Angry Customers

[vballindaytona]

Hey guys,
Lately I have been doing alot of 135 med flights in the lear 35, and it always seems that surgeons/doctors are in the worst moods and act like they are "so much better than you" type of attitudes.
I am interviewing soon with the fractionals and wonder how frequently you get angry or the "leave me alone" type of passengers.
The reason I ask is the other day I had one when I started the passenger brief (okay surgeon god, I hate doing this brief too, but federal law mandates me to give it to you), 10 seconds into it, he just shooed me with his hand and said "OKAY, lets just go now!" It was the first leg of the day and I just told him that I knew he was in a hurry (transplant flight), I would make up as much time in the air as I could, but by federal regulations I have to give this briefing to him in case of emergency. The whole briefing takes less than a minute, but I guess some people can't wait A minute. Do you fractional drivers have any experiences with passengers like this? Does it happen on a frequent basis? I often get the "we fly on lears alot so we don't need the briefing". I imagine some of your owners have this mentality since they fly on the same type of aircraft alot, is that right?Does your company give you ideas on how to handle this type of situation? Thanks guys.

 

[CA1900]

I am interviewing soon with the fractionals and wonder how frequently you get angry or the "leave me alone" type of passengers.

Pretty rare. We gets lot of folks who want to just get on their way and do their own thing, which is totally understandable (and half the point of taking a private plane). Still, even they will at least pretend to pay attention to my safety briefing before we get going. In two years here, I've only run into just a couple of folks like what you described. Then again, I haven't flown an MDs, so maybe that's why. :0

It was the first leg of the day and I just told him that I knew he was in a hurry (transplant flight), I would make up as much time in the air as I could, but by federal regulations I have to give this briefing to him in case of emergency. The whole briefing takes less than a minute, but I guess some people can't wait A minute. Do you fractional drivers have any experiences with passengers like this?

Rarely, but yes. I have two basic briefings: The complete one, which includes the customer-service-related items (where their food is, where the temp controls are, verifying ground transport, and so on), and the "guy in a hurry one," which is just the safety items and takes me about 30 seconds. It has to be done; there's no gray area there. If the owner's in the middle of a phone conversation or one with his party, I'll stand by politely and wait. But we can't get moving until it's done, so when they see me not up front getting things moving, that's usually their hint that I need to tell them something. I avoid interrupting, but we can't go 'til I'm done, so I wait.

Does it happen on a frequent basis? I often get the "we fly on lears alot so we don't need the briefing".

I see that a lot on the airlines, too. Know what? After all these years, I still familiarize myself with the exits and the safety equipment, because there are subtle differences. A guy next to me in the overwing row of an E170 said, as he rolled his eyes, something about how he doesn't need to know about all that crap, because he's right by the window exit.

"There isn't a window exit on this airplane," I said.

"Sure there is, it's ri-- Oh." He shut up for the rest of the right.

I imagine some of your owners have this mentality since they fly on the same type of aircraft alot, is that right?

The only time I might abbreviate the safety briefing is if I'm taking the same party on a second leg of a trip (say, after a fuel stop). Other than that, I still give the briefing. Sometimes the owner will give it to me. :laugh: That works too!

 

[blueridge71]

Same for me. Most people are polite and attentive. When I get the guy who is too important for a briefing, I just drone on with my short version whether he is listening or not.

As a former airline pilot, I had a concern that fractional passengers would be spoiled rich people/celebrities that would require a sensitive touch. Actual experience has been that the vast majority are very nice.

Even the nice ones are normally pigs though. I guess they must have someone to pick up after them at home. They seem to think nothing of dropping the newspaper and food items in the floor and behind seats, even if I brief the location of trash bags and the trash can.

 

[Flex-ible]

If they get obnoxious during the briefing (which BYTW I have NEVER seen happen) I would just puch "play" on our lovely automated briefer!

 

[CA1900]

We never use our auto-briefer, but she does have a nicer voice than me. And probably looks better. :laugh:

 

[jergar999]

I too am trying to make the jump from air med to fractional. We always fly with the same med crews and 99 times out of 100 they are great, but it's the one flight where someone goes off that ruins everything.

 

[vballindaytona]

we rarely get these air med flights. never with the stretcher, sick patient, etc. We are usually passenger charter/freight in the lears, but we have been doing alot of the transplant flights lately carring the MD's all over the place. Usually the nurses, transplant team associates, are all great. I swear they can be all in the same set of clothes, and within 15 seconds you will know who the surgeon is. Makes you wonder why people do their job when they hate it so much. This MD that I references previously, man, it made you wonder since he was in the aiplane, who was running hell.

 

[RTRHD]

We never use our auto-briefer, but she does have a nicer voice than me. And probably looks better. :laugh:

Unless your scrolling through the air show options and fat finger the select option.....OOPS.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Hey guys,
Lately I have been doing alot of 135 med flights in the lear 35, and it always seems that surgeons/doctors are in the worst moods and act like they are "so much better than you" type of attitudes.
I am interviewing soon with the fractionals and wonder how frequently you get angry or the "leave me alone" type of passengers.
The reason I ask is the other day I had one when I started the passenger brief (okay surgeon god, I hate doing this brief too, but federal law mandates me to give it to you), 10 seconds into it, he just shooed me with his hand and said "OKAY, lets just go now!" It was the first leg of the day and I just told him that I knew he was in a hurry (transplant flight), I would make up as much time in the air as I could, but by federal regulations I have to give this briefing to him in case of emergency. The whole briefing takes less than a minute, but I guess some people can't wait A minute. Do you fractional drivers have any experiences with passengers like this? Does it happen on a frequent basis? I often get the "we fly on lears alot so we don't need the briefing". I imagine some of your owners have this mentality since they fly on the same type of aircraft alot, is that right?Does your company give you ideas on how to handle this type of situation? Thanks guys.

Transplant fetch docs are usually on the low end of the totem pole, and they have to show their arrogance somehow...

I flew them for a few years, they were the lowest life pax I ever had. They aren't paying, they dont own jets, they dont make big deals...they would clean every bit of gum/candy off the plane and walk away acting like they were a Fortune 10 CEO or self made billionaire.

Id slow that briefing way down, and be sure they heard it.

You wont experience this much outside of these strap hangars.

 

[SDCFI]

Since we're ranting about doctors...Why do some, or most, I don't know how many doctors want to be addressed as "Doctor kiss-my-butt" when not performing their doctoring duties? I don't go around introducing myself as Captain SDCFI outside of work, or even at work for that matter, and if I did I would fully deserve a good natured beat-down.

As far as briefings, at Flex we are allowed to ask if all pax are familiar with the safety features of the aircraft. If everyone says yes, we ask if they have any questions or concerns and if they don't we leave it at that and remind them there are safety cards at each seat. Of course if even one person is unfamiliar everyone gets the whole enchilada. Of course we also routinely fly the same people, so that factors in as well.