QIK /SHARES migration
- Thread starter Dont call me Shirley
- Start date
If you consider yourself a "grunt" then you are lost. If you suffer it's because you allowed it to. Have you ever heard the "Attitude" saying?
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break an organization, a school, a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play the string we have. And that is our attitude . I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you.†We are in charge of our attitude...
legacy-to-LCC
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- Feb 20, 2004
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i am going to Mass at 4:30, so i can be preached to then...
how about offering some specific explanations to why this res system is a POS?
OP
Dont call me Shirley
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Welcome to the board, NX. While I am a bit concerned about the seeming "love it or leave it" tone of your comments, I am glad to have someone with some inside pespective on the situation join the discussion.
I am sure that other posters will have questions or comments for you, but let me start with this:
The problems that have been discussed relate both to SHARES and the QIK overlay. A SHARES problem might be something like incomplete or odd availability displays. Or the inability to generate a four segment bag tag. A QIK mighti ssue be odd happenings in transactions. Case in point, QIK hanging up on SSTs and helo desk says "try it from another computer".
Setting aside the issue of CO SHARES seeming to have fewer problems and CO agents having the choice between native SHARES and the the "gooey" interface, where do you think most of the problems lie? And why does it take such a long time to fix. things?
In QIK/SHARES training, people were told that - compared with SABRE - it would be faster and less expensive to have changes and updates implimented in QIK/SHARES.
nx,
Why is QIK so extremely unreliable? The name suggests that it is 'easy and fast', which is hardly the case. Repeating the same entries over and over again to finally get what you wanted in the first place, or having to move to a different set in order to get the job done. It is time consuming,frustrating and an inconvienience to both customers and employees.
Hold up your end and I will hold up mine, until then, I am at your mercy. Please for the love of God, FIX IT!!!!!
Why is QIK so extremely unreliable? The name suggests that it is 'easy and fast', which is hardly the case. Repeating the same entries over and over again to finally get what you wanted in the first place, or having to move to a different set in order to get the job done. It is time consuming,frustrating and an inconvienience to both customers and employees.
Hold up your end and I will hold up mine, until then, I am at your mercy. Please for the love of God, FIX IT!!!!!
2clippedwings
Veteran
Thanks, but no need to lecture me, my man. I hail from Pollyannaville.
My analogy of a "grunt" has to do with the necessary glue that holds something/anything together, sometimes, unrecognized, unappreciated and disparaged.
I see this company for what it now is. Because I have values, I do the best job that I can everytime I come to work. The difference now is that in order to keep my sanity, I LET GO of the bu11sh** that I cannot control.
You appear to be new at posting on this board so I'll give you a brief rundown on the personality of it.
We complain because we care. We get involved in positive change and we vent so we don't do something we'll regret later.
Welcome to boards anyway.
And Legacy to LCC "i am going to Mass at 4:30, so i can be preached to then...
how about offering some specific explanations to why this res system is a POS? "
Thanks everyone for your inputs. I can just feel the positive vibes from all of you.
I do not do the programing for QIK Check(ATO) or QIK RES(reservations). Yet do know the people that do. For the QIK RES folks, have you noticed all the changes made in the April release. ALL changes were suggested AND programed by EAST personnel. None of the changes were made for Tempe/West reservations. As for QIK Check, all requests for change come from a "System Review Process." If a suggestion is made and it make sense system wide, then the QIK programmers work on ways to implement a solution. If the issues you are having are not taken to the review process via your management then the QIK Team is not getting the information they need to make the product work for you.
OP
Dont call me Shirley
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- Aug 20, 2002
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Dexter,
be nice to nx. While I fully agree with your feelings about how "backward, frustrating and assinine" QIK is, nx has had the courage to join this discussion. (I could say that were I wearing his shoes, I'd be hiding somewhere in Bolivia out of embarrassement. But that would not be nice at all.
)Maybe he can give us some understanding of wha the folks in his dept are dealing with. As I said at start of this thread, QIK/SHARES is better than was a year ago. The IT people do deserve some credit for that.
jimntx
Veteran
As someone who doesn't really have a dog in this hunt other than I have number of friends who work for US East, and as someone who spent over 20 years in the Information Technology field, let me pose a question. I think I see a source of the problem...
