Orlando International Airport

Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a world-class airport and the region’s gateway to Central Florida, one of the world’s leading tourist destinations with an array of world famous attractions. It is also one of the nation’s best run and highly regarded airports, earning the number 4 spot in J.D. Power’s 2021 North America Customer Satisfaction Rankings for mega airports.

Flagship Facility Services has been MCO’s cleaning partner since 2014, and since that time the airport has gone through a dizzying level of growth and change. The two organizations have worked together to ensure the airport’s growth has been seamless and generally invisible to travelers.

All of this has prepared Flagship to comfortably and seamlessly accommodate an unprecedented increase in travelers. And as MCO’s J.D. Power ranking shows, the airport’s users are increasingly satisfied, and experiencing outstanding traveler experiences as they pass through to one of the world’s foremost tourist destinations.

CURRENTLY RANKED #4 IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION FOR MEGA AIRPORTS

The Challenge

In 2014, Flagship took over the facility cleaning management amidst high client expectations and a sea of change, including increasing passenger traffic, new construction and rising traveler demands.

Notably, cleaning throughout the facility needed to be upgraded on carpets and floors, requiring new chemicals and cleaning procedures. A state of the art tracking system had now become mandatory. A new staffing model had to be implemented to lower labor costs. Culturally, MCO expected a staff of cleaning ambassadors who were more customer-centric and focused on creating exceptional traveler experiences.

Across the board, Flagship had committed – and MCO expected – dramatic improvements in many areas quickly. It required an organization that was a problem solver, an executer and one that was focused on creating a culture of customer service and employee engagement.

The Solution

For Flagship, a company with deep airport expertise, the challenges were not especially overwhelming. In fact, most of the solutions were already pre-scripted and part of its core Airport Management System.

From day one, Flagship brought innovation in many forms into the airport facility – including advanced equipment and chemicals to ensure that floors shined, and best-in-class procedures to upgrade the cleanliness of carpets.

Within the first couple months, Flagship’s proprietary customer service training and employee engagement processes were implemented to create a best-in-class traveler-focused culture.

Flagship’s staffing model became integral to everything the cleaning team did, and was enhanced by a more professional HR team and a robust reward and recognition process that included on-the-spot recognition, thorough onboarding and monthly awards.

The Outcome

In the eight years that Flagship has managed the cleaning services at MCO, passenger traffic has increased more than 17%, growing from 34 million travelers in 2014 — to more than 40 million in 2021. The airport is now a 24/7/365 facility with hundreds of travelers sleeping in the airport on any given evening.

Flagship’s flexibility to scale its cleaning based on changing traffic flows has been a significant plus for MCO. This skillset and strategic knowledge allows Flagship to mitigate costs while taking on more traffic and more work. A key element of that flexibility is that Flagship regularly identifies which areas require more or less cleaning based on traffic flow.

Overall, the facility is substantially cleaner, with floors that shine and carpets that are visually cleaner. Utilizing its best-in-class skill and customer service training, Flagship has improved employee engagement to record levels thanks to a multi-step process of better hiring, onboarding, and reinforced unit training.

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