Sky-Bound Service: Elevating Experiences with Our Award-Winning CSRs

When United introduced its now famous slogan in 1965, inviting passengers to “fly the friendly skies,” the idea was to emphasize the personal service and welcoming atmosphere of the airline. In private aviation, that elevated level of service is an expectation that needs no marketing reminder. Aircraft owners and charter fliers have invested a great deal of resources in the convenience, flexibility, and personal service that comes with flying private, and they are understandably inclined to view great service as non-negotiable.

Despite that high bar, Pentastar has consistently managed to gain and keep clients and win industry awards based on our high level of customer service. And that all begins on the front lines, with experienced, dedicated, and knowledgeable customer service professionals who go to extraordinary lengths to make every Pentastar client’s experience a great one.

We talked to Krissy Ross, our FBO Operations Manager, and Ann Roy, Pentastar’s Lead Customer Service Representative (CSR), to learn more about the importance of award-winning high-touch customer service at Pentastar. They shared what it takes to stand out in an industry where the expectations for great customer service are sky high.

Krissy, I know you’ve been with Pentastar a long time. Can you talk a little bit about your journey and your current role?

I’ve been a member of our team for 35+ years. I’m a Customer Service Supervisor and our FBO Operations Manager. I oversee our CSR team and am out there with them, meeting with pilots, talking to clients, and answering phone calls. There really is no “normal day” in this job. Every day is different, and you can and do interact with anyone and everyone.

Ann, you’ve been a part of the Pentastar team even longer, I believe, which is remarkable.

That’s right—I’ve been with Pentastar for 40 years and counting! As Krissy said, no one day is the same as the other. But fundamentally, our job is about taking care of people. Not just getting them where they need to go, but doing it in a way that maximizes convenience, comfort, and consideration. We are there to help them board the aircraft and there to greet the aircraft when it lands. We arrange a car or driver and direct transportation as close as possible to the aircraft to make it easy for our clients. We manage luggage and we regularly valet park cars for departing fliers. We also take care of our pilots, getting them everything they need, from refueling service to a cup of coffee.

Krissy, that sounds like there’s a lot on your plate. How do you see the role of CSR professionals fitting into the Pentastar mission?

Essentially, we are on the front lines. To our aircraft owners and charter fliers, we are the face and the voice of Pentastar. And because outstanding and personal customer service is a big part of what sets us apart as a company, that’s a lot of responsibility. A brief interaction with a Pentastar CSR can set the tone for a customer’s entire experience, both positively and negatively. It’s our job to make sure it’s the former—each and every time, which isn’t always easy! Our CSR team approaches things with an all-hands-on-deck mindset. Whether it’s raining, sleeting, or snowing, the work doesn’t change. If there’s an issue that demands immediate attention, it’s up to us to make sure it’s taken care of promptly.

You mentioned that notion of “taking care of people” earlier, Ann. And it definitely seems to be a recurring theme here.

No question. Empathy and understanding are essential in this line of work. The good news for us on the CSR side is that we have such a caring and capable team of pilots and FAs that our clients rarely have anything but good things to say about their service experience. That’s important, because at a place like Pentastar, where we have so many regular customers, everything feels very personal. We are building and maintaining long-term relationships with these clients. We get to know them—and we are always looking for ways to “wow” them. Creative touches like having a favorite drink or candy bar in the car waiting for them when they arrive can go a long way. Just the small, thoughtful details that are all about going the extra mile.

Krissy, what would you say to someone who is considering a career as a CSR professional? What is it about private aviation specifically that makes customer service so engaging and rewarding?

Well, you definitely need to be a people person. This is the hospitality business, really, and it’s so gratifying to have so many opportunities to make people’s day—it’s what makes this such a rewarding line of work. And there aren’t a lot of CSR jobs where you get to spend so much time outdoors and where every day brings so much variety. It’s a real joy to go to work—and that’s not something everyone gets to say. So, we feel very fortunate.