

Linda P-C

Lynda was working in Terminal 7 when a young woman with a baby approached her. The woman said she was waiting for her sister and brother-in-law to come pick them up. They had gone to the parking garage to get their car, but the woman had no way to communicate with her sister to let her know she was at Terminal 7. Lynda let her use her cell phone and the woman called the sister. That worked, because before long the sister and brother in law pulled up in an SUV. They had an elderly woman in the front seat who did not speak English, and the brother in law explained that she was lost and trying to get to a destination in the city where they were going, three hours away. Since the family was heading in that direction, and to be kind, the brother in law had told the elderly woman that the family would give her a ride. And so off everybody went. Then about a half hour later, Lynda was passing by Travelers’ Aid when she heard a woman say with great alarm, “No mother, no mother!” As Lynda listened, she put two and two together and realized that the elderly woman in the front seat of the SUV had been this woman’s mother. The elderly woman had arrived from Mexico, the daughter said, but obviously she was totally confused and thought she was supposed to make her own way to her destination. So again Lynda was proactive and she called the last number on her cell phone – which rang now in the SUV as it sped away. She explained the situation to the family in the car. They understood completely and brought the elderly woman back for a reunion with her daughter – and everything ended well. Thanks of course to Lynda and her proaction!

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71

PilotGroup

Lilibeth W

Sabrina A

A family from India was standing in a long line waiting to be processed. The mother looked exhausted and her two young children were crying. They didn’t speak English and looked confused. That’s when I stepped up and engaged them. A recent immigrant myself, I empathized with them. Communicating was not easy but the universal language of a smile, along with some snacks for the kids, worked wonders. I let them know that everything would be fine, and I spoke to an Immigration officer who could see their plight also, and he helped expedite their passage. The woman had tears in her eyes when she thanked me, tears of joy. All of this strengthens my personal resiliency to solve problems.

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70

PilotGroup

Edith A.

Sabrina A

It was a hectic day – there wasn’t room for one more soul in the FIS! Suddenly a woman trembling reached out for me and said, “Help me!” She told me that she was a US citizen, and her husband was a German citizen. The line for the non US citizens was very long, but she said she had just had an operation and she was too weak to wait on the line. She needed her husband to stay with her. She pointed to the bandages from the operation which I could see between the buttons on her blouse. I called the CBP supervisor, and he got her processed right then and there. Then he took the husband to be processed, and we found a place where the woman could sit while waiting for her husband. “Thank you, baby,” she said.

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69

PilotGroup

Verena K.

Chris G.

I came across a cell phone that had been left at the Currency Exchange booth. I was proactive and called the last number on it, but the person spoke French. I told them to wait, and I was able to find someone to translate. Through this process I learned that the owner of the phone was staying at a hotel in Beverly Hills. I called the hotel and they connected me to the man’s room. I left a detailed message, with my personal cell phone number, and before long he called me back and we made arrangements for him to get the phone. He said, “Merci beaucoup!!!!!!!”

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68

PilotGroup

Lilibeth W

Sabrina A

A traveler could not show an address for the person he was visiting and thus he could not get through the inspection process. I could see how upset he was after he got turned back. I was proactive and I investigated and found that the person he would be staying with was out in the terminal waiting for him. I got the phone number for that person from him, and called. That solved two things, first it calmed the person out in the lobby, to know that his friend was OK, and secondly, I got a proper address to put on the traveler’s document to get him cleared to go. The traveler thanked me profusely, and that gave me a good sense of accomplishment.

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67

PilotGroup

Robert E.

Turken Y

“I can’t find my dog!” was the first thing the man said. He had flown in from New Zealand but because his carrier could not take the dog he had booked passage for the animal on another carrier. It was 1pm, and the broker who booked the dog’s passage confirmed that the dog had arrived at 6am. The man went to the dog’s carrier, but the agent couldn’t find any record. Now he was getting nervous, since he had to make a connecting flight at 5pm – and still he couldn’t find his dog. I calmed him by being proactive telling him I would investigate. I called an airline security agent, and together we came up with the idea of contacting the CARGO office for the dog’s carrier. This worked! They had the dog over in their cargo lot. But that presented another problem – the cargo office was on Empire Blvd and the man was at Bradley terminal. Again, I was proactive and I found a cab that was big enough to carry a dog crate. Off the man went to retrieve the dog. When he returned, with the dog in tow, the man thanked me – and the dog gave me a “thank you” bark!

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66

PilotGroup

Letecia M

Sabrina A

An elderly woman was wandering around the Customs hall when I approached her and asked if I could help. When she saw me she started to cry, but they were tears of relief, that someone would show interest in her. She was lost she said and didn’t know how to do the inspection process. I told her not to worry, and I worked with her to complete all her forms properly and I helped her get though the process without and problems. She was so happy. She hugged me and told me I was a sweet person.

