Two Stories, One Commitment: Unparalleled Customer Service

From time to time, I’ll be sharing stories about employees at RDU who go way above and beyond the wording of their job descriptions to help our customers. These are the people who exemplify our mission, which is to deliver world-class airport services, facilities and unparalleled customer service. 

There are two stories that stood out from among many in recent months. From January through March, we received 206 nominations for outstanding customer service by airport employees through Thanks To You.  The program is our way of recognizing employees for outstanding customer service. Customers and fellow employees can submit nominations via our website or in person at the Information Desks.

[caption id="attachment_354" align="alignleft" width="300"] TSA officer Elenor Odametey is congratulated by Airport Director Mike Landguth for her work to assist a customer.[/caption]

During a winter weather event, a mom traveling alone with a six-week old baby was delayed in the terminal for nine hours due to ice. In fact the plane had to return to the gate twice for re-deicing. During the course of the day, the mother ran out of formula.

A flight attendant contacted our Information Desk to see if the airport could help. Guest Services Supervisor Linda Cline took the call. She discussed the request with Police Officer Quantina Seydel and Transportation Security Administration Officer Elenor Odametey, who had just finished her shift.

The TSA officer went to Wal-Mart and purchased the needed formula, despite the hazardous road conditions caused by the winter weather. Upon her return, Officer Seydel worked with TSA to have the formula screened before delivering it to a very thankful mother at the gate. Several more hours passed before the family arrived safely home in Ohio.

The second story involves one of RDU’s Operations officers, who are tasked with ensuring that the airport’s facilities are safe and ready for use, among other responsibilities. Each day, they inspect the runways, taxiways and ramp areas multiple times looking for potential hazards. On an overnight inspection, Guy Ligon found a 12”x12” damaged patch of concrete on one of our runways.

[caption id="attachment_356" align="alignright" width="300"] File: Operations Officer Guy Ligon uses his in-car radio while driving on the airfield.[/caption]

Given that flights were to resume for the morning in a little over an hour, Ligon immediately worked with airport maintenance to patch the section of concrete. After patching the area, it became apparent that the cold temperatures weren’t allowing the concrete to cure properly.

Ligon then came up with an idea. He drove his operations vehicle and parked it directly above the repaired section. The heat from the vehicle allowed the concrete to cure properly in about 20 minutes. His quick-thinking prevented the possibility of delays from having one of our runways closed during a busy part of our day.

Have you seen an employee go above and beyond at RDU? Let us know about it.