"Got Feedback?"

As of today, passenger/airport communications will be turned on its head. We’ve read your comments on the blog regarding checkpoints not having comment cards. We’ve cringed when we read that you were asked for an ID in order to receive a comment card. We’ve seen the oftentimes weak boilerplate letters that go out to passengers from TSA.

Well, in the spirit of striving for improvement today we’re launching the "Got Feedback?" program nationwide at all airports. We’re including a capability for passengers to contact us with very specific questions, comments, complaints, etc.

To get travelers attention, we are strategically placing “Got Feedback?” stickers in highly viewed areas on equipment and tables. The stickers contain the TSA Blog’s address.

When a passenger visits the blog, they’ll see a hyperlinked image of the “Got Feedback?” logo. After clicking on the image, the site will redirect to a map where you can click on the exact airport where you want to leave feedback.

After clicking on a specific airport, an e-mail form will open automatically addressed to that airport’s TSA Customer Support Manager. After submitting, the form will be delivered directly to the Customer Support Manager. The form will be similar to the comment cards that are currently in use.

Customer Support Managers will receive and respond to “Got Feedback?” e-mails for their airport. We are steering towards a more personal response rather than the cold, soulless response of a form letter.

The information the Customer Support Manager receives will be used to not only address concerns, but will also serve as content for local training and shift briefings directly with local TSOs and management.

As an alternative to leaving specific feedback with a Customer Support Managers, a link on the “Got Feedback?” page will be provided to the blog where passengers can also leave general feedback.

Many passengers have asked for a secret shopper type program and that’s basically what this is. We’re really excited about implementing it. We’re only as strong as our weakest link, and this will help us discover those links that need to be polished and repair them.

Got Feedback is not replacing the blog. It is simply allowing passengers to communicate directly with airport Customer Support Managers. Keep using the blog to discuss TSA-wide issues.

Edited at 1600 EDT to add: Coming Monday, look for the answers to your top 10 questions.

Bob

EoS Blog Team

Friday Afternoon Cartoons

It’s funny, I’ve been with TSA for three years now and each and every previous major travel season, whether it’s Summer, Thanksgiving or whatever, the news media has forecasted a pending meltdown of the security system. As Mark Twain said, “Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”

This is the first year since we started in 2002 that the major focus of a holiday travel season isn’t on the good old T-S-A. Maybe that’s a sign of a maturing organization that has gotten it right for the past several years, maybe is a sign of higher gas prices and a pending presidential election, who knows.

Today, just like each of the past six Memorial Day weekends, we’re staffed up, ready to roll and screen anyone and everyone that arrives at a security checkpoint. Wait times so far are short, maybe because the Air Transport Association forecasts a 1 percent reduction in passengers from last year, but in large part because of the dedicated service of a great majority of our 46,000 officers--- most of which will be on the line (40,000 plus), screening passengers and baggage this holiday weekend.

So instead of some thought-provoking, controversial subject this weekend, we thought we’d try to entertain you with a couple of cartoons that caught our eye. And while our Sensitive Security Information (SSI) office is concerned that the New Yorker may have unveiled standard operating procedures (just kidding), and this guy certainly isn’t Simpliflying, we’ll take the risk to share their most recent cover with you.

Our compliments to the New Yorker and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution respectively.

Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.

Christopher
EOS Blog Team

TSO Gun Incident

Several bloggers have commented on our blog over the past few days on an incident that involved an officer showing up for work with an unloaded gun. We’ve read these comments and worked hard to get as much information as possible. After turning every stone and working with privacy experts and anyone else that would listen about our need to tell the whole story, the bottom line is that we simply cannot.

The federal Privacy Act prohibits us from providing any details about what happened, how it happened or any disciplinary action we took. It’s unfortunate because there are always two sides to every story.

What we can say is that anyone that shows up with a gun is held accountable, officer or passenger.

Christopher

TSA EoS Blog Team

Gripes & Grins, Part 4

Have more TSA experiences that you want to share? This is the blog post to share your TSA experiences -- both the good or the bad. (Click here to see Part 3, Part 2 and Part 1).

Please note that Blogger.com limits posts to 200 comments. To see comments beyond 200, click on the Post a Comment link (Part 3 comments).

Got Feedback? (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Gripes & Grins, Part 3

Have more TSA experiences that you want to share? This is the blog post to share your TSA experiences -- both the good or the bad. (Click here to see Part 2 and Part 1).

Welcome to the Delete-O-Meter

In the spirit of transparency, we proudly introduce the (drum roll please...) Delete-O-Meter.

This new, permanent feature of the Evolution of Security blog will update on a weekly basis the number of posts we have deleted during moderation. It will be housed on the bottom, right corner right below the RSS feed.

While we’re on the subject of deleted posts, it’s important to know why we do delete some posts. It all breaks down to the following reasons:

• Personal attacks (on both officers and passengers)
• Profanity (and I thought some sailors knew how to curse)
• Long embedded url strings (only because it messes up the format of the blog)
• Threats (enough said on this one)
• Duplicate posts (hitting submit 12 times won't make the comment appear any faster)
• Off-topic comments (and since we can't tell which topic a comment goes under when we moderate, we mean REALLY off topic, think plagues of locust off topic…)
• Sensitive information (TSA folks explaining exact procedures that could aid someone wishing to do us harm)

Other than that, all's fair in love and blogging.

Gripes & Grins, Part 2

Have more TSA experiences that you want to share? This is the blog post to share your TSA experiences -- both the good or the bad. (Click here to see part 1)

Inconsistencies, Part 2

Did you have to take your shoes off in Ohio but not Colorado? Post all of your thoughts about Inconsistencies on this blog post. (Click here for Part 1)

Got Feedback: Logan Airport (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Dallas / Fort Worth (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Los Angeles (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Salt Lake City (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Dallas-Love Field (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Reagan National Airport (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback?: Bradley (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback?: JFK (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team