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65

PilotGroup

Letecia M

Sabrina A

We were experiencing a very busy day, when a service man came up to me very anxious. He said he had only an hour to catch his flight to Dallas so he could visit his family, who had not seen in a year. If he missed his flight, he would not be able to get on another, he said. I could see the nervousness in his eyes and I was proactive. I went to a Customs supervisor to explain the soldier’s predicament, and the Customs agent found a line that he could put the soldier in. This worked, and the soldier got through and got going. He looked back and the big smile he gave me said it all.

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64

PilotGroup

Jessica L

Sabrina A

After being in line a long time a traveler was told he was missing a form and that he would need to make the line again. This made him very angry and his reaction was to yell at the first person in a uniform he came to – me! I remained calm and in a gentle voice I explained why he needed the extra form and I offered to help him get it done. This calmed him down, that someone was on his side, and he told me he was upset because he had a connecting flight to make. I told him not to worry, we would get it done, and we did. Soon he was on his way, in a much happier mood, and he said, “Thanks, Doll!”

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63

PilotGroup

Ping Ping H

Sabrina A

Two elderly ladies in their seventies were taking the first flight of their lives and they were nervous and upset by all the processes to get through F.I.S. inspections. I greeted them with a friendly smile to show them my interest. I engaged them with my body language and explained the inspection process step by step, going very slowly, so they could fully understand. I have a saying I say to myself when I’m working: “Be kind, gentle, patient.” When the ladies were through Customs they were all smiles themselves and they told me, “Keep that smile.”

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62

PilotGroup

Ping Ping H

Sabrina A

At the baggage secondary a mother and her son drew a lot of attention since they were both crying. I engaged them and learned that they were upset with the Customs process since they couldn’t express what they wanted to say. I speak Chinese and the minute the woman saw that she stopped crying and brightened up. I translated for her, then translated back what the Customs official was trying to explain, and before long we had everything worked out and the mother and son were no longer upset. In fact, just the opposite. The mother told me how grateful she was as they passed along their way.

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61

PilotGroup

Shumei L

Sabrina A

A lady was upset because she kept saying she needed a “light outlet.” I engaged her so she could see someone taking an interest and as I explored what she wanted I learned that she had asthma and was having trouble breathing. She told me she needed to hook up her breathing machine. By “light outlet” she meant “electrical socket,” and I found her one. Then I helped her set up her machine and this calmed her down and told me, “I love you!”

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60

PilotGroup

Khandsuren B

Sabrina A

A woman had never flown so far, across the ocean, and she was exhausted, both because she had been in the air so long plus she had her 14 month old grandson with her. I could see how exasperated she looked and I engaged her and the minute I began speaking her language she brightened up and tears of joy appeared on her face. I was able to help her complete her documents, which had confused her, and then I helped with translation for her with the Customs and Agriculture officials. More tears of joy! She told me she would never forget me.

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59

PilotGroup

Nancy C

Sabrina A

A woman from Australia wanted to go back to Sydney to join her husband, but she was waiting to get a Visa issue resolved and it was taking time. She was upset because she had no money and no food and had spent the night in the airport. I approached her to learn about her problem and she calmed down telling me all this. Then I came up with the idea of bringing her to Travelers Aide and when I walked her there, they were able to get her something to eat and suddenly for the first time a big smile came on her face.

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58

PilotGroup

Nancy C

Sabrina A

A flight from Mexico was delayed from 8:30 to 14:30 and the meeters and greeters waiting got very anxious. I could see that and I was proactive and I went up to people to keep them apprised of the latest developments with the flight. This might seem like a small thing but it was a big thing to them, that someone would engage them, and many thanked me.

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57

PilotGroup

Christina A

Sabrina A

A woman looking for the rest room lost her way and got lost in the airport. I approached her to learn why she was crying and she said she was lost and needed to get back into the gate area to catch her flight, which was leaving soon. I engaged her, to show her my concern, and this calmed her. Then I was proactive and learned more details about where she had wandered from and where she needed to go, and we got her back on the right track, and she made her flight with a few minutes to spare. I was happy I could make that happen.

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56

PilotGroup

Christina A

Sabrina A

A woman was upset because her documents were not filled out properly and she could not clear Customs as a result. I engaged her so she could see that someone was taking an interest. Still I explained that she needed to provide full information, including an address for someone she would be visiting in the US. I was proactive and I helped her go through her records and find the address in LA where she would be staying, then I was patient and worked with her to complete the document. She stopped crying and left thanking me for getting her through.

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55

PilotGroup

Verena K.

Chris G.

A medical team driver told me he needed to pick up a sick traveler who was scheduled to arrive from Thailand. The driver was anxious because he couldn’t find the proper official in F.I.S. to talk to. I called my supervisor, Chris, and we called the F.I.S. desk to arrange for a rep from the traveler’s carrier to come up and meet the medical team driver. I could see the driver was nervous since this was a sick traveler involved, and he wanted to ensure maximum care. I engaged him so he could see I was doing everything I could to speed up the process and in fact my efforts worked, because soon the airline rep and the F.I.S. all came together to get the traveler and the medical team united. I was delighted to see everyone get their needs met.

