Delighted Guests Share Their Exceptional Experiences
Areas is very grateful when delighted guests share their encounters with our team members. The dedication and passion that goes into delivering exceptional service pays off when the result is a happy guest. These customers wrote to Guest Services to pass on the details of their enjoyable experiences.
From Barry Strain…
Hi there Areas family:
I wanted to share some pretty outstanding feedback on your team in Terminal 5 Chicago airport.
I left my wallet behind me a few weeks back on my way home to Ireland. My wallet had an apple air tag and I could see that it was still in the airport. I had a little bit of hope that it was handed in, given it was still in the airport departures zone. In today’s world my hope was very little.
Long story cut short, one of your team members handed my wallet in and I was able to coordinate with a very friendly and helpful Jeffrey Javier who went out of his way to help me. A colleague of mine was flying to Ireland and Jeffrey arranged for repatriation of my wallet.
I really am astonished that this happened, both Jeffrey and the person who initially handed the wallet in are really good people. I know just how hard good people are to find, so keep hold of these good people – your recruiting team should also know they are hiring good people.
My impression of Chicago (1st ever trip) was so damn good from start to finish, this was the icing on the cake.
Thank you to you and your colleagues.
From Michelle Thomas…
I’m taking the time to write this email to compliment an Areas employee who is putting in the hard work of getting Areas operations transitioned successfully at Houston’s Hobby Airport. I hope you can indulge a little detail from a grateful traveler. I had the pleasure of meeting and being served by your employee Manuel Jimenez from Areas’ Orlando International Airport team, and he was a bright spot amid an understandably hectic and stressful operating situation.
As a regular traveler to Houston, I’m quite familiar with the longstanding restaurant offerings previously handled by the local favorite Pappas family company. I’ve enjoyed their locations on both inbound and outbound visits to Hobby, and I was a bit concerned when I discovered that my flights in and out of Hobby last week would hit right amid the transition from Pappas to Areas management. On my quick pass through the airport after arriving on the morning of Saturday, May 13, 2023, I noticed that Pappadeaux was gone, the Pappasito’s counter service location and the pre-security Pappas BBQ location also were no longer operating. In their place I saw that other establishments appeared open, but I made note that I shouldn’t count on fully operational restaurants when I again departed from Hobby on May 20.
Last Saturday my departing flight was scheduled to depart from the Gates 1-5 concourse, where previously a Pappasito’s full-service dining restaurant and a mid-gates bar had been. I hadn’t allowed time for a pre-flight meal (concerned that the transitional offerings would be institutional, at best). But I did approach the restaurant take-away counter hoping to be able to buy a Diet Coke with ice, rather than having to get a 20-ounce bottle from the newsstand.
Manuel Jimenez was speaking with the kitchen staff as I approached, and when I asked if he could help me, he immediately smiled and told me that he’d do his very best. It was clear to me that he was a supervisor, and that it was not his job to be manning the cash register and serving walk-up customers like me. But he directed me to go back to the hostess stand where he’d meet me there and get me a soft drink to go. We went straight to the bar, where he gave me two Diet Cokes, since he didn’t have the appropriately sized plastic cup for me. We talked as he prepared the drinks, and I thanked him for his cheerful attitude amid what was clearly a “perfect storm” of starting up a new restaurant operation with new staff, new practices and a terminal bustling with rushed travelers. I asked him what his week had been like, and although his fatigue and stress were apparent, he never lost his graciousness nor his smile.
I helped a good friend start a kiosk at Denver International Airport a few years ago, and I know that every airport employee who works post-security deserves special appreciation for what they go through just to be out on the gates serving passengers like me. Pre-hire federal security screening, remote parking lots, employee shuttles, TSA security screening all before they even get to their place of employment. It asks a lot of employees to want to be in a public-facing service role, but also to go through all of those hurdles just to do the work. I was one of those people and I make it a point to thank every on-site airport employee that I can when I travel. And especially to commend people like Manuel who was putting in the good, difficult work of making the transition successful for Areas at Houston Hobby.
Please find a way to reward Manuel, or at the very least to let him know that at least one Hobby Airport passenger appreciated his efforts. I know that he will most likely be back in Orlando — not in Houston — when I next travel through Hobby. But with people like Manuel on board, I have confidence that Areas’ multi-year transition to bring new restaurants and a heightened customer service experience to Hobby will continue to be a success. I’ll look forward to experiencing it along the way.
From Amy Leigh Bentley…
Hello, Guest Services Team!
I am writing to let you know how amazing your team is at this new Houston location. I’ve been delayed 9 hours on a flight for my vacation with my grown daughter. We were supposed to be in Cancun this morning, which has made for a very tiring day.
Your staff at this location have been nothing short of delightful as well as so friendly and hard working. There have been delays on flights here ALL day long, and the way your staff has been so kind to everyone, regardless of the attitudes of the patrons, has been absolutely incredible! I can tell you now that I see a great thing happening here! They are only 3 days into this venture and they are killing it because of their incredibly hard work ethic and positive attitudes!
I just feel that you should know that this whole team has been the bright spot in our and other frustrated flyers day today. They’ve made us laugh and smile as well as given us terrific service on a rough day of travel. It’s honestly been a heartwarming experience. Also, of course I must say that our food and drinks were incredible!
Thank you for your time and reading my email.
Cheers!
From Pierre Couvillion…
Im 51, been flying for 32 years now.
Just writing to thank you for the awesome service of one of your employees. Sorry I didnt see the receipt message until now to leave a review.
SO… please extend my special thanks to server Tommy – YOU have been amazing.
You were attentive and personable the first time we met. And timely, attentive and aware of all the guests, which creates a nice vibe in your section.
Then I can’t believe you remembered my name and my daughter’s name a couple years ago, after 6 months of us not flying through MSP.
It makes traveling so much more enjoyable to have a safe place to go – which is how I feel coming to Peoples Organics in MSP.
And the previous time (to this current visit) was the most important as I really needed it. Flying with both kids this time – my 3 and 1 year old – without my wife… arriving frazzled and with tired kids. All the tables were occupied by single people who didn’t seem in a hurry to get up for an overwhelmed dad…
You opened up a closed section for us to relax, reminded me to order fries for the kids, made me feel safe to leave my food and non-valuable items when I had to go deal with a dirty diaper change…
Just super!
And this trip, remembering both my kids’ names and taking a couple seconds to say hi to them on video chat, as I fly solo through MSP.
Anyways – special shout out to Tommy. I hope you are living a good life in Minnesota.
My kids are learning to look people in the eyes and trust kindness as they travel, because of you.
