Tuesday, September 27, 2005
From 'Controllers' to ‘Call Centers’
We’ve heard that Lockheed Martin has hired an outside contractor to set the schedules for the Flight Service Stations starting sometime next year. The company is Aspect Communications (currently being merged with Concerto Software).
Details are sketchy and subject to change. But up until now, scheduling has been accomplished at the local level where the controllers and staff have first-hand knowledge of not only the kind of unique services the area pilots need, but changing the schedule to match seasonal and daily differences. Apparently this is another part of providing Flight Services that LM does not understand; local expertise and effects on scheduling. So now another inexperienced company with zero ATC knowledge is brought in to dictate to the experienced professional how their job will be done.
One by-product of such a management style is faster turn-over of personnel, as high as 14% annually in some ‘call center’ industries (and these don’t even involve decisions that can effect life and limb). This runs counter to the vision of AOPA President Phil Boyer who repeatedly has told his membership that quality of personnel will not decrease with the LM takeover, but will most likely increase. Keep in mind that many of the 1000 controllers left over from the slash-n-burn consolidation will be FAA retirees who will feel they are able to leave on a moments notice. Almost all Flight Service controllers have over 15 years of experience; a large share have more than 20. Imagine how rapidly the level of experience will decline with a turnover rate of one-in-seven, with green controllers rapidly put in place. If we are correct about their intentions, and LM continues this apparent 'dissing' of controllers, expect the turnover rate to go higher, with average years of experience declining to below 10 within three years, and a downward trend firmly in place.
With this latest development it’s difficult not to conclude that LM looks at Flight Service controllers as script readers, not professionals providing ATC services. This bodes ill for pilots who expect a level of individualized (let alone improved) interpretive service, and reinforces the concern that controllers will have to meet ‘quotas’ or face disciplinary action (see our 8/15 post ‘The Coming Lockheed – AOPA Conflict’) . In our personal experience, quality and customer satisfaction suffers when a service is managed by such a mentality. For the good of the service and safety of the pilots, we hope we are wrong.
Details are sketchy and subject to change. But up until now, scheduling has been accomplished at the local level where the controllers and staff have first-hand knowledge of not only the kind of unique services the area pilots need, but changing the schedule to match seasonal and daily differences. Apparently this is another part of providing Flight Services that LM does not understand; local expertise and effects on scheduling. So now another inexperienced company with zero ATC knowledge is brought in to dictate to the experienced professional how their job will be done.
One by-product of such a management style is faster turn-over of personnel, as high as 14% annually in some ‘call center’ industries (and these don’t even involve decisions that can effect life and limb). This runs counter to the vision of AOPA President Phil Boyer who repeatedly has told his membership that quality of personnel will not decrease with the LM takeover, but will most likely increase. Keep in mind that many of the 1000 controllers left over from the slash-n-burn consolidation will be FAA retirees who will feel they are able to leave on a moments notice. Almost all Flight Service controllers have over 15 years of experience; a large share have more than 20. Imagine how rapidly the level of experience will decline with a turnover rate of one-in-seven, with green controllers rapidly put in place. If we are correct about their intentions, and LM continues this apparent 'dissing' of controllers, expect the turnover rate to go higher, with average years of experience declining to below 10 within three years, and a downward trend firmly in place.
With this latest development it’s difficult not to conclude that LM looks at Flight Service controllers as script readers, not professionals providing ATC services. This bodes ill for pilots who expect a level of individualized (let alone improved) interpretive service, and reinforces the concern that controllers will have to meet ‘quotas’ or face disciplinary action (see our 8/15 post ‘The Coming Lockheed – AOPA Conflict’) . In our personal experience, quality and customer satisfaction suffers when a service is managed by such a mentality. For the good of the service and safety of the pilots, we hope we are wrong.
# posted by Skywise @ 5:39 PM 
