NEW RESERVATIONS CENTER
(Note: Charles Hansen was hired June 1977 as Dir. of Reservations - From Avis. Promoted to VP Marketing in July 1978. Resigned from PSA 1982.)
PSA recently announced plans for a $1 million Reservations center to be built on 9.3 acres at the Scripps Ranch Business Park in San Diego.
Over 20,000 sq. ft. will house the present 350 Reservations personnel and will feature a reception area, lounge, cafeteria, administration office space, locker, training, conference and supervisory rooms, as well as general Reservations area.
The center will continue to operate on a 24-hour daily basis and is scheduled for completion in the spring of 1978.
Chuck Hansen, Director of Reservations, revealed that the new equipment will be designed and installed by Collins Automatic Call Distributors and will have the capabilities of handling more than 10 million telephone calls per year, from any USA destination.
The Reservations system will be tied into the new Compact Airlines Reservations System (CPARS) to provide passenger confirmations, flight scheduling, flight status, group bookings and other passenger service information.
Unlike some airlines who move to a large, mid-western American city when obtaining a toll-free, 800 number, PSA decided to remain at home in San Diego.
"Our Reservations offices have always been located in our main office complex, however, we have run out of expansion space, necessitating the move," explained Bill Shimp, PSA president and CEO.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT OBSERVATION MONITORING / SYSTEM SEVEN ANALYSIS
Two new programs have recently taken effect within the PSA Reservations department which are expected to raise sales to a 90 percentile, compared to the past 60 percentage range of effectiveness.
Direct and Indirect Observation Monitoring and System Analysis are now performed on a daily basis to measure and improve the sales effectiveness of an agent's performance through check sheets and computer observation. he programs have encouraged Reservation agents to 'sell' PSA," said Joe Opp, Reservations Operations Manager.
Direct Observations Monitoring is conducted at the position with the Reservations agent. This will help develop proper working habits and is especially valuable to newly hired agents, who are primarily concerned with the mechanics of the job. This phase of the program helps the agent rapidly develop and maintain effective work habits.
Indirect Observations are conducted to observe sales conversations from the customer's point of view. It is also advantageous for the supervisor to observe a large number of agents from another area.
A minimum of ten calls per month are maintained on each agent's check sheet, and twenty calls per month are scheduled for the new hires during their three month probationary period.
Additionally, System Seven Analysis measures the production level of the Reservations office through a recently installed IBM computer. This system maintains a performance log rating the efficiency of each agent for approx. one hour, three times per week.
The agent's name, number of calls handled, length of time on the system, average conversation time, and the percentage of positions available are measured as the system is in progress. "The total telephone volume is measured," said Opp. "Through these systems we are able to determine what is necessary to maintain high standards within the Reservations department."
This was a major factor in deciding to increase the Reservations staff by 40 agents, to meet present and future manpower requirements.
MANAGEMENT
Six new supervisors have been added to the Reservations staff. "More than 10 percent of our agents have applied for these positions," said Opp, who feels the exceptional response was due to the new systems being used. "There is a more professional attitude within the department."
The six supervisors now included are: Bill Carlson, Joan Chesher, Tina Durbin, Sandy Meyers, Terry Williamson and Sandy Gray.
A new Reservations "Management Understudy Program," also recently devised, includes the following trainees: Rose Roddy, Marylou Erwin, Judy Burney, Kathy Meyer, Suzy Putnam, Remy Ackerson, Julie Ramsey, Lynne Mollay, Pat Rosen and Dotty Clang.
In preparation for future expansion, the "Management Understudy" personnel were chosen for possible future needs of the department.