Meridian Teterboro was rated the #1 FBO in the New York City (NYC) metro area by the readers of Aviation International News (AIN) in its annual survey. Meridian was the only FBO at Teterboro Airport and the NYC metro area to be ranked in the top 10% of FBOs in the Americas. Meridian TEB was highly ranked for its pilot amenities and customer service as well. Professional Pilot’s (ProPilot) annual PRASE Survey also placed Meridian as the #1 FBO at Teterboro, and among the top ten FBOs in the US.
Meridian is unique in that it is the only FBO at TEB to operate under the same ownership since 1946. That legacy and experience has contributed to the success of its Hayward FBO, which was ranked among the top FBOs for the first time this year. AIN readers gave Meridian Hayward high marks, placing it in the top five FBOs in the West Region and one of the best FBOs in the greater San Francisco area. Additionally, the AIN survey recognizes those individual FBO employees who go “Above and Beyond”, and we are proud that HWD’s Jenny Deitschman, Customer Service Representative (CSR), was included on this year’s list.
“We are honored to be counted among the top FBOs on the West Coast,” said Carlos Rodriguez, Hayward’s General Manager. “Since our opening in 2016, our team has worked hard to provide outstanding service to each and every customer. I’m especially pleased to see Jenny recognized for her efforts as an outstanding CSR.” Jenny has been with Meridian Hayward since it opened for business.
Meridian was ranked as the 4th best independent FBO by ProPilot, and was the only FBO in the Northeast to be recognized in this category. The 2021 ranking is several spots ahead of last year, and we are proud that our continued commitment to striving to be the best resonated with customers.
“It’s very rewarding to know that our efforts are appreciated. We are honored to be recognized for our legacy of exceptional service,” said Ken Forester, Meridian’s CEO. “We sincerely thank our customers for their support and confidence in us. After 75 years, Meridian’s mission and focus are still the same-putting each customer first and delivering a truly personalized experience to everyone we serve.”
Tag: Customer Service
On August 19, Meridian celebrated Victor Seda’s 20-year anniversary with the company. Victor joined Meridian as a Customer Service Representative (CSR) in 1999. In 2008, he was promoted to Customer Service Manager and now supervises a staff of 22 colleagues.
Over the years, Victor has received numerous accolades for his outstanding customer service. He has consistently been ranked in the top of this category by Professional Pilot (ProPilot) Magazine in its annual PRASE Survey. Joining him in this honor is our own Betsy Wines. Together, both of them have been named among the top five CSRs in the country by ProPilot for the last 12 years!
Victor came to Meridian from the restaurant industry. He says he loves aviation and really loves working at Meridian. “Working here is awesome,’ he says. “Everyone is like family and I look forward to coming to work every day.”
Victor says he really enjoys the interaction he has with people in his job. It can be very busy at times, and he says that’s what he really enjoys. “I like being at the front desk and dealing with our customers. There’s always something different going on and I am certainly never bored!”
Meridian is incredibly proud of Victor, and all our dedicated Customer Service staff. We’re so glad for your long tenure here and all of the years you have represented Meridian.
Congratulations Victor!
This past week, a few Meridian Hayward employees had the privilege of taking a ride in a Vietnam era assault helicopter known as the Huey. This was courtesy of EMU Inc., a non-profit organization that is located across from our facility in Hayward, CA. For the past year, we have been fueling their helicopter, and they took the time to thank our line service and customer service teams.
EMU derives its name from the radio call sign of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company, which was composed of both U.S. Army and Royal Australian Navy personnel. Because of this unique composition, the 135th was considered an Experimental Military Unit, hence its call sign EMU. Today, EMU Inc. is a non-profit organization that serves three important purposes:
1. To preserve the history of the Huey Helicopter and the memory of the men who served in the 135th Assault Helicopter Company and all AHCs in Vietnam.
2. To own and operate accurately recreated helicopters utilized by the 135th AHC during its service in Vietnam and to make these aircraft available to museums, air shows, public displays and for the support of Veterans affairs.
3. To recognize and offer emotional support to Combat Veterans with PTSD of all eras through comradery and contact with the Huey.
We at Meridian would first like to thank everyone who fought in the 135th Assault Helicopter Company for their service. We would also like to thank EMU for taking the time to recognize our employees and providing them with an experience they’ll never forget.
Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company, is pleased to announce that its Fixed Base Operation (FBO) in Teterboro has again been voted the top FBO in the Northeast by readers of Aviation International News (AIN) and by registered members of FltPlan.com in their 2017 FBO surveys. Readers of Professional Pilot (ProPilot) again recognized two of our customer service representatives among the top four in the nation in its annual PRASE Survey. Meridian was also voted the #1 FBO at Teterboro Airport in all three surveys. These industry surveys are well-respected and the entire staff is honored to be recognized for its exceptional service.
Meridian was voted in the top 10% of all US FBOs in the AIN survey, while FltPlan.com’s Pilots’ Choice Awards rated Meridian #8 among its Top 50 US FBOs. ProPilot readers ranked Meridian among the top 20 Best US FBOs. The AIN and ProPilot surveys also measure individual customer service, and the company is proud to say that both Betsy Wines and Victor Seda continue to be recognized for their outstanding efforts. AIN recognized Betsy Wines for going ‘Above & Beyond’, while ProPilot had both Wines and Seda ranked #1 and #3 respectively in the Best CSR category. This is the 17th time that Betsy has been voted Best CSR by ProPilot readers, and 2017 marks the 11th year in a row that Betsy and Victor have been together in the Top 5 of the category.
