Narrative:

We arrived from inbound 42 mins late due to late inbound at ZZZ. Aircraft ACARS was deferred as inoperative. We were still attending to cockpit setup without a valid maintenance release when without any coordination; the customer service agent with a supervisor standing next to her closed the door and pulled jetbridge away. I open the window and yelled to them to stop; advising them that they can't do that. The customer service agent just shrugged and said; 'I forgot.' I then motioned to speak to the supervisor as to the inappropriateness of this non-standard conduct. The customer service supervisor just blew me off and they continued to pull the jetbridge back. We are unable to print a new maintenance release and with the jetbridge pulled back; maintenance is forced to drive a mechanical lift up to the skin of the aircraft and raise a platform/mechanic up to the cockpit window in order to give us a valid maintenance release. All this caused due to the non-standard actions of the customer service agent under the watchful eye of a supervisor who only cared about on-time...period! This resulted in an unnecessary risk of aircraft skin and ground equipment contact. This crew pushing behavior and total disregard for SOP's certainly increases the likelihood for a safety incident (not if; but when). Customer service is being pushed by management for on-time departures regardless of SOP's and possible consequence. On my previous trip my first officer and I were interrupted during our cockpit setup by the #1 flight attendant; stating that she was being directed to ask me to contact the customer service agent at the podium to deal with a boarding issue; as she could not step off the plane due to minimum staffing. My answer to this request was a simple no! I will not interrupt my cockpit flows to sort out boarding issues due to air carrier manpower (in-flight and customer service) reductions. Again; this is a major distraction to the cockpit at a very busy time; and will eventually lead to an incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 DOOR WAS CLOSED BY CUSTOMER SVC BEFORE THE MAINT RELEASE WAS RCVD FORCING MAINT TO USE A LIFT TO DELIVER THE REQUIRED DOCUMENT.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED FROM INBOUND 42 MINS LATE DUE TO LATE INBOUND AT ZZZ. ACFT ACARS WAS DEFERRED AS INOP. WE WERE STILL ATTENDING TO COCKPIT SETUP WITHOUT A VALID MAINT RELEASE WHEN WITHOUT ANY COORD; THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT WITH A SUPVR STANDING NEXT TO HER CLOSED THE DOOR AND PULLED JETBRIDGE AWAY. I OPEN THE WINDOW AND YELLED TO THEM TO STOP; ADVISING THEM THAT THEY CAN'T DO THAT. THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT JUST SHRUGGED AND SAID; 'I FORGOT.' I THEN MOTIONED TO SPEAK TO THE SUPVR AS TO THE INAPPROPRIATENESS OF THIS NON-STANDARD CONDUCT. THE CUSTOMER SVC SUPVR JUST BLEW ME OFF AND THEY CONTINUED TO PULL THE JETBRIDGE BACK. WE ARE UNABLE TO PRINT A NEW MAINT RELEASE AND WITH THE JETBRIDGE PULLED BACK; MAINT IS FORCED TO DRIVE A MECHANICAL LIFT UP TO THE SKIN OF THE ACFT AND RAISE A PLATFORM/MECH UP TO THE COCKPIT WINDOW IN ORDER TO GIVE US A VALID MAINT RELEASE. ALL THIS CAUSED DUE TO THE NON-STANDARD ACTIONS OF THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF A SUPVR WHO ONLY CARED ABOUT ON-TIME...PERIOD! THIS RESULTED IN AN UNNECESSARY RISK OF ACFT SKIN AND GND EQUIP CONTACT. THIS CREW PUSHING BEHAVIOR AND TOTAL DISREGARD FOR SOP'S CERTAINLY INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD FOR A SAFETY INCIDENT (NOT IF; BUT WHEN). CUSTOMER SVC IS BEING PUSHED BY MGMNT FOR ON-TIME DEPS REGARDLESS OF SOP'S AND POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCE. ON MY PREVIOUS TRIP MY FO AND I WERE INTERRUPTED DURING OUR COCKPIT SETUP BY THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT; STATING THAT SHE WAS BEING DIRECTED TO ASK ME TO CONTACT THE CUSTOMER SVC AGENT AT THE PODIUM TO DEAL WITH A BOARDING ISSUE; AS SHE COULD NOT STEP OFF THE PLANE DUE TO MINIMUM STAFFING. MY ANSWER TO THIS REQUEST WAS A SIMPLE NO! I WILL NOT INTERRUPT MY COCKPIT FLOWS TO SORT OUT BOARDING ISSUES DUE TO ACR MANPOWER (INFLT AND CUSTOMER SVC) REDUCTIONS. AGAIN; THIS IS A MAJOR DISTR TO THE COCKPIT AT A VERY BUSY TIME; AND WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO AN INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.