Customer Service: NOT

I saw a new example of my old pet peeve on Monday—an airport with almost no, repeat, no, signs directing strangers to the FBO. Then, when I finally found the FBO, it had no signs to let me know I was there. It was not a large airport, but large enough to have regular airline service. I have airlined in and out of there myself. This time, however, I was going to meet a friend (in an orange Cessna 210, if you can imagine that) so I sought the FBO. It was no easy hunt. As I approached the airport, there were several signs directing me to the terminal but no signage for general aviation. I finally decided to just follow the terminal signs in hopes of seeing a general aviation sign somewhere along the way. I drove past rental car signs, various parking signs, and airline signs, but no signs to general aviation. I drove all the way through the entire terminal area and was actually almost back to the highway when I finally found one general aviation sign. Eureka! You have to have faith in that one sign. There were no more. Well, thought I, as I drove down the winding road, one of these hangars will have a huge sign on the outside wall. Wrong again. Finally, I found a parking area between two hangars. There were no hints that this was the right place except that there were cars parked there. I parked, then realized there were two hangar entrances. At first, I went to the wrong one, just because it did show some signs calling it a flight school. I asked someone how to find the FBO and they directed me to a set of stairs on the other side of the parking lot. In this age of fanatical security, I would have been nervous about using that entrance. It just did not seem like a place that would welcome the public. Inside, however, I found a very nice FBO—well furnished and staffed by what appeared to be a very professional staff on the line and behind the counter. Airside, the signage was good. Streetside? Pitiful. That’s been going on for years all over the country, and I don’t understand it. FBOs often tell me that all their customers come in airside, not streetside. Maybe so, but most people who can fly in are picked up by local people. Aren’t they important? I will not disclose the airport or FBO, but if one of them contacts me I will confirm or deny. We’d love to publish your comments. Please click the comment tab at the top.