The Care Factor
Every moment matters. This past weekend was particularly busy for the ACIS Duty Officer desk. Three groups had storm-related delays and our team of fixers worked hour by hour to figure out solutions that seemed to change every moment with the snowy conditions. We know it’s never easy to be a Group Leader in these situations. That’s when the caring company culture kicks in at ACIS.
The flights delayed, the airline is dealing with mounting disappointment as people’s plans are being changed by the hour and customer-friendly folks are hard to find. That’s why we have a dedicated group of people here whose job during these difficult moments is to advise, give up-to-the-minute information by working with airlines and our overseas offices, and reassure. Our job is to fix things as fast as possible and keep everyone informed and calm.
It’s bad enough as a single traveler when this stuff happens to you. Imagine it with a group of 25 students hanging out at the airport – perhaps far from their home hub – their parents anxious about the status of the travel plans. It’s not pleasant. Imagine if you are connecting to another city and a year’s worth of plans are quickly looking like they are about to go up in smoke. Departing tonight? Maybe not. How about in three days’ time! Not to mention that students are also a power player in this situation. They are feeding into the scene using their own powerful tools of trade, social media. And who wouldn’t? I recently got stuck on the runway for 6 hours with British Airways and got a bag of chips and a “very sorry,” doing all we can story…I took to Twitter!
Over the weekend we had a group who started in Indianapolis, and then got stuck in Philadelphia for 10 hours. In many situations, this is where things could have gone awry. But before continuing on, the group actually received a new revised itinerary meant to give everything they may have missed and much more. That would not have been possible without a team of people who really cared. People who went well beyond the “sorry, but the airline is responsible, and there is nothing we can do” line. That is when I am most proud of what we do at ACIS, when our unwavering commitment to going above and beyond shines even during difficult situations, that’s The Care Factor.
The Care Factor extends well beyond our team internally. ACIS is lucky to have a strong community of local representatives and teachers who travel with us year over year. Veteran ACIS teacher in Philadelphia, Scott Saks, actually gave up his Sunday to personally accompany this “accidental visiting group” from the airport to his hometown and show them around. Scott, you were our other hero that Sunday. And thanks to our Senior International Program Manager, Jill, who was smart enough to reach out to you. And of course, Laura, Colleen, Ashlee, Katie and our overseas team who worked to revise the itinerary to give the students everything they’d hoped for and more. With the Care Factor rooted in ACIS’ company culture, this extra effort is just “part of the job” for these team members.
And lastly and most importantly, our fearless group leader, Jacob Shively, who ultimately made this happen by being calm and cool. Jacob eventually got to Europe with his group, and we even gave him an extra day on top of his originally planned itinerary. All’s well that ends well.
Peter Jones In 1978, Peter Jones founded ACIS with a few colleagues, who all believed that travel changes lives. Knowing the important difference between a trip that’s mediocre and one that’s extraordinary, he built ACIS from a deep belief and understanding that ACIS group leaders and participants deserve the best—from itinerary development to hotels to perhaps most importantly, the people hired to guide teachers and students throughout the journey.
This is what I have always appreciated about ACIS…when something goes wrong, they usually overcompensate to make it better. Not many companies have that core value! Thanks, Peter. just got back from another fantastic trip!
I will agree. I have led many groups from the US to all parts of Europe, Greece, Egypt and most recently Peru. The ACIS team couldn’t have been more accommodating. Our wonderful tour guide last year in Italy (Sorrento) became ill with a cold and fever. I could tell he wasn’t up to par. I encouraged him to contact ACIS to request another tour guide. ACIS came right to the rescue. They flew him back to his home in England and provided another tour guide to help us–he was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He saw to our every need. Hurrah
The sign of a GREAT travel company is not necessarily the design of the itinerary or how smoothly it delivers the scheduled program. Instead, the great companies stand alone in how they handle situations which are not predicted and how they ensure an unforgettable and positive experience in the face of surprises over which they have no control. ACIS does that consistently.