No Ticket Agent - Only Kiosk

[W:EXCH:INVOL]

Give it a few years, the Kiosks will be able to do invols.

[post="244489"][/post]​

Hope not. I might have to change my name.

 

[longing4piedmont]

I thank Al Crellin for doing his job and saving the company money. MMW, are we the only airline that are utilizing Kiosks? I didn't think so... We must embrace change as it develops.

Kiosks are a win-win situation for both the customers and airlines. The processing of a number of passengers can be de-centralized, leading to a better use of staff resources and reduced bottlenecks.

A self-service check-in costs an airline about 20 cents per passenger, compared with between $3-4 dollars for one involving an agent.

The bottom line is that Kiosks allows passengers to find more time to relax before takeoff and enables them to have a wonderful flying experience.

[post="243916"][/post]​

You need to get out of CCY and fly on your airline more often. Try the experience from a customer's prospective. Don't have your secretary book it for you and then call over and tell the ticket agents to have your first class ticket waiting on you. And don't just do it for a quick trip somewhere over the weekend. Put in 8-12 legs in a week and go visit 4 or five stations, to get a real feel for what some of your better customers go through every week. Then when you have done that for a week or two come back and try posting your comments again. Let's see if you still feel the same. BTW, book most of the trips through PHL to see first hand the real US experience. And no fair letting them know who you are in advance. Have a little fun with it and go "undercover"

And if you are who I think you are, then your comments above are of great concern to me. Who knows maybe we will get a chance to discuss the issue one on one in the near future. B)

 

[MarkMyWords]

I wanted to push this topic back to the top hoping that Hawk would come out of hiding and respond to my questions / comments.

 

[Harry Callahan]

Come in HAWK & answer the question

 

[longing4piedmont]

Hawk? You There? Just wondering if you wanted to adress the questions?

 

[PITbull]

Hawk can't get out of his own way. Sitting behind a desk listening to the "bean counters"; not the customers or the rank and file who know.

Hey! Eagles just scored!!!!!!

Go Eagles!

 

[jimcfs]

A comment first... I was skipping over this thread, but a convo with l4pi this afternoon made me take a look.

Kiosks are a win-win situation for both the customers and airlines. The processing of a number of passengers can be de-centralized, leading to a better use of staff resources and reduced bottlenecks.

A self-service check-in costs an airline about 20 cents per passenger, compared with between $3-4 dollars for one involving an agent.

The bottom line is that Kiosks allows passengers to find more time to relax before takeoff and enables them to have a wonderful flying experience.

[post="243916"][/post]​

Hawk's comments here are dead on, when things work... l4pi and others here make good comments that some of the CCY brass need to get out from behind the desk and experience things for themselves. Book the ticket online from a Macintosh and see the definition of web hell (that one's for you, Gretchyn ).

HOWEVER... I want to see the cost analysis on these numbers. I can't believe it costs 20 cents to do a kiosk checkin. Those flimsy tickets don't cost more a penny or two max. The agent who has to help out must be figured in the cost, right?

What is the similar cost for a customer to do OLCI? No ticket/BP cost... customer provides paper and ink. We need that number too for an accurate spin on all of this.

 

[mweiss]

HOWEVER... I want to see the cost analysis on these numbers. I can't believe it costs 20 cents to do a kiosk checkin. Those flimsy tickets don't cost more a penny or two max. The agent who has to help out must be figured in the cost, right?

[post="245952"][/post]​

The machines don't fill themselves. They don't clear jams themselves. They aren't free to buy, free to install, or free to maintain. All of those costs have to be included in the overall picture, amortized over all of the transactions that they process.

I doubt that the quoted cost there is being highballed.

 

[youngblood]

Hawk won't answer because he doesn't have an answer. That is the common denominator between members of managment when posed a question that requires truth, facts, and eating a little crow. They crawl into their holes and hide or blame it all on the employees.

Irregular ops are bound to happen and when it does the kiosks won't take care of it. Bottom line is there are some things for which the human touch is required. Sooooooo, the next time we have a blizzard that pounds the NorthEast and customers are calling me to complain about the long lines and not being able to find an agent at the ATO I think I'll give them Corporates switch board, apologize for the delay, and tell them in no uncertain terms that due to recent cutbacks we just don't have the manpower to handle such a situation. And that's after they wait on hold for 2 hrs trying to get throught o reservations. Obviously the company does not give a fat rat's ass about making their customers happy or encouraging their employees to do the same.

 

[tadjr]

And to all those who say "kiosks dont call in sick", wrong! We've had 1 kiosk that hasnt worked since they installed it about 6 months ago. Yesterday, in the middle of the Superbowl overflow we had 2 others that decided to take a mental health day and shut down. Now we were down to 9 kiosks with lines out the door. They finally came back on at the end of the night, but if you are going to count 12 kiosks as ? amount of agents and there is no way to call in a kiosk overtime, you better have some help to cover for their lazy a** when they decide to shut down.

 

[BoeingBoy]

you better have some help to cover for their lazy a** when they decide to shut down.

[post="246263"][/post]​

Machines.....don't you just love them. No supervisor to answer to, can't browbeat them into compliance, etc. They just do whatever they darn well please whenever they want to.....

Jim