Steve Chandoha, Meridian Teterboro President, credits his team as the main reason for the continuing high marks the company receives. “Our entire FBO team, from Security to Customer Service to Line Service, understands that we must treat our customers as individuals. Betsy and Victor continuously demonstrate these values with their work ethic and attention to detail. I am very proud of them, and the entire staff of Meridian Teterboro.”
“Exceptional service is the cornerstone of our corporate culture here at Meridian, and we are very pleased that our customers and colleagues see and appreciate that commitment,” said Betsy Wines, Vice President of Customer Service & Human Resources. “We are honored that they have named us the top FBO at the airport, as well as recognizing us as one of the leading FBOs nationwide.”
Ken Forester, Meridian CEO, summed up his appreciation of these survey results by saying, “I am proud of the entire team that works to exceed expectations every day. It is important to us that every pilot and passenger feels welcomed and valued when they arrive at Meridian. We understand that customers have choices when they fly into Teterboro, and we truly appreciate their business.”
Meridian Hayward became one step closer to reality last week when the first class of recruits arrived in Teterboro for an extensive two weeks of Customer Service and Line Service training. This is our first class of Line Service and Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) to join our West Coast operation, and they will be the ones to set the standard for future employees. Our Line Service employees began their first day of training on August 15 at Hayward Executive Airport in Hayward, CA. Afterwards, they met with the CSRs and the team was sent to Meridian’s facility in Teterboro last weekend to begin their first day on Monday, August 22. The starting class for Meridian Hayward will consist of 4 CSRs, 7 Ramp Agents, 1 Customer Service Supervisor and 1 Operations Manager for a total of 13 employees. During new hire orientation, we received great feedback from everyone, as they were excited to be with us and motivated to work together as a team. Their collective focus will be to help make Meridian Hayward #1.
Marcia Maki, Customer Service Supervisor, and Carlos ‘Tiny’ Rodriguez, Operations Manager, are leading the training for the new hires. They have both recently moved into their respective positions to lead the Hayward teams. Marcia joined us from Castle & Cooke in California, and Carlos relocated from Meridian Teterboro to join the team in Hayward. Last week, we had a total of 9 new hires in Teterboro for training – 2 Customer Service Representatives (CSR) and 7 Ramp Agents. Two more CSRs will be coming to Teterboro for training in September.
Ramp agents have started their on the job training (OJT) as part of the training curriculum. They have been learning our equipment and procedures by shadowing employees. CSRs have also started on-the-job training by working the front desk and learning how to handle inbound phone calls, which can get very hectic at times. Each new recruit is learning the ‘Meridian Way’ and absorbing the company culture, so when our customers visit our Hayward location, they can expect to receive the same high level of service that they get in Teterboro. The first round of training in Teterboro will last from August 21 until September 2. The group will then return to Hayward during the week of Labor Day, where they will be practicing what they had learned on the newly-paved Hayward ramp before returning to Teterboro for one last round of training.
The new Ramp Agents are Robert Lopez, William Devine, Bryan Kwee, Eduardo “Eddie” Picazo, Lennard “Cheetah” Davis, Leonardo “Leo” Mendoza and Joshua Moon. The new Customer Service Representatives include Bridgette Hendricks and Fotoon Giananni. Two more new CSRs, Christopher “Chris” Jones and Janet “Jenny” Deitschman, will arrive in Teterboro for their respective training on September 6, and the Ramp Agents will return on September 12 for their second round of training.
The background story of each new hire is as diverse as the group itself. Six of the seven Ramp Agents have never been to New York City before this trip. One of the recruits had just experienced his first flight (ever). We have a professional boxer in the group (1-0 record), a Tuskegee Airmen descendant, a costume designer, a bike builder, and several volunteers who support their communities by working in soup kitchens or rebuilding houses. The list goes on and on!
Marcia Maki, Customer Service Supervisor, is looking ahead, “The training in Teterboro will be a great learning experience for our Hayward team as they prepare for Day One. There’s no better place to cut your teeth than at the busiest General Aviation airport in the country, and probably the world. We are working hard to make sure that each one of our new hires feels comfortable in their respective roles before we open our doors. So far, things are going well and our trainees seem to be really enjoying the experience. We are very happy to have such an enthusiastic and talented group!”
Carlos Rodriguez, Operations Manager, had this to say, “I’m excited that we were able to find such a talented and diverse group of individuals who are so motivated and enthusiastic about joining our company and learning the Meridian culture. From our Customer Service Reps to the Ramp Agents, this class of recruits will be the foundation for which we build on, and I believe they will proudly carry the Meridian reputation to Hayward and the West Coast.”
Meridian Hayward is expected to open at the end of September, 2016.
We are so proud of our 2 CSR FBO employees who made the top ten for best according to Pro Pilot magazine
Betsy Wines – VP of Human Resources and Customer Service has held #1 since 1996!
Victor Seda for the 2nd year in a row holds a top ten spot at #7 !!
Meridian Teterboro was voted #14 overall, up from #20 last year!