Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Type 909.22
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors
This aircraft's inoperative APU generator was annotated on page one of the [flight plan]. Dispatcher remarked that ZZZ Station was advised and will have ground power at the ready upon arrival.After landing; multiple radio calls were attempted to ZZZ Operations to ensure the station knew this aircraft required ground power be applied before the remaining engine was to be shutdown. No station personnel answered these calls nor did any ZZZ personnel answer telephone calls via a [company] phone patch after the fact. No ZZZ supervisory personnel were available at any time during these events.I taxied in. Ground personnel did not understand any of my repeated visual signals appealing for ground power. The cabin door opened and passengers deplaned after which I opened the cockpit side window and verbally ordered/directed ground personnel to immediately connect ground power and the visual signal received from below was the engine-cut sign. UNBELIEVABLE.The actions of ZZZ Ground personnel exemplified a lack of understanding of basic aircraft ground handling and standard visual signals. Their actions marginalized safety; were uncomfortable and completely avoidable. These actions demonstrate a need for further training and remediation for all ZZZ Ground Support personnel.Contributing factors: these events and events similar while not overly common happen all too often within the narrow-body [company] operation because [our company] outsources station operations. Outsourcing the operation outsources the safety; the quality; the standardization; customer service; and the brand's reputation for good or bad. Being out here on the line; I see a common link in non-standard ground operations and that link is the variability present within the operation due to outsourcing. Of course this is anecdotal; but if you are out in the operation it is reality. All outsourcing operations must either be standardized to [company's] standard or replaced by [company] operators.Lastly; the inability to contact any station supervisory personnel during normal operating hours is completely [unsatisfactory].
A319 Captain reported the ground crew was not aware the APU was inop and did not understand hand signals for connecting ground power to the aircraft.