Saltire74

Empathy, honesty and that wee bit of Glasgow humour. Best of luck and hope to see you at the check in desk or gate sometime soon zafiragirl. Always had a good repertoire with the GLA staff when they were BA staff but the Menzies staff have been a good bunch too. All the best

S

windowontheAside

Lots of good points above. I also think it's important that ground staff can be courteous, fair and yet firm with chancers. It's annoying to see boorish types gain some undeserved advantage because it's the easy way of getting rid of them.

Look at all the complaints about poor priority boarding; how many are down to GS taking the easy option of waving all through instead of asking ineligible people to step aside?

So I'd have some examples of defusing difficult situations handy - being pro-active and pleasant rather than reactive and defensive.

Tim1975

Product knowledge and competency. I'd much rather deal with someone who knew what they were doing even if they were a bit grumpy, then someone who was ultra polite but useless.

LTN Phobia

Welcoming smile, empathy and human touch, to me, goes longer way than complex product knowledge beyond essentials, although of course that would be a bonus.

A sense of humour would be very welcome too.

Good luck with your interview!

GAYOP

Whilst all the above qualities are exactly what an employer would be looking for and expect from an applicant , there are a couple of practical elements to take into account.
Most handling agents assess new staff during initial training and then allocate to a specific product so you may not always be on the airline of your choice, it just depends on which team needs staff when you apply. If you get onto the BA team your product and system training is basic , you end up learning more by reading forums like this. Some staff are good at this and want to learn more , some not so.
It can be a stressful job , there is a LOT more to it than most people realise but at same time there is a "buzz" around working at an airport, it gets under your skin so some new staff try it for a few months and decide its not for them other stay for life !
Good luck with interview and one wee tip,,,,,when asked why you want this job, do not say you want to wear the BA uniform,,,,,thats usually a red rag to an interviewer.

Can I help you

Look for ways to make a difference, routines are necessary but how you treat someone is more important.

zafiragirl

I'm really touched that so many of your have taken a moment to share your thoughts with me, thank you.

I'm aware that I may not get to choose to work on the BA desks. I'm hopeful that the 'insider' knowledge I've gained through years lurking around here may help me to persuade them I'd be easy to train!

I'm re-starting my career now that my kids are grown up. I'd like to think I've got common sense and maturity on my side along with a really positive disposition. This is a job I've always fancied and I really do believe I'll be good at it. I'm not daft enough mention my preference for the uniform(!) - I'll happily take whatever they give me, work hard, learn as much as I can and smile, smile, smile! (this, thankfully, comes naturally!) I've been there enough times as a passenger to know the huge difference a good agent can make to your travels.

So thanks for the advice and good wishes - If I'm successful, I promise to work hard for you! Will let you all know how it goes

HarryHolden68

My Golden Ticket goes to staff who in the confined space of just a few hours make me feel like I have known them all my life and they are my best friend.

Some can do it and I like to recognise how well they click with me. Some are hopeless but still manage to serve me with a smile which is the minimum for me.

A very small minority (very very small) are in the wrong job.

PETER01

All the very best for your interview zafiragirl and I do hope you get the job! ^

Lots of good advice there and I would just add that after a very long time working with the general public one thing I learnt quite quickly is to never take things personally and sometimes it may appear that way.

Dealing with awkward/DYKWIA customers can be hard work at times but on the other end of the scale there will be times when you may have to stand firm.

Solving issues and peoples problems can be challenging but rewarding knowing you have helped someone or a family in some small way who may be travelling for many reasons to a funeral or a new life abroad and 101 other reasons.

Please post back if you can/wish to on how you get on

Pete

CMK10

When I deal with a customer service agent nothing rubs me the wrong way more than an agent who doesn't want to help. Positivity is so important and it's often just in the way you phrase things. "I'm not sure but let me check into that" is so much better than "I can't do that" etc. Especially when things have gone wrong for me an agent who wants to be part of the solution is so appreciated.

GAYOP

CMK10 you are correct in your thinking, a lot of staff working for handling agents are ex BA or other airline employees who want to help as much as possible however the FLY system sign in codes can be very restrictive when performing tasks in certain situations.

zafiragirl

UPDATE:

I got the job!

Training for the next three weeks or so before they let me loose on real passengers

Thanks for all your advice - pretty sure my knowledge gained here is what set me apart from the rest. Will do my best to make you all proud!

LTN Phobia

Congratulations, and all the best for your training!

Geordie405

Very well done and the best of luck in the new role!

HIDDY