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54

PilotGroup

Nina P

Turken Y

A woman was dropped off at the wrong terminal. She had a lot of bags and a baby in a stroller. She was about to cry when I approached her. I learned that she needed to get to Terminal 4 and I offered to walk her there. This calmed her down, especially the way I was able to help with the baby and the luggage. When we got to Terminal 4 she gave me a big hug!

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53

PilotGroup

Nina P

Turken Y

A woman arrived from Sydney six hours late and missed her connecting flight. She was very upset at the long line waiting to book a hotel and I engaged her. I told her I could help her. I told her I knew how to find a hotel that could provide a “delayed passenger” rate. This calmed her. I gave her a number, then waited while she called several hotels and she found a $55 rate. She told me I made her day.

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52

PilotGroup

Anna H

Marivi M-F

A man was confused because he didn’t know if he was supposed to go to the US Airways gates, or if he was on United. He couldn’t determine his carrier and he said he had been given some conflicting instructions. I overheard him explaining all this to a shuttle driver, and I stepped in and engaged him before he could get on the bus and possibly head off to the wrong terminal. I did a quick read of his ticket and I determined that in fact he was on United, and going to US Airways would take him to the wrong place. I sent him in the right direction, and he thanked me over and over for coming to his aid and saving him from a big mistake and lost time.

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51

PilotGroup

Verena K.

Chris G.

A woman arrived at LA from oversees, but she had the wrong form when she approached the Customs/Immigration line. She was from Australia and she was sent back to get the correct form, which made her anxious. I could see her getting upset, and I engaged her to see if I could help. We got her the correct form, but when she got to the head of the line again, the inspector could not accept the form because it had a rental property’s address on it, not a proper street address in California. Again, I continued to engage her to let her know I was with her, and then I was proactive. Together she and I looked through her paperwork and found a telephone number. I used my cell phone to call the number and I got the valid street address for her destination, which allowed her to be processed into the country. It took a long time, but her thank you made it all worthwhile!

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50

PilotGroup

Anna H

Marivi M-F

A couple flying out of LA could not find the counter for their airline and because all the counters in the terminal were closed they suspected they were at the wrong terminal. I could see the confusion on their faces and I engaged them and approached them. They told me they had an evening flight, and when I checked their tickets I confirmed this and explained to them that’s why the counters were all closed, because they were so early. Clearly I saved them from getting more upset and anxious and they told me, “Thank you,” and said without me they would have been wandering around terminal to terminal.

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49

PilotGroup

Yesinia T.

Chris G.

A passenger arriving from overseas had been in the Customs line, but when it was his turn to be served he had the wrong forms. The passenger was sent to the Information Desk. He was supposed to have a connection to San Francisco to go international again and he was very upset that he would miss his connection. I apologized and offered to fill out his forms to make up time that way. Then I got permission to move him to the front of the line so he wouldn’t have to wait any longer. I calmed him down also by explaining to him that United flew to San Francisco every hour. If he did not make his flight, I had talked to the airline, explaining the situation, and they were engaging, too, and said they would book him on the next flight because he had an international flight. The passenger said thank you and knew it wasn’t my fault, but he was grateful I took charge, was proactive for him.

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48

PilotGroup

Marie A.

Chris G.

A lady was upset because her relative was stuck in Customs and she was afraid her family member would not get the medications she needed. The family, including the one who needed the medicine, was delayed in Customs and the upset woman who approached me could not contact them. She was completely in the dark and upset because she did not even know if her family member had actually landed at LAX. I was engaging and apologized for the delay. Then I checked and found out the reason for the delay and explained that everyone from the flight was OK and that the delays were because of computer difficulties. I took ownership of the problem, however, and was proactive and I found the family back in the Customs hall and personally got the medicine to the family member who needed it. Then, concerned with all the other people who did not know the reason for the delay, I got permission to make an announcement to everyone waiting that the computers were down but the problem was being addressed. People hate to be left in the dark, and I was proactive to fix that.

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47

PilotGroup

Chris G.

Paul H. and Viji P.

A young Vietnamese woman couldn’t find her meeting family when she arrived and she wandered around the Customs area frightened and upset. She did not speak English, but I calmed her with sign language and this worked. That gave me time to send our Vietnamese speaking VSR to talk to her. Our VSR told me that the young woman was supposed to arrive on American Airlines but came on a different carrier, and this was probably why her meeting family was not at Bradley. We took a guess that maybe the family was at American’s terminal and I got permission for the VSR to walk the young woman over to that terminal. Sure enough, that was the solution! The VSR witnessed a very tearful and emotional reunion and the meeting family said thank you a hundred times.

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46

PilotGroup

Karen S

Marlene T

A woman fell down in the terminal, and I hurried to help her. She was upset and anxious because she was rushing to catch a flight and worried now that she would miss her flight. I worked with her daughter to call First Aid to attend to her, then I worked with her daughter and a rep from their airline to make sure we could get her to her plane on time, while making sure she wasn’t injured from her fall. I was able to be an effective go between, and we made it all happen. The mother was cleared by First Aid to go, and we got her to her plane on time.

