New CSD Role

[brit_air_guy]

having recently attended a 2 day CSD Management Course and being given a more detailed outline of our roles on board I would be interested to hear from other crew as to what they expect from their CSDs on the day

[Katie]

Didn't CSD's used to be Directors of Cabin Crew? What do CSD's do anyway?

[brit_air_guy]

Katie

I assume you dont work for BA, a CSD is a number: 1 or senior F/A responsible for the cabin service on board

[Jetlagged]

Now then, now then..

A CSD should offer to help in all cabins instead of using the watchman in First...

Support his crew at all times, particularly in stressful circumstances...

NOT take the easy option when dealing with difficult pax 'Give him another drink and lets hope he goes to sleep'

Know when not to interfere

Give a good briefing - an outline of expectations, not a long list of dos and don'ts.

Know their stuff!!!

I'm sure you are an excellent CSD, as you are asking for ideas and, to use BA speak, feedback. I would say that the ratio of good to bad CSDs is 50/50 at the moment.

[speedwing]

Hello all!
well I've been with B.A for about 4 years and have worked on all fleets and there are some good C.S.D's and there are not! I agree that they all have a job to do if the shit hit's the fan it would hit them first but a lot of them would pass it on as fast as they got it?( They pass the buck )

I think that a lot of C.S.D's have to give a lot more credit to crew then they do? and not treat them as idiots, fair enough there are a lot of crew that just go to work to get paid sit in first class with 1 pax and not help down the back let a lone club and the C.S.D will say lets work as a team in the breifing but when they get on the aircraft that all go's out the window.

But I think that the C.S.D is the first to break the ice when they go in the breafing you know when you are going to have a nice day when the C.S.D has time for the crew and you have a good breifing not just sit there and a C.S.D to have a go at all crew a like and not to give us all a chance to prove ourselves.

I for one will work harder for a C.S.D that has time for me and the crew and not see us as employes. for thoese C.S.D's that do I do my job and so will the rest of the crew. The hard working and nice C.S.D's know this and get an easy life crew like and respct them and they get more job satisfaction and thecrew will work harder for them.

A lot of them would not be able to get the high paid job they have out side B.A and need to remember this for a lot of crew have a lot to give and some of us have been to uni and have very high degrees a lot of these C.S.D have nothing but people skill's and experience online some C.S.D are waiting for retirement and don't care at all and just watch there film,eat there meal go home.

But I would like to be the first to say there are a lot good C.S.D's they do the job better then those other so called C.S.D's that just think they do.
To those C.S.D's I'd like to say the crew can make your flight hard.

To the C.S.D that first wrote this you must be a good C.S.D to find out what crew would like to see in there online manager (C.S.D's)

[brit_air_guy]

Thank you to the crew who took the time to make comments, I,m embarassed to say that some of your comments are very true and it makes me cringe when crew tell me stories of flights they have had and the way they have been managed on the day but please dont forget there are some smashing people of all grades who make this job worthwhile and enjoyable

[BeACrewmember]

I suspect alot of your ideas are from W/W CSDs however on n/b a CSD is also in charge of the club cabin and in view of our loads 9 out of 10 they work very hard too. It is true though that they get as much as they give and during briefing you know within the first couple of minutes whether you are on their side or doing your own thing that flight - (safety and teamwork apart of course).
The majority have alot of respect even for the most junior crewmember and they are the ones who normally have the backing of all the rest of the crew - and deserve it.
True, our standards have dropped slightly, but the rules and guidlines are always there. Unfortunately it only takes that odd one slack CSD to let someone get away with something and that makes it harder for all the others to maintain the high level of standards we are renowned for as well as expected to deliver from our fare payng passengers.
Consistency is the key.When you are up, the only other way is down - it is so much harder to keep on the top!
Some of us don't appreciate just how good we have it compared to the 'real world' !
So above all - let's simply enjoy it!