So many times you might find yourself breaking so much more of a sweat than needed when dealing with your ground handler.
You are given promises that are not met and expectations that are not lived up to.
More often than not, it is a hassle dealing with them – especially in new regions you are unfamiliar with.
Have you ever thought of what exactly you should be looking for in a ground handler?
Ground Handler – Where to start?
Picking the “best” or in some unfortunate cases, the “least worst” handler is not an easy decision to make, especially in regions you have not worked in before.
However, certain traits would set ground handlers apart regarding service quality, but it would require a bit of homework.
This blog will aim to define and highlight the essential characteristics and attributes that you must look for in a flight support company.
More notably, a ground handler to save yourself the biggest of headaches, and ensure you minimize the risk of receiving inadequate service.
The first trait to take into consideration is whether or not the ground handler is a well-established company.
In so many cases, it is strongly advisable to pick a well-established company with a trustworthy reputation within the industry.
That is always the preferable option, rather than riding your luck with a newly-founded company.
This is not to undermine the work ethic of newly-founded companies. However, you would not wish to put that to the test yourself.
It is also encouraged to look for a company website.
Public image is significant in identifying the quality of any company, not just within the aviation industry.
Is their website done professionally? Does it have full contact details?
Is it filled with content such as services, types of aircraft they can handle, and locations they operate in?
This information should strongly impact your decision-making process.
Interacting with your Ground Handler:
After studying the outside image of the company, it is encouraged to take things a step further.
If you have picked out a number of handlers, contact them via email and wait to study their response.
You can tell a lot about the professionalism of a company based on the response you get on your inquiries.
It is vital that their replies are crystal clear, and that they are fully aware of what your requirements are.
Response time here is also critical, were they able to get back to you immediately?
Did you receive an acknowledgement that your email has been received?
Do they have a proper email signature (including the name of the person, position, full contact details)?
These are factors that should be crucial to your decision-making process.
Reaction to your Ground Handler:
In the case you have carried on the exchange of emails and went on to ask questions related to setting up your handling services, ask yourself –
- Did you receive a reply to all your inquiries immediately?
A good company would always acknowledge all your queries individually, so keep notice of services that were not given any attention.
You should focus on whether or not they have replied back with their full pricing immediately.
This is because in so many cases in which they do not do so – the possibility of hidden fees popping up at the latter stages is very high.
Another important note to take notice of is if they were they able to convey what procedures need to be done in advance.
Have they mentioned anything in regards to if an overflight permit or landing permit has been secured?
If not, you should have probably gotten a gut feeling that they would wait until the last minute.
It is important to work with a handler that is proactive rather than reactive to these situations.
You can see by what was discussed so far, just how much you can tell about a company based on the simple exchange of a few emails.
There are more factors to take into consideration besides email as well.
If you have chosen not to make contact, you can take a look at other characteristics that would help you identify the quality of the company you are inspecting.
Further Research:
You can tell a lot about a company based on whether or not they have different departments.
Would you be able to get in touch with the marketing team, the sales team, or is everything concerned with the basic ops team?
You should also look for a 24 hrs emergency number because you would definitely not want to be stuck in a situation in which there is no one to reach out to in case of an emergency.
Also, another sign of a well-established company is one that has their own VH frequency.
Additionally, good ground handlers are flexible in regarding payment, so make sure they accept different forms such as credit cards and so on.
Significant Factors:
Other significant factors that should contribute towards your decision include;
- the number of ground handling staff
- whether or not it is sufficient to the nature and scale of their operations
A good way of confirming this is by checking on-duty periods. Lengthy duties usually indicate inadequate staff.
Secondly, the ground services must be handled by the same company (preferable) rather than a third party ground handling agent.
If you are already working with a ground handler, the characteristics listed above should provide you with an indication of whether or not you are working with a good company.
You must also keep notice throughout your operations if you are receiving continuous updates on the progress of the services you have asked for.
That is also another important indicator of the quality of the company.
If you would like to skip the first-hand homework, then you can resort to secondary research and just look at reviews from other operators.
There are not many websites now if any at all that would help you find this information.
However, here at Flock, we are certainly building towards becoming your go-to place for all of this information.
We’re here for you
As always – if you have any questions or suggestions, Flock team is here to help at support@flock.aero
Visit flock.aero if you are looking for business information on airports and providers around the world.
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