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45

PilotGroup

Yvonne L.

Marivi M.

An elderly lady was upset after she came out of the restroom at T 6 gate area and could not find her husband. I could see her crying and looking desperate and I was engaging and approached her. That calmed her, and she told me she could not find her husband. I asked her to retrace her steps and as she did she realized she had gone in the door at one end, but had come out the doors on the other side. We went back to the doors she had entered by and sure enough there was her husband waiting patiently. A small thing, but a huge thing to her – and she thanked me!

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44

PilotGroup

Lynda C.

Linda P-C

A passenger approached me in the Bradley arrivals area and was very upset because she had left her computer in the Customs area and could not figure out a way to get word back there and get her computer. Obviously she was nervous and getting increasingly upset as time kept going by. I was proactive and went to an airline rep for the airline the lady had flown in on, and found a rep. The rep worked with the passenger to get a solution and the lady turned to me and told me I was the most helpful person she had met all day!

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43

PilotGroup

Mariana V.

CHris G.

A passenger had a problem because they had left their carry on luggage in the Customs hall and they could not get back to retrieve it. I engaged the person and told them I would call back to the “FIS” area. I could not reach anyone, but I did not give up. I called my supervisor, Chris, and he was proactive and offered to go back to the area personally. It was the end of my shift and I needed to check out, but as luck would have it as I was walking by the customs area, I saw the bag the passenger had described to me. I showed it to a customs official. The official inspected it and cleared it, and that cleared the way for me to return the bag to the passenger, who was so very grateful.

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42

PilotGroup

Carlos H.

Chris G.

An elderly passenger fell down on the electric stairway at the north end of the Bradley terminal. I learned this when a call came in from a co-worker and I rushed to help. An airline agent was there comforting the woman and I joined in to offer comfort while we waited for medical personnel to arrive. She was nervous and shaking, but our being there calmed her. The airline agent had to rush to her assignment to meet a flight, but I stayed with the woman and helped calm her further. When first air arrived she relaxed even more. I was able to translate for the Customs official who wrote a report, and soon she was helped away to a medical center where she could get her wounded knee and shoulder fully attended to. As she left she thanked me for all my help.

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41

PilotGroup

Kuren S

Marlene T

A man was impatient because he had come to meet his mother arriving on an international flight and it was already three hours that he waited when he approached me. I engaged him and that calmed him down, that someone would pay attention and take an interest in his problem, and then he gave me the specifics. I went to a Customs official to see what I could learn and he told me that there were several passengers still in the hall waiting to be processed off that flight. I relayed that information to the man, then I checked again and I learned that in fact his mother was one of those remaining. Eventually she did come out and the man was very relieved and very happy with me and the full attention I had given him.

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PilotGroup

Mariana V.

Chris G.

A flight attendant told my supervisor, Chris, and me that a passenger on her flight did not speak English and was disoriented. I was proactive and stepped in and offered to help the man fill out his documents. But there was a problem, since he did not have a US address to show where he was going. Again I was proactive and I paged his family in the waiting area. Soon info came back with an address, and I used that address to help him complete his arrival documents. Then I took him to an inspection station, where he was asked to step into Secondary One. I got a call from a colleague, Verena, asking if it was possible to give the man’s family waiting outside an update on the man’s status. By this point, the man had been sent to Secondary for futher investigation. By this point I was able shed light on his condition with officials. I told officials he did not speak English and he was hard of hearing. The Customs official investigated further, and the judgment was made that the man was OK to clear. I continued helping him by helping him get his luggage and I escorted him out to the waiting area – to be united with his anxious family.

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Cynthis D.

Osamu K.

It was a very busy night for us at the info desk at arrivals – with the holidays upon us. There were people with missed connections, missing luggage and some were lost. At 9:45pm a man asked me if a flight, number 259, had arrived yet from Mexico. I checked and found that it had come in more than three hours earlier, at 6:35. He got very upset because his elderly mother was on that flight and he had been looking around for three hours to try to find her. His mother was Mexican, he said, but she was a permanent resident. He had her green card, he told me, and he asked me to help him. I put two and two together and realized that if he had the green card that meant his mother did not have it, and that could be the reason she might still be back in the Inspection area. I was proactive and called a co-worker in that area, gave her the woman’s name off the green card and asked her to check. Sure enough, that was the reason for the delay. I told the man the good news – that his mother had been detained extra long because she didn’t have the green card, but they were just about finished processing her, and she would be out very soon. He was so happy, he shook my hand and said thank you, thank you, over and over.

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Karen S

Marlene T

A family of six, with a mother, father, three school age boys and an infant girl, had a seven hour layover. They wanted to walk around the airport, but seven hours would be too long for the mother and father to carry the baby. They asked me if I knew of a store at the airport that sold strollers. The airport doesn’t have a store like that, I told them, but I had an idea. I was proactive and called over to lost and found. Sure enough, they had a stroller and I asked if we could borrow it for a few hours. I made arrangements and the mother and father were very happy as the father said, “Now our little baby can be comfortable and doesn’t have to squirm around!”

