What kind of services make a good FBO?
- Thread starter SGTCIV
- Start date
Tim
New Member
If an FBO wants to be a cut above then to me the customer service needs to be top notch and be consistently at that rate. You have to have gas and will pay what the prices are no matter what because you need it but the customer services skills are to me what sets a good FBO from a great one.
desertdog71
Girthy Member
An FBO that greets the customers at the plane is important. I hate pulling up and being ignored. That is the number one thing for me, everything else is secondary.
JDE
Well-Known Member
All the employees should be friendly and knowledgeable...and that means everyone...line personel, CSR's, managers, mechanics, etc. On the knowledgeable part, I do realize people are new and some not familiar with aviation. In that case, it's the FBO's responsibility to TRAIN their people. It's incredibly frustrating when the CSR asks us if our plane "takes gas" and then asks if our Conquest is single-point. On a side note, line guys/gals need to pay attention. The Falcon 10 does not have a fuel cap on the SPR...and ours even says that...but we still get people telling us our asking us about our fuel cap...hello!
Communication is key also. There is one particular FBO at EUG which we fly to a few times a year. We call on the phone before arriving, we call on the unicom frequency while enroute and we still seem to have to make our requests multiple times and everyone asks us the same questions (how much fuel, how long are you staying, need a baggage cart? - I've already told someone at least twice!!! Communicate with each other!!) . We don't get on the phone and radio just to talk for the fun of it (at least I dont).
Nice facilities are also a HUGE plus. We frequent some VERY CRAPPY FBO's. Not every FBO needs to look like a Million Air or Signature, but it would at least be nice to have a chair with some padding or maybe a pilot's lounge that isn't so small that when you recline the recliner, your feet stick out into the hallway. Internet access is GREAT and so is a weather computer. Some FBO's already have the internet available to their employees, but not the customers...doesn't make sense to me.
Last, but not least, people greeting the plane is nice. At some FBO's it's very difficult to see the person parking the airplane and they don't use the proper hand signals. However, for some reason it is much easier to find the females when they're parking planes.
I'm not trying to sound like an @$$ here, but we frequent many different types of FBO's everyday, so I am lucky (or unlucky) enough to see pretty much the whole spectrum when it comes to services. Oh yeah, crew cars are good too!
Communication is key also. There is one particular FBO at EUG which we fly to a few times a year. We call on the phone before arriving, we call on the unicom frequency while enroute and we still seem to have to make our requests multiple times and everyone asks us the same questions (how much fuel, how long are you staying, need a baggage cart? - I've already told someone at least twice!!! Communicate with each other!!) . We don't get on the phone and radio just to talk for the fun of it (at least I dont).
Nice facilities are also a HUGE plus. We frequent some VERY CRAPPY FBO's. Not every FBO needs to look like a Million Air or Signature, but it would at least be nice to have a chair with some padding or maybe a pilot's lounge that isn't so small that when you recline the recliner, your feet stick out into the hallway. Internet access is GREAT and so is a weather computer. Some FBO's already have the internet available to their employees, but not the customers...doesn't make sense to me.
Last, but not least, people greeting the plane is nice. At some FBO's it's very difficult to see the person parking the airplane and they don't use the proper hand signals. However, for some reason it is much easier to find the females when they're parking planes.
I'm not trying to sound like an @$$ here, but we frequent many different types of FBO's everyday, so I am lucky (or unlucky) enough to see pretty much the whole spectrum when it comes to services. Oh yeah, crew cars are good too!
deserteaglle
New Member
Crew cars, leather recliners, big screen t.v.'s, internet, and free coffee rocks my socks off...so do hot chicks behind the counter.
Bandit_Driver
Gold Member
My Top 10 items for Quality FBO
- Excellent Customer Service regardless of aircraft type
- Well trained employees (rampies that know how to marshall aircraft)
- Pilot Lounge with comfortable Chairs
- SAT or Cable TV
- Seperate Snooze Room for those of us who want to catch some ZZZ
- Flight Planning room with WSI or other weather product
- Wi-Fi Internet and/or public computers
- Crew Car
- A FBO that doesn't treat cargo pilots like 3rd class citizens.
- ANY FBO THAT ISN'T SIGNATURE
greaper007
Well-Known Member
An fbo that doesn't charge a 50.00 landing fee for a twin....
Bandit_Driver
Gold Member
Landing Fees are set by the airport and just collected by the FBO. Now don't get me started on Ramp Fees...
SIUav8er
Narcosis
I like free food, cheap avgas, and a crew car. other than that, im not picky