kailainyyz

[kailainyyz]

Final Reflection | December 8, 2022

Almost 150 hours later, and I can say that this placement has been beneficial to my personal and professional growth. Through this experience, I was able to further enhance my communication skills when interacting with diverse individuals. I learned to be flexible and utilize non-verbal communication techniques such as hand gestures and Google Translate when assisting guests with limited understanding of English. I was also faced with different challenges which I was able to overcome through acquiring knowledge and experience.

Moreover, this placement experience has allowed me to make meaningful connections. Through my role as a GSA, I gained a sense of fulfillment in assisting guests and providing them with a positive airport experience. I also had the opportunity to work with CSAs who assisted us in answering questions and solving problems. Most importantly, I met wonderful Seneca students who I otherwise wouldn’t have met in school. Every moment working with my peers were enjoyable and something that I looked forward to.

Working at WestJet and gaining airline experience will surely open a lot of doors for future opportunities. I’ll cherish the memories I’ve made and utilize the knowledge I’ve gained in my future role as a Flight Attendant.

[kailainyyz]

Empathy | December 3, 2022

Travelling can be stress inducing and may cause feelings of anxiousness. These strong feelings may negatively impact the way an individual acts toward us but nevertheless, we must always respond with empathy. By placing ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we can have a better understanding of their perspective and form a connection. If we fully understand the reason as to why a guest feels a certain way, we are then able to support them and provide solutions.

It’s also important to remember not to take anything personally. When a guest expresses their feelings of frustration, it may not necessarily be directed towards us but the situation their faced with or other factors beyond our control. Sometimes, they may just need to express how they feel and for someone to listen to them. In these situations, we must empathize with the guest and listen to comprehend, not to react. We can also validate their feelings and show genuine understanding of their situation and in doing so, we can help to alleviate their frustrations.

[kailainyyz]

A Break from the Mundane | November 26, 2022

What started as a pretty slow day turned out to be quite eventful. Within two hours of starting my shift, a WestJet pilot approached me at the SSBD counter and informed me that a passenger had left their keys in the aircraft from La Guardia. He had requested me to bring the keys to WestJet’s baggage department in case the passenger returns to claim it. Since I had never paid a visit down to the baggage department, a CSA escorted me there. I handed the keys to the CSA assigned there and informed him of what happened and the flight number.

A couple of hours later, a guest approached me and requested assistance to retrieve her baggage. She informed me that she was feeling unwell and that she wouldn’t be able to make it to her flight to Fort Myers. I called WestJet’s baggage department and provided them with the guest’s name and flight details. They informed me that the guest’s baggage was there, so I escorted her to the baggage claim. She thanked me for assisting her and I was happy knowing that I was able to help her retrieve her bags.

Going to the baggage department to return a passenger’s keys and to retrieve a passenger’s bag may seem like a simple task, I still enjoyed every minute of it. It was something out of the ordinary as I’m always assisting guests at the kiosk and baggage drop off. Although I try to enjoy the mundane, being able to do something different from my regular routine made my shift more enjoyable.

[kailainyyz]

Sabre Outage | November 5, 2022

WestJet experienced a system outage which halted the check in and baggage drop off process. The line for the check in counter gradually grew and there were no signs of Sabre running back again. Guests began to feel impatient and frustrated, fearing they will miss their flight. I felt helpless because there wasn’t much I could do for them but explain the situation and apologize for the inconvenience that was caused.

After a while, managers, GSLs, and CSAs began checking in guests in priority of the destinations departing first. Guests going to the cities that were called were pulled from the line to receive their boarding pass and drop off their bags. Boarding passes and bag tags were manually entered with the guest’s name and travel information. I had the opportunity of manually entering information on one passenger’s bag tag which was quite an interesting experience.

While WestJet’s staff were busy with managing the situation, I answered any questions guests had and reassured them that they will be called to check in. Despite the inconvenience caused by the system outage, I believe it was a great opportunity for me to witness the realities of working at the airport. It was a great reminder that Technology can both be a blessing and nightmare. Things can go south at any time but it’s important to know how to adapt to these situations. This experience provided me with an even greater appreciation for the work that all airport staff do to ensure guests arrive at their destination.

[kailainyyz]

Growth | November 4, 2022

It has been a month since the start of my internship with WestJet. I have grown through my experience with interacting with guests and learning along the way.

I’m more confident in my role and able to answer inquiries with minimal assistance from a CSA. I no longer feel overwhelmed and anxious when starting my shift because I’ve developed my own system of assisting guests in the order of who requested for my help first. I’m also able to assist multiple guests at the same time because the kiosks have a tendency to load slowly, and I want to be more efficient to reduce wait times.

I’m happy to see the progress I’ve made within a month of my internship. I look forward to learning and experiencing new things, as well as being able to provide guests with a positive airport experience.

[kailainyyz]

Slow Day | October 22, 2022

After the unforgettable experience with the conveyer belts from the previous night and the stressful start of my placement journey, a peaceful day finally arrived. I helped guests here and there but overall, it was a pretty slow day. I was finally able to work with a fellow Seneca student who I haven’t seen since orientation. We talked about our placement experiences and even played a little game to test our knowledge of airport codes.