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Karen S

Marlene T

A mother and her daughter, age 6, were at the Departure level and very confused and anxious. They were trying to find the right shuttle to take to Anaheim. The mother got frustrated and this made the little girl even more anxious. I calmed them down just by approaching them and smiling and finding out what their need was and the little girl said they needed to get to Disneyland and their hotel. The mother calmed down immediately as I described a bus with Snow White on it, and showed them where to wait, and just then it came. The little girl was so happy and the mother was very relieved.

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36

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Cynthis D.

Osamu K.

I was working at the info desk arrival level, and as always the arrivals hall was crowded with many anxious people waiting for friends and family to come out of the Inspection area. By 8pm many customers had come up to us asking for a status update on one particular flight from Germany. Original scheduled arrival time was 7:05. Then it was updated to 7:49. Then 8:20 and so until the next one said 8:55. By this point many people hurried up to say, “What’s wrong with the flight? Is the monitor correct? What’s happening!” I tried to calm everyone down and assured them I was monitoring the flight, which I was. With every update I called the AirportCenter office to see if I could get any information. I even did Flight Track. I remained engaged and kept on it. Finally I was able to get word from AirportCenter that the flight had landed. It was now 8:57 and I got on the PA and made an announcement that the flight was confirmed on the ground. Many of the people who had been anxious came and thanked me for my constant attention to their need. Others in the arrivals hall clapped and yelled out, “Thank you!”

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35

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Lynda C.

Linda P-C

It’s not that the large group of passengers who flooded the baggage claim area at American Airlines terminal was upset, it was more a case of making things work before anyone could get upset by the large crowd arriving all at one time. I could see these were families from the Snowball Express, a large group, including children, who had been flown to Dallas by American Airlines and given events and hotels and meals. All the children had lost parents in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wanted to make sure they got the best treatment possible and make sure that no problems arose. I used my resiliency strengths to PREVENT anyone from getting upset, and it worked. I was able to help, and I along with others got everyone the information and rides they needed in smooth, coordinated fashion. The children didn’t have to say thank you, their smiles said it all.

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Andrew C

Midori M

An elderly Vietnamese woman had to get from Bradley to T 1, but every time I told her the direction to go, she would head off about 25 steps, then turn around and come back to me – confused! I continued to engage her and be patient and comforting. I encouraged her telling her that everything would be OK, but to no avail. Another 25 steps out, another 25 steps back! I took a proactive step and walked her to the curb. Gently, I showed her exactly what to do to catch the shuttle, but again she got fearful. Then suddenly she put a phone in my face and said, “Here.” To my surprise I discovered it was her son from North Carolina and he said his mother was very upset and was afraid to take the shuttle. I told him not to worry, and I got permission to ride with her. When we got to Terminal 1, we found that her flight was about to leave and I worked with the airline agent to check her in and the agent was thoughtful and suggested we get her a wheelchair. Again, the woman extended her phone to me and this time the son wanted me to take money for helping his mother. I said no, this is what we do, and he said he would call my supervisor to express his thanks – which I found out later he did and that made me feel good. But want made me feel best was when the lady sat down in the wheelchair she looked at me with a tear in her eye, I admit there was one in my eye too.

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33

PilotGroup

lLata B

Marlene T

A traveler on a buddy pass checked his luggage in Phoenix for an international connection out of Bradley at LAX. But he was denied boarding because of his attire. He had sloppy jeans and a t shirt. He needed slacks and he needed them fast. He came to me and I was proactive. I used the Calm, Information, Options lesson in class and suggested some options – such as one of the shops at the airport. But the shops were closed and so I thought of another option. I suggested USO. But they didn’t have any pants. Then I got an idea: I took him back to our office where we had some used men’s uniforms and was able to secure a pair of trousers that fit and were a big improvement over his old jeans. He was very happy, and it worked – he was able to fly out!

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32

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Nancy C

Sabrina A

A man was so upset because he had left his passport and his briefcase at his hotel in Westwood. He was shouting because he had a flight to Germany to make and he was afraid someone would walk off with his briefcase back at the hotel. I engaged him and calmed him and told him I would do what I could. I asked him the name of the hotel and he said the W. I asked if he had a receipt and he was impatient but I was calm and explained that info on the receipt would help me get the problem resolved more quickly. He found a receipt and I called them hotel and read the info off the receipt and that did help. They said they located the briefcase and the man, standing in the background called out that he would pay for a taxi driver to bring it to the airport. I made those arrangements with the hotel and sure enough and soon enough the taxi arrived. The man got his briefcase and passport and had just enough time to make his flight. He ran to the gate. A good ending! I felt good!

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Ann R.

