It’s no secret; airports can be difficult for customers to travel through, with so many regulations and rules in place to make travel safer, but at the cost of convenience. When one passenger flying from Billings Logan International Airport (BIL) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) ran into a snag concerning a painting too large to carry on and too valuable to be checked, he was pleasantly surprised that he wouldn’t have to sacrifice any peace of mind.
The customer, Ron Holliday, relayed his situation to BIL General Manger Christine Stanisich and “without batting an eye” she began measuring the painting and compared it to the cabin measurements of the Embraer 175 to make sure it would fit, he wrote in an email to Envoy management. Christine (pictured, left) told Ron that she would personally make sure that the painting would make it through security and with him onboard the plane.
“Who should seek me out in the seating area prior to my flight to assure me that my painting had made it on the plane, but Christine!” wrote Ron. “For the last 25 years, I’ve traveled rather extensively, and during all those hundreds of flights I have experienced all kinds of customer service, but never have I experienced the level of attention, empathy and service rendered to me by Christine Stanisich in Billings – NEVER.”
Home, home on the mantel
The painting, depicting Ron’s “favorite cows, all actual pets with individual stories,” was painted by Billings artist Dick Ellis, who is a longtime friend of his. Needless to say, the painting was precious cargo and Christine went way out of her way to ensure it was treated as so, finding space in the coat closet aboard the aircraft.
Christine, who has been the BIL general manager for the past four months, modestly explains that customer service isn’t about how she approaches it, but rather to do what every customer deserves.
“They are truly important, and their issue becomes my issue,” said Christine. “My job is to then solve the issue. It might not always be perfect, however the customer should believe that I have used all the tools I have available to help them.”
With a little help (and bubble wrap), the painting has made it safely to Ron’s home in Texas.
He affectionately wrote in his letter, “I will be forever grateful to Christine and will try my best to fly American Airlines every chance I get in the future because of her!”