A CSA who was a former Seneca student, arrived at the baggage drop off counter. She told me that she had also completed her placement at WestJet and was hired after. She offered to teach me how to print boarding passes and bag tags on the Sabre software. I was excited to learn because sometimes there are issues with the kiosks not printing bag tags and I would have to ask a CSA to print them from the computer. When it’s busy, it’s hard to help guests reprint their bag tags right away as the CSA could be helping other guests. Sometimes, there’s no CSA working at the baggage counter and I have to redirect the guests to the check in assistance line. Some guests feel annoyed whenever they’re redirected to the check in counter because they don’t want to wait in line. By learning how to print bag tags and boarding passes on the computer, I can assist guests more efficiently in troubleshooting these types of issues. Unfortunately, because it was a slow day, I was only able to assist one passenger with printing. Nevertheless, I was thankful for learning something new and I’ll try to find more opportunities to use the Sabre software in my upcoming shifts.

[kailainyyz]

Baggage Nightmare | October 21, 2022

My shift was smooth-sailing and I didn’t encounter problems that I wasn’t able to resolve. I felt good during the last hour of my shift thinking my day will end on a positive note.

It was too good to be true and the universe just had a way of humbling me😅. During the last 45 minutes of my shift, WestJet’s baggage conveyor belts had stopped working. Guests that were in the process of dropping off their bags were worried as their bags were stuck half way through the conveyor belts. Some guests had asked if they could climb over the belt and grab their bags, but that would be a potential risk to their safety. Guests were growing impatient as they were worried about missing their flights. Minutes passed and there were no signs of the conveyer belt working again. To counter the issue, the bag tags had to be manually activated on the computer. I assisted with the collection of bag tag numbers so the CSA that I was working with can input the numbers into the system. Bag tag activation registers the passenger’s baggage information into the system so that the bags can make it to the destination. We collected the bags and set them to the side until they could be sent through the conveyor belts once it started working again. Some passengers were hesitant to leave their bags with us but we assured them that their bags will reunite with them. It was a long and stressful process, but more so for the guests who had to put their trust in us.

This experience was a reminder that anything can go wrong at any time. Airlines must be able to adapt to these situations and offer solutions to maintain the public’s trust.

[kailainyyz]

Disappointment | October 7, 2022

As expected, the second day of my shift started off on a busy note. I was more prepared for all the guests rushing to me to ask for assistance. After my first shift, I had a better understanding of procedures and answers to frequently asked questions.

The afternoon flew by as I was busy assisting guests with operating the kiosks and self serve bag drop. I encountered a few issues regarding guests unable to complete the check in process through the kiosks because their documents needed to be verified. Whenever this problem occurs, I have to redirect the guests to the check in assistance line so that a CSA can verify their documents. Of course, a lot of them felt frustrated and annoyed because they chose to check in at the kiosks for ease and convenience. I provided them with empathy by apologizing for the inconvenience, understanding how they felt, and explaining how I am not authorized to verify their documents.

As an intern, there is only so much I can do to assist guests, and it can feel disappointing when I can’t solve their problems. I need to constantly remind myself that I don’t have the solution to everything and as long as I did my best to help, then everything’s going to be okay.

[kailainyyz]

Official Shift | October 6, 2022

My first official shift as a GSA finally came and I can’t stress the nerves and anxiousness I felt as I made my way to the airport. As I waited for my shift to begin, I tried to calm my nerves down by listening to music and telling myself that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed when starting something new.

As soon as I made my way to the kiosks to begin my shift, I was bombarded by guests requesting assistance. The line at the check-in counter was quite long and guests were hopeful that I could help them bypass the line. I did my best to help them with the check-in process however, I could sense their frustrations as they began to lose their patience. I also felt frustrated and overwhelmed because my knowledge of WestJet’s procedures were limited and I was still learning as I go. I felt pressured by the amount of guests waiting for my help, and it was quite challenging facing it on my own, because the CSAs were busy checking in guests at the counter. I answered guests one by one and thanked them for their patience and understanding while I assisted those that had requested help before them. The patience and empathy I developed over the years of working in customer service allowed me to overcome the stress and do my best.

Later in the afternoon, a CSA arrived at the baggage drop off counter. I felt a great sense of relief knowing I was no longer alone. We worked together for the rest of the evening and she was more than willing to answer all my questions. Although it was also her first day on the floor, she was able to assist guests with kindness and a smile, despite working under pressure. Her positive demeanour was refreshing and admirable, and made me look forward to fulfilling my role as a GSA with ease and confidence.

[kailainyyz]

A New Beginning

October 3rd marked the beginning of my role as a Guest Service Ambassador with WestJet! I was filled with feelings of anxiousness and excitement as I stepped foot in Toronto Pearson Airport for my orientation.

We met our trainers Hasia and Anna who welcomed us warmly and gave us a tour of Terminal 3. They briefed us about our responsibilities, as well as how to excel in our role as Guest Service Ambassadors. After the tour, we finally had the opportunity to work with the kiosks and the baggage drop off. I was able to assist passengers with checking in, printing boarding passes, and attaching baggage tags (the part I was most concerned about😅). Seeing and hearing passengers express their gratitude towards me gave me a sense of fulfillment and optimism that I will succeed in my role.

My confidence in being able to assist passengers increased as I gained more experience working at the kiosks and baggage drop off. Although we learned a wealth of information during our training, Anna reassured us that we are not expected to know everything, as the WestJet staff are always willing to guide us. What matters most is that we do our best and take the initiative to ask for help when needed.

As I stepped out of Terminal 3, the anxiousness and uncertainties I once felt, had faded and turned into optimism and confidence to begin a new chapter with WestJet.