Marlene T

A woman’s flight was cancelled and she spent 24 hours at LAX that she did not want to spend. When she came to me she kept saying over and over,“All I want is to go home!!!!!” I used my engagement strength and sympathized, then I used my proactive strength. When she told me the name of her carrier that clicked with me because I had just heard a rep from that carrier gather a group to go for rebooking. I showed my traveler where to go to follow that group, and she hurried up and did. Later she came and told me it worked and now she had a confirmed reservation to get home. She was so happy she said “God bless you,” and hugged me!

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30

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Sandra W

Midori M

We got hit with a busy crowd at arrivals. The PAX kept coming and coming! I had hundreds pass in front of me for drections and when it came time for my break I still had a heavy flow coming. So I gave up my break. Then when the flow stopped and I could take a break I realized I had lost my voice. But all the thank you’s I got made it worth it. Plus a woman, a psychiatric nurse, went up to my supervisor and told her how patient and kind I was. That made me feel great.

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Joyce C

H W H

A couple had never been to the US and they had little ability with English. They did not know where to go and seemed terribly lost. I used my engagement strength and asked if I could see their ticket and other travel info. This gave me all the info I needed to direct them properly and I did. They didn’t say thank you because they didn’t know the language but their smiles said it all!

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28

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Michael G

Turken Y

A woman could not speak English well and she was worried what would happen to her when she got into a taxi and could not communicate. I used my engagement quality and approached her once I saw her coming to me with her concern. She was also upset because her travel agency had made a mistake and had failed to book her a hotel or transport. Again I calmed her down, using my second language capability, and we called her travel agency in LA and they booked the hotel and the transport, so she could give the driver specific instructions and would not have to worry about language issues. She thanked me greatly.

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27

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Sharon R

Marlene T

Two elderly ladies were upset because they could not find signage to their gate and they were confused when they approached me. I engaged them and calmed them down by showing them how I would focus on them and listen to them and I did. I listened to them complain and then I directed them to the gate they needed, and they also asked me a good place to eat. I suggested Gladstones and to show how happy they were with me for my helpfulness they came and found me after they ate lunch and they thanked me for being so kind to them.

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26

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Joyce C

H W H

A man checking in for his flight to Korea became very upset with himself when he realized he had left his passport on the Big Blue Santa Monica bus. I told him not to worry, I would call the bus company, and I did. They were very helpful. They put me on hold while they got in touch with the driver who had just left LAX and he said he found the passport. Then they arranged for a driver to return to the airport to return the passport. The man was ecstatic and I was pleased I could play the proactive role of a go between.

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25

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Julia G.

Marivi M.

A lady was upset because she could not find her mom. Her mom was coming in from Peru and it was an hour and a half after the plane was scheduled to land. I engaged her and calmed her down, then took control of the situation by informing my co-worker that I would be taking the woman to the Departure level to find a rep from her mom’s carrier. I did that, handed her off, and the woman said thank you. What made me happy most of all was 30 minutes later I saw the woman and her mother together very happy hugging.

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24

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Jeanne C.

Marivi M.

A man was confused because he was flying to London but he didn’t know where to go to get to the Continental counter. I knew from my experience that Continental does not fly to London, so I was proactive and investigated and took him to the British Airways counter first where they told us he needed to get to United for his flight. I was determined to get him the right information and so I was committed to take him to as many places as necessary to get that done. He said, “Thank you!”

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23

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Mariana V.

Antonio M.

A few passengers were upset because the airline made their reservation for their connecting flight for the wrong day. They lost a day because they had just arrived from France. When they arrived, they discovered that because of the booking error their connecting flight to New Zealand had departed the day before. I used my resiliency strengths and was proactive. I took control of the situation and made their case to the carrier because I could see we had a language issue. Their carrier was engaging too and saw the error and paid for a hotel room and put them on the next available flight with another airline to Hawaii. They thanked me.

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22

PilotGroup

Carlos H.

Chris G.

A family arriving from overseas was upset because they had been told that someone would be waiting to meet them at Customs at LAX to help them with their newborn baby. The baby was sick and they had been told that someone would place them at the head of the line to speed things for them. But there was no one. I could see the problem and I engaged them to calm them down and I told them I would see this through. I was proactive and talked to a supervisor from Customs and together we came up with a plan to place the family in the Crew Line. That worked and got them through the line quickly and the wife thanked me for being so helpful.

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20

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Lous H.

Rhea W.

A traveler was given the wrong information and went to the wrong terminal before approaching me. He was mad. I used my optimism strength, my belief that most passengers are nice people, to strengthen myself. I made eye contact, smiled, kept a calm voice like I learned in resiliency class. I showed the man the right directions to the terminal he needed. He was still angry and questioned why he should trust me. I upped my optimism and engagement. Then calmly I showed him the correct info on his documents. That worked. “Thank you,” he said. “They need people like you at the airport.”

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19

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Gladys J.

Marivi M.

A couple was confused, I could see it on their faces. They wanted to go to Palm Springs but they were lost and confused on how to get a rental car. They wanted to go quickly, and I explained they had two options, a taxi, which would cost more, or the shuttle. It might take a bit longer, but it would be free. They were so happy to be “saved” by someone who took an interest in them, and they tried to give me money, but I said, “No, this is my job to help you.”

