Other Personal Service and Travel Workers
This unit group covers Personal Service Workers not elsewhere classified. It includes Airline Customer Service Workers, Fashion Stylists, First Aid Trainers, Hair and Beauty Salon Assistants, Natural Remedy Consultants, Photographer's Assistants, Religious Assistants and Weight Loss Consultants.
A long day at the airline desk
You are an airline customer support worker at an airport, helping passengers with check-in, delays and rebooking when plans change. It is 5am. A fog warning has delayed the first flights, the queue at the desk is already forty people deep, and the board above you has just turned from green to amber.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
Why is my flight delayed? I have a connection in Sydney that I can't miss. Rebook me on another airline now. I don't care what it costs. I've never been treated like this.
Tell him the delay is outside your control and that he should wait for an update like everyone else
Mr Fraser is not satisfied and your line grows. It is true, but he asked for options. A clear explanation of what you can offer would have helped more.
Look at his connection, explain what you can and cannot do, and rebook him if you can
You find a later connection that still gets him to his meeting. He is relieved, and the queue notices that you were calm. Fixing the problem is better than explaining it.
Promise him a seat on the next flight, so he'll stop worrying and let you help the next person
The next flight is full, and he is furious when you cannot deliver. A promise you can't keep is worse than an honest 'I'll try'.
This is Noah, he's eight and travelling alone. His connecting flight has been cancelled and his grandma isn't answering her phone. He needs someone to stay with him until she's here.
Take him to the lounge area, tell your supervisor, and keep trying the family numbers
Noah colours in with a staff member, and the family is reached within the hour. His grandmother arrives, tearful and grateful. A child alone is always your first priority.
Hand him a colouring book and ask him to wait with the others in the queue
Noah gets lost in the crowd for ten frightening minutes. A child alone must not be left in a queue, however busy the desk.
Ask the flight attendant to stay with him while you finish the people waiting at the desk
The flight attendant has a flight to catch, and has to leave before the family arrives. Sharing the work is good, but a child needs someone who can stay.
There's a bag sitting by the pillar near gate 6, and nobody's claimed it for about twenty minutes. It's probably someone's carry-on, but should we do anything? We're swamped.
Move the bag to the lost property counter yourself so it is out of the way
Security tells you off for touching it, and the area is closed for a check. An unattended bag must be reported and left for the right people to handle.
Tell Sione to ask nearby passengers whose it is and leave it if nobody answers
Someone does claim it, but if they had not, the bag would have sat there. Asking is sensible, but reporting it should happen alongside.
Report it to security straight away, ask people nearby to keep clear, and note the time
Security checks it, and it belongs to a traveller who went to the toilet. No harm done, and everyone is thanked. Reporting something that turns out to be nothing is the right habit.
How it went
The fog lifts at ten and the queue slowly clears. Jobs in this group range from airport desks to photo shoots, and they share one thing: staying helpful and calm while plans change around you. Which kind of change do you think you would handle best?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The shoot that lost its light
A fictional case set in airport check-in desks and a small fashion photography studio, two of the many jobs in this group.
The situation
Zoe was a photographer's assistant on a fashion shoot for a local clothing label. The team was on a rooftop, and the stylist, Kamal, had dressed the model in a pale linen dress for the golden light. Forty minutes into the shoot, the sky clouded over. The photographer, Beth, was frustrated, the model was cold and the client was due to arrive in half an hour to see the images.
What they did
Zoe quietly pulled out the portable lights and a reflector from the equipment case and set them up where Beth could see them without having to ask. She told Kamal that the pale dress was now reading flat and suggested a second outfit in the van, which Kamal had not thought of. She fetched a blanket for the model and checked the schedule with the client's contact, so they would not be surprised by the delay.
How it turned out
The reshoot with the second outfit looked better than the first plan. The client approved the images and booked the team again. Beth asked Zoe to take on more responsibility on the next job, including leading the equipment check.
What would you do?
- What did Zoe notice that others had missed while the team was stressed?
- How do you think an assistant can offer an idea without stepping on the stylist or photographer?
- Which parts of this job sound most appealing, and which sound hardest?