FBOs--best features??

[TurboS7]

Yes, girl after my own heart. They call me Captain TP at my airline. I am always concerned that we will run out of TP, I have been known to run into the bathroom and rip off the local latrine-(maybe some of our FA's got there just before you did) If you have a full 737-800 with 173 mixed male and female you will use 1 roll of TP for every 300 nautical miles. That means on a five hour trip you must have 7 rolls to complete the trip. I once refused to pushback because we didn't have any TP on board, when I wrote up the delay my did that cause a some yelling and screaming-hence the name captain TP.

 

[flywithastick]

First of all, congratulations. Your employer is lucky to have someone truly interested in pleasing the customer.

I've got a little different take on the deal. Being a bug-smasher owner/operator, I'd rather get a fair deal on the fuel. You can keep all the fluff, food and other unnecessary stuff.

All I really need when I stop, in decreasing importance:

Fuel - I usually fill the plane because I don't want someone banging it up. If you must, use one of those pads over the filler opening (a very considerate precaution) and be careful around *my* plane.

Weather/flight info - get a real terminal for checking wx, etc. I stopped at an FBO (Pittsburg, MO I believe) on the way to OSH last week that had some kind of d@mn farmers weather info terminal! Useless! Had to call the FSS.

Candy/Drink/Snack machines - Must have ones that take bills, or someone around with change.

Bathroom - always found them at least reasonably clean and airconditioned.

Couch or recliners - Usually don't hang around long enough to use, but do occasionally. Have some mags around other than the free ones offering multi million dollar jets for sale. That's entertaining for about 15-20 seconds.

You've already got the best thing going to be a successful business - a good attitude! Keep it, work on the other details, and I bet you/the FBO will be very successful.

 

[sky37d]

A great attitude, a friendly face. Doesn't have to be female, though that is a preference. I go into TEB frequently, and the folks at MillionAir are very friendly. We usually have a ton of luggage, and they bring a cart to the plane to help unload.


CLEAN. Signature and MillionAir at MDW have that down. Especially the rest rooms. Seperate area for flight planning so you don't disturb someone who's trying to get in some snooze time.

High speed internet access, with a printer, and not blocked to every website except DUATS. Exec air at SYR has slow speed, a printer that always seems to be broken, and every website blocked except duats. I like to use weather channel, or AOPA weather to look out ahead. WSI or DTN would be helpful.

Crew Cars. It doesn't help if you have the cheapest fuel on the field, if we have to rent a car to get a cheeseburger. Had that happen at GVQ.

AIRNAV. List your fuel prices there, guarantee them. A lot of FBO's do, Presidential at SFM does. There's 4 airports within 20 miles, and they are all $$ more than Presidential. It helps them get business. The reviews there will help you or hurt you.

 

[HAZ-MAT]

Whatever you decide to add to make the FBO more appealing... please, plllllllllleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssseeeee.... Dont kick us Freight Dawgs out

 

[labbats]

I think a seperate pilot area is the most important. Not on a snooty level, but I worked in an FBO for a while, and that seemed to be all the pilots' main attention. Getting upstairs and away from everyone for a bit. Seemed to lighten them up.

Also, we as pilots need to use caution on out calls. Saying "XXX unicom, cessna 555 downwind runway 12", etc, when you should be saying "XXX area traffic" instead of "XXX unicom".

After scrambling to the radio 10 or so times in one day, you start to tune it out. If you hear someone using this, please let them know it's screwing up your quick service.

 

[TurboS7]

They'll build a shack in the back of the hangar for the freight dogs.....old couch, porno movies, old dirty mags, and the like. They can put the day old popcorn in there too.

 

[labbats]

Throw in an air hockey table and I'm there.

 

[CounterGirl]

Lots of great suggestions....Thanks!

Looks like bathrooms and crew cars are pretty high on the list. Our bathrooms are nice and get checked often, but we do really need another crew car. English--I'm working on it! Oh yeah, and good non-aviation magazines--I hadn't though of that. A pool table or air hockey table might be do-able too.

Flywithastick: thanks for your list--it's very helpful. You'll be pleased to know that we do use wingmats!

By the way, we try to roll out the red carpet for everyone, from the freight dogs to the 172s. I think that's good business--to treat everyone like an important customer. You never know who will step out of the airplane....

....Did someone mention Bison Witches???? Now THAT'S a winner!

CG

 

[Flechas]

congrats! im sure you will do a great job, you seem to care about it.

-what you mentioned last is very important i think, treat everybody like an important customer, i hate it when i go to an FBO and don't get good customer service because i flew in a C-172, or because i'm not getting any fuel that day. but you can be sure that if you treat me good, next time i have to stop at your airport to get fuel i'll buy it from you.
-don't charge a landing fee, happened to me in SAV, and only flew in to pick up some people, didn't stay for more than half an hour. now, ask me if i'll ever go to that FBO. on the other hand i had to divert to stuart due to weather and had the best FBO experience ever. even after i told them that i didn't need fuel they ofeered me free cookies and coffee, and said that i was welcome to stay in the launge as long as i wanted, with free pay per view and all the good stuff(good WX computers, hig speed internet....)
- i could go forever, but the more welcome you make the piot feel, the better for the business, because we will come back to your FBO in our next trip.

good luck and keep up the good work, and please let me know if you know of anyone needing a pilot