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18

PilotGroup

Meraj Q

Marivi M.

A passenger approached me very upset because he had the wrong flight because of code sharing. I engaged him to calm him down and told him I would do my best to help. I took him to the right carrier for his flight overseas, but his flight had left. I did not desert him. I stayed with him while the carrier worked to rebook him and that calmed him. He wasn’t a hundred percent calm, but he was toward me and thanked me for being so helpful.

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17

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Adel S.

Chris G.

A man was standing in line at Customs and it wasn’t moving. This made him very upset, which I could see, and I was proactive and investigated and found out the reason. I told him the system was down. He didn’t like this, and started to get more upset, but I was proactive again and used humor after he said, “Damn, I’ll be here forever.” I said, “It’s only 15 minutes,” and said it with a smile, which made him laugh and he said, “Yeah, you’re right!”

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16

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Jeanne C.

Marivi M.

A man had a damaged suitcase and was getting no relief. He approached me and told me he had arrived a day earlier and had been trying to make contact with his carrier, but was getting nowhere. He was very upset. I was resilient and engaged him and calmed him. Then I told him I would make some calls, and in fact, I did find a rep. I walked him to the location where the rep told me to meet her, and the rep took it from there and promised to get the suitcase repaired. The man was fully calmed down now and he thanked me and the rep.

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14

PilotGroup

Verena K.

Chris G.

A couple came into LAX on a domestic carrier, but because it was late getting in, they were running tight on their connection to France. As it turned out, by the time they got to Bradley terminal from T-7, their flight had departed. They were so upset, I could see it, and I engaged them and told them I would see what I could do. I called around and found a carrier that luckily had two open seats to France and was about to leave – but there was time for them to catch the flight. The German couple thanked me and said it was it was obvious from my helpfulness that I liked my job, which I do!

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13

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Ethel P.

Chris G.

A man was upset because his wife had been detained in secondary. He had no reason why and it had been three hours already. I used my engagement skills to calm him down by listening to him, then I assured him I would find out an answer. I called my co-worker in the Customs area and asked her to see if she could get an answer from an officer. She did and I was able to report to the man that his wife would be out in another 20 minutes. The man thanked me over and over.

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10

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Anh N.

Chris G.

A passenger could not pass immigration without an address to show where she intended to stay while in the US. In actuality she did not have a clue where to stay. I adapted to the situation and asked if she had a relative’s phone number. She did not. Now I could see I really needed to adapt and be proactive, too. Rather than leave her, I called the airline agent to help her out and the airline did. I felt good that I could be the middle person to get the solution resolved and the woman said thank you.

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9

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Shahnam. S.

Chris G.

A passenger was upset claiming that he was a US citizen and should be in the US line, but he was standing behind foreign travelers which he thought was wrong and would take him extra time to get through Customs. I was engaging and calmed him down by waiting for him to finish venting. Then I explained that sometimes when there are empty quads and not many passengers, we put visitors up front and this is done by the CBP officer’s request. That calmed him down, because he saw the point and he saw that my goal was to help him get through the line as quickly as possible and in a soft voice he said, “Thank you for explaining.”

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8

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Gabriella G.

Chris G.

A traveler was given the wrong Customs forms and had waited in line only to be sent back by a CBP Officer. I could see how upset the man was. I was optimistic and engaging because I went ahead and approached the passenger and told him I would help. I found the proper forms then personally helped him fill out his documents and I also helped him find a hotel where he could stay. After I finished, I put him back in front of the line so he wouldn’t have to wait again. He was very pleased and appreciated what I had done for him to relieve his anxieties.

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7

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David M.

Theresa O.

Two elderly travelers in a wheelchair did not have an address they were going to and, therefore, could not go through Customs without an address. I was proactive and got them to pull out the telephone number of the relative they were going to visit. Through use of sign language, they provided a number and I went to the phone book and found an address from the white pages. The travelers left happy, relieved and grateful.

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Robert F. Ewald

LAX Ambassador

December 11, 2009
LAX Resiliency Edge submission
This is a story about the relationship between the dozen or so agencies and groups vying to give information to the patrons of LAX, not just about PilotGroup. It also demonstrates how, absolutely and unavoidably, complete and accurate information is the foundation of all and any information programs.

