Winning the Customer Cup doesn’t happen overnight. There’s no magic potion that attracts trophies.
At Billings International Airport (BIL), the Envoy team knows that it takes a “focus on the fundamentals” to achieve greatness, said BIL General Manager Sid Babin.
“The formula is easy: winning equals focusing on the fundamentals,” said Sid at a party celebrating their second-quarter of 2022 (2Q22) American Airlines Customer Cup win. “If you have the basics down, winning and success will take care of themselves.”
As a two-time Customer Cup winner at BIL, Sid would know what it takes to win. His straightforward approach to teaching has resonated with the team at BIL, especially when it comes to safety.
“Repetition of tasks, training and safety briefings are important because it helps mitigate surprises,” said Autumn Briner, three-year Customer Service Agent.
“Being prepared also plays a big role in ensuring we’re working safely,” added Customer Service Agent Ashton Zwetzig. “That means bringing extra scanners, extra vests, knowing the temperature outside – whatever it takes to have a plan.”
Empathetic at the core
Planning and preparation can help maintain an operation that is safe and on time, which is crucial for our passengers, but the Customer Cup also rewards stations who excel in face-to-face customer service.
“Good customer service starts with empathy, which is another fundamental of this job,” said Sid. “When it comes down to it, people choose an airline based on how they’re treated. If we can be empathetic, and give them a great experience, we’ve hopefully created a return customer.”
By focusing on the fundamentals and working as a team, the Envoy team at BIL is in a good place to three-peat for another Customer Cup win this year. During the party, Envoy Vice President of Airport Services Kevin Ward applauded the team for going for another win.
“This team does the little things very well, and that can easily add up to another Customer Cup,” Kevin said. “These wins don’t just happen, you have to earn it, and you have.”
Congrats on your second win this year, team BIL! Here’s to hopefully one more!
Click here to view photos from the BIL Customer Cup celebration!
What is the Customer Cup?
The Customer Cup is a quarterly award and celebration organized by American Airlines to recognize stations that demonstrate the strongest performance in Customer Experience.
How do you win?
Each station across the AAG network – both domestic and international – competes against others of the same size and operational likeness. Stations are measured by performance in several metrics, including:
- Departure Dependability (D0)
- Turn Dependability (T0)
- Baggage Performance (MBR)
- Customer Feedback & Airport Experience
What do stations win?
Every quarter, winning stations receive the Customer Cup to recognize the efforts of employees at that station. Winning stations are also entered into the running for the top prize in the competition – the Champions Cup – which is typically awarded annually in the Spring.