We recently caught up with Arslan Hassan from Dynamologic Solutions to discover top tips for new cabin crew. This is what he said:
“The airline industry is expected to pick up from where it left before the Coronavirus. The latest statistics show that air traffic will double in the coming decade. These stats project about 50,000 jobs for cabin crew annually.
There are many factors that lead an airline to have an edge in the industry. One such factor is a skillful cabin crew. And some of the best airlines in the world are known for their customer-friendly staff onboard.
While there are many qualities that are a must for a cabin crew member, some of them can be easily introduced to your overall work attitude. These qualities will always help you irrespective of your chosen industry.
Want to excel in your job as a cabin crew member? Have a look at a few tips on how to do that.
A Social Bee
A cabin crew member should be able to socialize with people easily. A charismatic personality and a friendly face make it easy for people to engage with you. A cabin crew member will interact with people from different nations, languages, and cultures.
They are responsible for making their journey as comfortable as possible. One of the best ways to do that is by being accessible so people can talk to you without facing social anxiety.
Great Listening Skills
A common mistake that every new cabin crew member makes is that they talk more and listen less. At times, the cabin crew fails to understand the passenger’s problems because they are not listening to them, and hence they fail to address the problem efficiently.
Efficient solutions to passenger problems are only possible when the cabin crew actually understands the passenger.
Instead of repeating a scripted response for each query, listen to the problem, show that you understand it, and reassure the passenger that you are working to solve it.
If it is something that isn’t possible, explain it to them—staying within your authority, present alternate options to the passenger.
Speak Multiple Languages
Language is one of the biggest hurdles for a new cabin crew member. Almost everyone on a flight speaks a different language or a different accent. It becomes very difficult to help a customer who isn’t able to communicate their problem to you.
Although you cannot learn every language in the world, knowing more than one can be a plus point on your job. Imagine you are the only cabin crew member on board who can speak French or German.
You will understand whether a passenger is complaining about carpet cleaning or if they have an issue with their seat.
Engaging Personality
When you join a cabin crew, you become the face of your airline. You represent the culture and values of your airline. You also become a sign of professionalism at your airline.
Lasting Impression
The personality of a cabin crew member leaves a lasting impression in the minds of the passengers. It can be a good one or a bad one as well. Therefore it is important for the cabin crew to maintain a pleasant work personality by being courteous, helpful, and reachable.
Be Cooperative
The cabin crew is a team of individuals that represent their airline. The team works together towards a common goal; customer satisfaction. It is their responsibility to make the journey comfortable for the passengers.
Develops Motivation
The members of this team should cooperate with each other. They should understand and help each other out in times of need. A friendly and cooperative workspace plays a great role in motivating the employees to improve their performance.
Learn From Experience
One way to do this is to share your experience with your cabin crew. Learn from the experiences of your teammates. It is one of the easiest ways to improve yourself in your workplace.
Presentation Skills
Having great presentation skills can help you excel in your career as a cabin crew member. All the top employers look for this point in job resumes. A qualified candidate with weak presentation skills may be left out of the list of the shortlisted candidates.
Since you are representing your airline, it is significant for you to be able to communicate clearly and legibly. Moreover, you must have command over all the processes of the cabin crew.
You should have knowledge of customer service and flight safety. A new cabin crew should be able to present all the information in an understandable way to the passenger.
Welcome Criticism
The professionalism of their cabin crew is one of the factors that made Air New Zealand, one of the best airlines globally. While it is your job to make sure you do your best, there is always room for improvement.
Taking feedback from your cabin crew members is one way to do it.
It also occurs that some passengers are not satisfied even after you did your best. It is best to welcome suggestions from your passengers on how to improve things. Take a constructive approach towards criticism from a passenger instead of getting defensive.
At the end of the day, you will meet some passengers that are extremely disagreeable without any cause. If you have done everything right, and they are still not happy, then don’t be hard on yourself.
You cannot please everyone; someone may just be having a bad day for other reasons. Do you best, remain calm, and take everything with a grain of salt.
Cross-training
Cross-training is an excellent way to learn about the different roles within the cabin crew. This way, the new cabin crew is able to handle all the different tasks that may come upon a flight. It also helps to understand your own role from a different viewpoint.
Conclusion
The first impression is the last impression. The professionalism of the cabin crew can help airlines make a lasting impression on their consumers. The tips that we have discussed above can help both the employers and the employees.
It can be a checklist for recruiting a new cabin crew or training an existing one. It can also help the people already working as cabin crew to improve themselves and stay competitive.
The person who is open to new things and changes keeps growing in their personal and professional life. The one who doesn’t often gets left out.
As air traffic increases, the demand for skilllful and qualified cabin crew will also increase. But are you prepared to grab the opportunity in this competitive market?”