I was working Terminal One, the Southwest and US Air terminal. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon. A large part of the public side of the terminal was closed off for renovation of the floors, including the area where the Travelers Aid desk is usually located and the access to the Southwest flight information boards.
A grandfather (we grandfathers tend to pay attention to each other) was pushing a stroller at a rapid rate around the open areas of the terminal. He wasn’t endangering anybody; he was apparently trying to keep the child engaged and not focused on herself. Eventually he stopped by a seated couple, apparently the parents, to catch his breath. As this had been going on for a considerable time, I walked over and asked if I could help them. The response was: “No, thank you, we are waiting for a flight. It’s just that it seems to be delayed.” Not being pushy or intrusive, I walked on.
But after another long wait, I decided it was time to find out what the problem was. I had noted the couple going to the US Air flight information board several times, so I asked if the flight they were awaiting was further delayed. The response was:
“We’re not too sure. Perhaps you could explain. We are waiting for an au pair girl coming from Austria. The au pair agency gave us a US Air flight number which doesn’t appear on the board. We were told that the reason is probably that the flight from Vienna probably went to London, that a connection probably went to New York, and that we are probably waiting for a flight from there but we don’t know which flight it is. We’ve been waiting two hours and are beginning to get worried that she may have missed the flight or that we have missed the flight. The agency said she would arrive here in Los Angeles at about 1:30. It’s night time in Vienna and they don’t answer our calls.”
The US Air flight information board wipes off all flights once they have given up their passengers so I had to consult my own print-out of arriving flights. US Air does most of the transferring of incoming international flights at Charlotte, but the record didn’t support either a New York or a Charlotte flight at the time they were told the au pair would arrive. Knowing that about two-thirds of the flights listed as US Air are actually code-share with United Airlines, I called them on my cell phone. They had a flight from New York scheduled to arrive at exactly the time the couple had been told to expect their au pair. I suggested the husband go to Terminal Seven to see if the missing passenger was there. Twenty minutes later he called that she was patiently waiting at the Terminal Seven baggage area. Mother, Grandfather, and soon-to-be governed child went rushing to meet their new au pair with many thanks and a little puzzlement about how such a screw up could have occurred.
I did not try to explain code-sharing. Now I have new terms to categorize what I did. I was proactive, stayed calm in the face of anxiety, gave alternative courses of action, and had assembled the necessary information in a usable form.

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5

PilotGroup

Laura T.

Coordinator

A couple missed their connecting flight and they were very upset when they came to me. I told them we needed to find an agent for their airline, and I told them I would help. We found an agent, but the bad news was there were no more flights that day. I continued to remain engaged with them and their problem and stayed with them until they rebooked a flight for the next day, then I worked with them to find a hotel that fit their means where they could stay overnight.

This kind of attention made them very happy and they thanked me over and over and over.

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4

PilotGroup

Romulo R.

Coordinator

A passenger was upset because the person who was supposed to come to the airport to pick her up did not show. I calmed her down and brainstormed with her on a few options. I asked if the person coming had a cell phone and she said maybe but she did not have the phone number.

I continued to engage her and I asked if possibly there was a third person, a relative maybe, who might know both of them. She suggested someone and we tried to get that person on the phone, and we were able to. That person did in fact know the phone number for the person coming to the airport and called her and I was able to get everyone connected and on their way.

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3

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Ann R.

Coordinator

The airline the passenger and his wife needed to Australia was not listed on the board and they got very upset thinking they were in the wrong terminal and had missed their family member. I engaged them and assured them that they were in the correct terminal, it was just a case that the monitor had not been updated yet.

This information calmed them, along with my assurance, and they were assured further and very happy when I took them to the visitor information booth where they had a listing of the flight and they could see that everything was all right.

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2

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Ineke W.

Coordinator

A traveler had been waiting three days for his luggage and he was having no luck with his airline. He had rented an expensive RV and it was costing him money to wait and he was very upset.

I calmed him by telling him what I would do, I told him I would call the airline, and see if I could get through. This did not work, but I continued to engage him and I told him I would try ticketing. But that was closed. I then was pro active and I took the passenger to the airline office and I explained the situation and in the end he got his luggage. He was so happy, he gave me a big hug!

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1

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John O.

Coordinator

A couple got the wrong info about what terminal they were supposed to be in to catch their flight to Germany. They thought they needed Luftansa, but I checked their tickets and I saw they really needed to be on United.

I calmed them down and walked them out of the Bradley terminal and showed them how to get the shuttle to Terminal 7. They were still upset, thinking I might be wrong, but I continued to engage them and assured them I was right and they caught the shuttle and they said thank you.

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RESILIENCY EDGE "Pilot" Program

Incentive Program

Welcome to our LAX 'Pilot Incentive" program.

On this page you will read examples of N.I.C.E stories - examples of great customer service showing how participants in "Resiliency Edge" pilot training have applied "tools" they learned in class to "neurtalize irritations customers experience," solve problems that arise and reduce stress for travelers.

We offer a special thank you to employees from LAWA's Ambassador and Visitor Information Guide programs - and their supervisors - for playing a lead role to launch this pilot and enhance the image of LAX.

Between December and February participants are encouraged to share their N.I.C.E stories on this page. All who enter stories will be considered for the pilot incentive. In February, a committee of airport officials will review the stories and select six finalists for awards at a pilot award event.

So continue to follow news on this page for updates- including an announcement of the awards as well as the award event date in February - and thank you for giving your great efforts to satisfy our airport customers.

And don't forget to tell your story here each time you help a customer get through LAX safely, swiftly and courteously.

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