Who is involved in the System Review Process? If it is only IT and user management, it is no wonder that changes are not working or not being done. When I was managing IT development and maintenance teams, I insisted that PWDTW (people who do the work
) had to be involved at every decision-making juncture. No IT system exists for any reason other than to assist the PWDTW in doing that work better, faster, more efficiently, more accurately. If it is not doing that, it is, in fact, a POS. And, unless the people who do the work who have been posting the problems are lying, this system has been failing to justify its existence for over a year. That is inexcusable. This system should never have been implemented with the number of obvious bugs that it seems to have. Again, assuming that tadjr, InternationalShannon, et al, are not lying.If user management is making the decision as to which problems are addressed or not with no input at the final point by PWDTW (people who do the work), then you are wasting your time trying to get the system to work properly. If any of these management people have ever been PWDTW, it was probably so long ago that they were still handwriting all documents.
Edward
Veteran
Folks again personal attacks are not permitted on this board & this poster just got time off.
E
EastUS
Guest
Firstly; I do admire the chutzpah inherent in posting here. Kudos for that much.
"I am with IT and when you have a clue what your taking about come over and do some programing for us."
That's great sir. I pretend to no such expertise,..but..I sure do know what gate agents, literally reduced to tears, by the brilliant products of IT look and sound like. I'll frankly note that I had far more sympathy for the IT dept, when I'd earlier thought that SHARES was pretty much foisted on you/all instead of SABRE. Given that it's now apparent that the IT people actually said "Go Ahead" for SHARES vs SABRE...I now, flat-out, not only question the overall judgement, but even the actual sanity involved.......
"There was much research done on the pluses and minuses between SABRE and SHARES. I came from the "East" and you do not know the extensive testing and process evaluations that IT went through to make the decision for SHARES/QIK. "
You're right...I've zero idea as to how much "extensive testing" was done.
I AM, however, pretty darn clear on how many "extensive lines" of nearly riotous customers resulted though..reaching all the way out of the frikkin' terminal in fact..and hey; how about those kiosks not interfacing huh?..Was that a great "joke" all by itself or what? Thank the Lord you folks were never responsible for any "extensive testing" of any aircraft prototypes before turning them loose...sheesh."There was much research done on the pluses and minuses between SABRE and SHARES." Ummm...OK..and; There were presumably actual live human beings, and not just drugged lab animals, that were actually convinced that SHARES was a "good idea"? That's a terrifying thought to even consider.
In summation then: SHARES is great..and all everyone has to do is drink a quart more Koolaide each day before starting their shifts..and all will be well. Sigh..At least I now understand the IT perspective on things...Thanks.
""You maybe able to tell, I'm sick of people complaining, not accepting and not doing their job." Oh Boy!..Do we ever FULLY agree on that part!! Your/the IT job, was to provide a workable system that'd facilitate a large domestic and notable international network (or at least: NOT to obliterate one that was in place, and actually WORKED)...and NOT, instead, to produce a time wasting/fuel-burning debacle of biblical proportions that's the laughing stock of the industry to this day. What SHARES has cost this company in work hours wasted, passengers flight bookings lost, fuel burned awaiting PAX data, and obliteration of goodwill from even our most steadfast passengers of the past....I/no one can even adequately measure. Great job.....
As someone who doesn't really have a dog in this hunt other than I have number of friends who work for US East, and as someone who spent over 20 years in the Information Technology field, let me pose a question. I think I see a source of the problem...
Who is involved in the System Review Process? If it is only IT and user management, it is no wonder that changes are not working or not being done. When I was managing IT development and maintenance teams, I insisted that PWDTW (people who do the work
If user management is making the decision as to which problems are addressed or not with no input at the final point by PWDTW (people who do the work), then you are wasting your time trying to get the system to work properly. If any of these management people have ever been PWDTW, it was probably so long ago that they were still handwriting all documents.
