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ALSO
IN THIS ISSUE Life Down Under Word Power Doggone Helpful Greetings from Costa Rica Taking Technology into Account(ing) Lucky Fall CurricuNet Chancellor's Column Development News Factoids Newsmakers Accomplishments
by faculty and staff… |
COVER
STORY Share
the Spirit For
San Diego tourism, that translates into more money for the city and its
businesses from satisfied visitors, and more money to taxi and shuttle
drivers through tips. The airport program, hailed as “The Spirit of San Diego: Expect the Best,” is designed to make exceptional ambassadors for America’s Finest City out of airport drivers and customer service representatives, among the first San Diegans visitors arriving by air will encounter. All of the 1,200 airport-licensed taxi and shuttle drivers, plus dispatchers and customer service representatives (dubbed CSRs, the uniformed personnel in the parking area who steer arriving passengers to taxis and shuttles) were required to attend four hours of customer service training and pass a test. Port officials got a firsthand feel for what was being taught — they attended, too. “The response has been wonderful. It’s really been overwhelming,” said director of airport operations Ted Sexton, one of the program’s originators. “We decided it would be a good idea to make this training mandatory for taxi and shuttle drivers to maintain their vehicle operations permits.” The district and the airport were already familiar with each other, says Robin Carvajal, ETi director. “We had an existing relationship with them, focusing on their air traffic control needs,” Carvajal said. “For this program, we showed them how it was important to establish a certification exam, and worked with them on that, then expanded the program to include the training. Before there can be an exam in programs such as these, we want to make sure that everything included on that exam is part of the system.” ETi has succeeded in such projects previously, as when the program trained 3,400 customer service representatives at AM/PM stores, in partnership with Arco. “To remain competitive as a tourist location, sometimes it is the little-noticed occupations that can make a difference. We are working with a number of partners to try and improve career opportunities in this cluster, while also raising the level of service provided to visitors in our city,” said Augie Gallego, district chancellor. The focus of “Expect the Best” is on drivers and CSRs. “When you think about it, these people are the first a visitor to San Diego interacts with, and they are the last the visitors interact with before they return home,” Sexton said. “If the drivers are sensitive to the customer and the traditional needs of the traveler, this enriches the experience of the passenger and also of the driver.” Sexton noted that this training program is one component of a larger effort which targets vehicle condition, proper driver dress, a travelers bill of rights and other elements. Already, drivers must pass daily muster, with a tidy personal appearance and a vehicle that’s clean inside and out. “One of those features of the program is incentives,” Sexton said. “We not only make an effort to give out awards, but also recognize those who perform well with nice gifts. That’s part of the program, and it has been very well received by the drivers.” Likewise, Sexton says, the partnership between the district and the airport and port is a natural. “This course will be offered at the Centers for Education and Technology starting in January, and becomes an ongoing requirement for permit renewal,” Sexton said. “It’s a benefit for participants, because many of these drivers are owners of their own vehicles or companies, and it’s in their best interest to be as sensitive to customer needs as possible. Leisure and business travel is their livelihood.” Steve Cushman, chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners, says such programs are vital. Cushman was one of those in charge of transportation and customer issues the last time the Super Bowl was played in San Diego. “We followed up with a very extensive customer service program coordinated with the convention and visitors bureau, and these programs are important and effective,” Cushman said. At the end of 2002, the Port of San Diego relinquishes control of the airport to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, and there are already discussions on how to keep the program thriving. Carvajal says the Spirit of San Diego program has worked well for many reasons, including the participation of lead instructor Sergio Rosas. “We were able to utilize the talents of an individual who has had success in other projects our program was involved in,” Carvajal said. “That experience is important.” The Tijuana-born Rosas grew up in south San Diego, and manages the Family Resource Center at Wilson Middle School on behalf of Children’s Hospital. He retired from the U. S. Air Force after 20 years of service, worked for the Defense Language Institute, taught customer service training programs in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, and now serves as an associate employee trainer for the ETi program. “Sometimes the employees in a particular program haven’t given a lot of thought to customer service, but most are willing to try and improve those skills,” Rosas said. “For this program, we focused on three areas, the first of which was rules and responsibilities. “We realized that so many airport operations are internal, with interaction between different departments crucial to the overall operation. If people aren’t communicating well between agencies and departments, things begin to unravel, so we focused on tightening the infrastructure.” The second point, Rosas said, was defining the components of quality, then once those points were established, improving on them. The third point was essential customer service skills. “We talked about why people get upset, what the drivers can expect, and what can they do when they hear the complaints,” Rosas said. “We talked about dealing with issues in both verbal and non-verbal ways.” The training was a challenge, because some employees had more than 20 years experience on the job, while others were taking the training program before they had even begun working. Rosas and fellow trainers bridged this gap by inviting the veterans to share stories and solutions with the rookies. The program attendees included workers from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia and several African nations. “Some of these people are from countries that have been at war with each other, but here they are in these classrooms, forming friendships and discussing ideas with each other,” Rosas said. “We had people with Ph.D.s, doctors, attorneys, architects, engineers and even a Russian muralist. These are people from tremendously diverse backgrounds, who are smart and professional, and put a tremendous amount of energy and insight into a program that is essential for San Diego.” While it’s too early to predict the impact on tourism, the program received accolades as the recipient of the California Community Colleges Economic Development Business Partner Award, presented to Carvajal and representatives of the airport in April.
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