|
|
Emily Berka Handles Difficult Moments with Respect and Patience
Customer service can occasionally mean speaking with guests who are frustrated, and staying calm while helping to resolve the situation is a valuable skill. Emily Berka (she/her), with Southwest Airlines, provided respectful service during a difficult interaction. Her efforts were noted by a bystander who later sent in this nomination:
“Emily was working the baggage claim area at Southwest and really impressed me with her kindness.
A passenger, irritated that the luggage was taking a while to come out, was clearly taking her frustrations out on Emily. Throughout the interaction, Emily was extremely polite, calm and professional as she tried to help the upset passenger.
I was amazed with how she managed to maintain her friendly and helpful composure. I would like to thank her and let her know that her hard work didn't go unnoticed.”
Emily was honored at the PDX People Customer Service Awards, where we recognize airport employees who truly stand out as extraordinary. Missed the virtual awards ceremony? View the event recording or read about past winners. You can also nominate an employee who embodies the PDX People values and serves as a shining example of great customer service for next quarter – submit a nomination now.
| |
 |
Demolition activities.
Photo by Dave Stanton, Port of Portland
|
| What's New with PDX Next: Noise Update, Crane Work and May Forum
Noise Update: Demolition will likely be a bit louder this week due to concrete chipping and metal roof cutting, with the most noticeable noise in the center of the ticket lobby. Active work hours will now be Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (day shift), and Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (night shift).
On Monday, June 6, through Thursday, June 9, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., expect to hear noisy work overhead in the ticket lobby when crews cut into the metal roof from above. This work will be above both the north and south elevator cores.
Crane Work: Due to crane activity, the entire length of OSCAR Road will close periodically in 15-minute intervals, during both day and night shifts, until the end of June.
May Forum: Look no further – we've got the inside scoop on construction at PDX. Jen Reynolds with the Port of Portland along with Pat Bifone and Caitlin Powell of Hoffman-Skanska shared the latest construction updates and answered your questions about PDX Next.
This month's forum updated us on the impressive demo in former Clocktower Plaza, showed the roof progress and got us excited for next month when we get more details on the big roof move. Watch the May forum now.
Looking for more PDX Next information? We're keeping you in the know on what's new on the PDX People website. Have questions or suggestions about construction? Email hello@pdxnext.com or call the construction hotline at 503.460.4339.
| |
Meet the Artist: Yoonhee Choi
When our new Rental Car Center opened last fall, it didn't just make it faster for visitors to zip off to their destination…it also became a showcase for major new works of public art. In the walkway from the main terminal to the center, you'll find three large sculptures and digital prints, commissioned just for PDX. You'll also find a fourth across from the rental desks: Yoonhee Choi's "FD 21.07 | April," two overlapping scrolls, criss-crossed with fine lines, covered with gorgeous washes of gray and black. "FD 21.07," in its original form, is just 10 inches long and is part of a series of folded drawings that Yoonhee – a Portland artist who also trained as an architect – first started making six years ago. We talked to Yoonhee about her work, which will be on display for the next year.
| |
 |
William Pretzer, Nicholas Boswell, Michael Rutherford
|
| Badgeholders Win for Being AWARE
You already know how to be an AWARE badgeholder – but did you know you could win $50 just by helping keep PDX safe and secure? This quarter, 34 PDX People successfully passed challenge plays, and the three lucky drawing winners are:
William Pretzer, LSG SkyChef: Challenged an Aviation Security employee wandering
around the ramp with no badge.
Nicholas Boswell, Skanska: Stopped someone from piggybacking through the D/E bypass door.
Michael Rutherford, Southwest Airlines: Successfully challenged an Aviation Security employee with no badge displayed.
Want to be the next big winner? Global Security and Aviation Security teams are conducting challenge plays at PDX. If you pass one of these plays, you’ll be entered in the quarterly drawing for a $50 Visa gift card. The next raffle will be held in September. Do your part to maintain a safe environment at PDX and you could be both an AWARE badgeholder and a lucky winner!
| |
Port of Portland Police Present Annual Awards
Port of Portland Police recently held their annual awards ceremony to recognize exceptional performance and outstanding contributions to the department or community by both employees and citizens. From the Chief’s Commendation to the Officers and Staff Member of the Year, join us in congratulating the award recipients and celebrating their notable accomplishments.
| |
Be Respectful: Keep Emergency Stairwells Clear
Being respectful is a PDX People core value, and that includes your actions toward travelers, other airport workers and even shared spaces.
With that in mind, keeping emergency stairwells clear of debris and any obstructions – including furniture and people lying down in the area – is all part of maintaining a clean and safe airport environment. Additionally, following these guidelines upholds both state, federal and PDX regulations:
Fire Code: Emergency stairwells and doorways must remain free of obstructions, debris and be passable at all times. In case of emergency, first responders, passengers and employees need to be able to use the stairs as intended, safely and quickly.
TSA Rules: TSA requirements are clear – items can’t be left unattended in the airport. This includes leaving items in stairwells or any other areas at PDX.
PDX Rules: Appropriate disposal of trash is outlined in the PDX rules that you agree to as an employee: “Temporary storage, abandonment or disposal of waste in places other than the designated bins anywhere on Port property is not permitted.”
To comply with these rules and keep these areas clean and accessible, employees are not allowed to use the stairwells as break areas. Furniture should not be brought into these areas, and no one should lie down or sleep on the stairs or landings. Eating and drinking should happen only in employer-provided breakrooms or the PDX food courts – just remember to toss your trash. Thanks for being part of keeping PDX a clean, safe and comfortable place to work.
| |
Taqueria La Merced Tests Evening Hours Tomorrow, June 7
As you may have heard, Taqueria La Merced is new to the PDX roadway as an additional pre-security food option, here to better serve the many employees who aren't able to go through security checkpoints or who don’t have time to get through security and back to their workplaces for meals. Tomorrow – Tuesday, June 7 – they'll be at PDX from 7 p.m. to midnight for late night bites, a trial run to measure the success of evening hours. As a reminder, they are currently open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the south end of the lower roadway near pick up area one. Check out their current menu and keep an eye on the roadway, as hours of operation may continue to evolve to best meet customer needs.
| |
June Marks Pride Month
June is designated nationally as Pride Month to commemorate the struggle for civil rights and ongoing pursuit of equal justice under the law for the LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit) community, as well learn about and recognize the accomplishments of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.
The event that catalyzed the gay rights movement happened in June 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. In response, the street erupted into violent protests that lasted for the next six days. The Stonewall riots, as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world.
| |
PDX in Pictures
Last week, Portland became the newest destination on the British Airways route map as the inaugural arriving flight touched down at PDX.
Creating the only direct route between London's Heathrow Airport and Oregon, the inaugural flight received a warm local welcome as it taxied to the gate. Jubilee-themed refreshments were served by the departure gate and travelers were gifted a rose to mark their arrival in the City of Roses. The brand-new route now operates five times a week on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
| |
|
|
|
|