Bless you, you have said it all, hit the nail on the head, etc. BRAVO!!!
wildirishrose
Advanced
- Jan 1, 2006
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NX,
Did you say you were from the East and with IT? Really? Hmmmm. Any you say your wife is "a front line trainer? Well, I find that very interesting. I'm just curious, which is your specialty? What part are YOU working on? Just curious
First off welcome to the boards. Now, lets get to the good parts...
So, you admit you do not work in programming QIK and you are not an agent? So, other than knowing the people who do program QIK and supposedly being "A" programmer yourself, what first hand experience do you have with either working 40 hours a week with the system or actually knowing the programming issues associated with QIK yourself? If the answer is none, then perhaps you'd like to rethink telling us who do have experience that we dont know what we're talking about and are a bunch of crybabies.
Your wife teaching a bunch of new people that CTRL A F1 is the best of the system and so easy to learn does not count. Granted, the things taught in new hire class do work fantastic (when the computers in class actually work as well), but unfortunately those of us who have been around a while need to be able to do a little bit more than those fresh faces out of training. I can CTRL C F1 all day long and be thrilled that the system works, but we both know that isnt the extent of what we're talking about here.Now, as far as this comment...."Everyone is so bull headed to change, to accept something new and to just get on with your job. Do you love your job? Do you like working for THIS airline? If YES, then you need to accept the change the way they are and do the best job you can do. If NO, then we really do not want you as an employee with US Air and PLEASE find reemployment somewhere you will be happy and there is no change.
You maybe able to tell, I'm sick of people complaining, not accepting and not doing their job. I hear you, "I need the tools to do my job right." Use the tools you are given, serve the customer to the best of your ability with those tools and it will work out. "
I sir, personally find this comment insulting. Those of us who do care are the ones complaining here. I can guarantee to you that those who no longer care have given up on the system in its current state and are no longer complaining and are doing what they can to do their job with the tools they've been given per your request. Of course, this means that those of us who do care must now clean up the mess left behind by those who no longer care and are doing their job just using the tools they have been given. If you are in the company, you can check out "some specifics" of what we're talking about by CTRL D QIKFIX. There is about 10000 lines of QIKFIX problems and remarks that you can read about since the beginning of the year alone. Also, many of us have already been through 4 computer systems of our own, not to mention the computer systems of some of the other carriers we've handled in the past so we are well accustomed to change. Since your wife thinks that the "connection between the keyboard and the passenger" is the main issue with the system, perhaps TRAINING would like to do something to train the agents other than those just walking in the door off the street (and no more memos please, some real training). Many of the East agents only got 2 days of QIK/SABRE training which did almost NO GOOD since at cutover last March, all the formats and responses that they saw were QIK/SHARES and looked and responded nothing like the responses they had been seeing in their QIK/SABRE world. Even new hires get 3 weeks of training, yet most agents got 2 days (and 2 days of training on a system that THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY USING!). I have been using QIK for about 4 years now and I HATE not being able to do my job so I've personally found ways to make things work or question (both here and with IT people and through the QIKFIX) whats going on. Unfortunately, you are probably correct that many agents have given up and dont care. If the company didnt care for them to have any training on the system and isnt willing to offer any more training (other than the coffee table memos) then they will probably continue to do just what it takes to do the job with the tools they've been instructed to use and nothing more.
I realize that QIK is miles ahead of where it was just a short year ago when we cut over and kudos to IT for that. The problem I personally have with this is that many of the things we were promised last year are still being discussed and worked on. The standby list improvements (Keeping fingers crossed that it actually gets released and works in a couple of weeks) is just one item. Once again, there are so many and if I feel energetic, I'll try to post some of the QIKFIX problems and problems with the entire computer system overall that when lumped together enhances the entire working experience at US. Maybe part of the problem is the entire QIK Enhancement Committee and their progress on approving and moving forward with items that have been suggested (some close to a year ago?).
I would like to return the invitation to you sir. I am with (Customer Service) and when you have a clue what your taking (sic) about come over and do some (Ticketing, reissues, gate work, etc) for us. I'm eagerly awaiting your phone call.
PS- You dont happen to work in KIOSK IT do you? If so, I got some more "issues" to talk to you about.
