Airport services supplier OmniServ kicked off this month with a new contract to provide ‘Welcome Team Ambassadors’ at Edinburgh Airport, bringing added value to the partnership with the introduction of innovative people management technology.
OmniServ is already contracted to provide Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) services at Edinburgh, so this further contract win sees OmniServ expand their portfolio and presence at the airport.
‘Welcome Team Ambassadors’ have the crucial role of ‘meeting and greeting’ passengers and providing assistance and information to ensure a smooth and welcoming journey through the airport. Ambassador’s expert knowledge includes details on passenger collections, frequently asked questions, information on flight arrivals or departures, local transportation knowledge, airport terminal, and transfer/connection knowledge.
All staff contracted to work as part of the ‘Welcome Team’ were carried over from the incumbent supplier and is headed up by Station Manager Christine Lang. Ambassadors received refresher training with an emphasis on excellent customer service.
The tech-savvy addition to OmniServ’s contract offering was to implement an online and app-based ‘people management’ system, where Ambassadors can quickly and clearly view their work rota, and can even integrate it with at-home, cloud-based voice recognition technology which, when asked, can tell them when they are next working. The in-app ‘notice board’ allows Ambassadors to share and access instant information and communicate with colleagues, while the dashboards allow management to view reports at their fingertips.
OmniServ’s Head of Business Development Rob Stefanovic explains: “We understood from Edinburgh Airport that a Welcome Team Ambassador core need is to have clear and up-to-date information while feeling they have support and a direct line into the management team. Ambassadors are on the front line of customer service around the clock, and airports are busy, constantly shifting places – communication is king. The introduction of the app is another tool that helps team members on all levels stay connected.”
“Providing a positive passenger experience and making their journey through the airport as easy as possible is one of the key drivers at Scotland’s busiest airport as we want to provide a good send off for those people heading out on holiday or on that crucial business trip,” says Scott McLaren, Terminal Operations Manager, Edinburgh Airport. “We are always seeking to improve where we can and we look forward to working with OmniServ and harnessing their plan to introduce an app-based staff management system, which Ambassadors and their managers can use to stay connected and informed, freeing up their time and energy on providing that positive experience.”
