up and flying.” Depending on circumstances, Robinson
will also try to prioritize customer require- ments. “I might have a customer who tells us, ‘Hey, I’m going to be flying in a month, and I’d like you to get this part to me.’ And I’ll have someone who is AOG or close to AOG, and I’ll try to work with both parties to get the part to the operator who needs it most,” says Kurt. “And we don’t forget the other person, because they need to go too.” Response time is of vital impor-
“Tis is an area we have developed and
worked on for years, just to get parts out,” says Kurt. “I can call up and order something online and have it shipped to me the next day. So why can’t I do that with a helicopter part? “I understand that there are bigger compo-
nents, such as additional inspections to complete. Or if it’s going to foreign sales, there’s
try to describe a problem. It makes our response time a lot quicker.”
“It’s clear to me that aircraft are getting easier to fly, but are they getting safer? Safety is always there at the forefront of our mind.”
tance to Robinson Helicopter Company. In a recent survey, 84 percent of respondents indicated Robinson handled their technical support issues within two days. Te company accomplishes this goal through “old-fashioned” connections like phone calls and emails with the customer service repre- sentatives and through more modern systems where barcoded parts are ordered online with a credit card.
other paperwork and criteria that we need to meet,” he says. “But those are some of the areas where we just keep saying, ‘Why can’t we do it? What is preventing it, and how can we streamline the process to get it out?’ “One of the huge things that has made life
a lot easier for everyone is the cell phone camera,” says Kurt. “It is so helpful now to get a picture quickly, rather than having someone
The Secret: “Keep ’Em Flying” Robinson continues to upgrade its aircraft as industry technology has advanced, including features like GPS, SAS [stability augmentation system], and autopilot. “All of those relate to safety and improvements in the aircraft to make it easier to fly,” says Kurt. “Hopefully, they’ll make it more fun to fly too. “One of the things we do is to reach back and make certain
[the older models] stay current,” says Kurt. “It’s clear to me that aircraft are getting easier to fly, but are they getting safer? … Safety is always there at the forefront of our mind. “We want the owners and operators to stay
safe,” Kurt continues. “It may be a 1980s aircraft, but if they’re doing an overhaul, we want to make certain the aircraft is as safe as it can be and that it’s maintained properly.” At its core, customer service comes down
to supporting the customer, regardless of the issue. “As Frank used to say, ‘Keep ’em flying,’” finishes Nieto. “So we pull a lot of rabbits out of our hat. All of our departments work together. If there’s an issue or priority, it’s not unusual for me to reach out to Hernandez, tech support, or production, and we work together. We pull a lot of rabbits because people need rabbits pulled. We keep customers in the air.” Feedback from satisfied customers does
make its way to the production line. “I’ll get an email back saying, ‘Tank God you guys were able to get this out to me.’ And I’ll let the teams on the floor know that their efforts were appreciated. Because it’s a team effort,” says Nieto. “One of the things I guess I’m most proud
of is that people love this industry,” finishes Kurt. “I like to think people get started with Robinson because they can afford it, and then they get going and get involved in the industry. I know businesses that started as a one-person operation, and now I realize, ‘Oh my God, they’ve got 20 helicopters!’ I’ve had people who have gone on to other aircraft, and they’ve come back to Robinson.”
28 ROTOR WINTER 2019
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