Plane Conversations

There’s an old song from the World War II generation that says, “Wishing will make it so…”.  Buddy DeSylva’s lyrics speak of hope, optimism, and belief.  Yet wishing can’t give you more hours in a day, or more productivity while travelling, or access to places difficult to reach.

Flying can make it so.

That being said, we need to tell our stories, ways that aviation assists us daily in carrying on our various activities and work.  This is partially because we gain strength and synergy when we see that there are others much like us who know and understand the real benefit of flying.  This doesn’t have to be a $20million dollar corporate jet.  It can be as simple as a Diamond DA-40.  It’s the story of the DA-40 that I want to pass on to you today.

Last week our company’s CEO, VP of Sales, and I took a DA-40 to visit a customer in Jonesboro, AR.  We then had a pop-up visit with a lead in Little Rock, AR.  We then lunched in Tunica, MS on our way home (no gambling, just food) and returned home in time for a local Chamber event in our hangar.

The plane, by business aircraft  norms, was really modest.  In fact, a LearJet pilot teased me as I preflighted my plane parked next to his.  The only refreshments were in the small cooler I packed with green tea, water, and peanut butter crackers on my way to the airport that morning.   The only in-flight entertainment was an iPad.   And the air conditioning?  On this 97+ degree day, it was inoperative.  So we climbed until we felt comfortable at 60 or so degrees at 7,000 feet.

And yet, even in this basic small aircraft we were able to condense over 14 hours of drive time into 6.2 flight hours.  Had we driven we would have certainly been out overnight in order to drive and have time for our meetings.  And while it was a long day, it was an easy day.  So we made our rounds, saw our clients, and returned before dark.

Yes, aircraft are fun.  Some aircraft are luxurious.  Some aircraft are expensive and some are not.  But for the businesses that operate them, they are tools.  Their value in time savings and multiplied productivity is astonishing.

Flying can make it so.

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Recently I was talking with a friend about business flying.  He is not in business nor is he a pilot.  But he had trouble getting around the notion that business aircraft are all about excessive luxury for the super-wealthy.  I commented that there might be some merit to his claim if the majority of business aircraft owners were all super wealthy individuals.  But they aren’t.  This opinion also belies a scarcity mentality that assumes if someone “has” then it is because they have taken it from someone who, as a result, “has not”.  Funny, but we forget that the vast majority of the world lives on less than 2$ per day and considers anyone who has an automobile to be “rich”.  Perspective and assumptions are often overlooked in these discussions.   Personally,  I reject the idea of a closed economic system and the resulting scarcity mentality that accompanies it.  But, alas, I digress.

Yes there are aircraft owned by the super-wealthy who utilize them mainly for pleasure.  But that is the exception (as well as their prerogative, by the way.)  However, according to a 2009 study from the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) small businesses own the majority of business aircraft.  Less than 1 in 4 passengers on business planes are top level leadership.  More often, 70% of the time, business aircraft are used to transport mid-level mangers, sales, support and technical staff. 1  The image of the aircraft being utilized only by the CEO or COO as a luxury is simply not factual.

The practical uses of business aircraft are many.  You can more efficiently fly into airports not serviced by the airlines and reduce the expense of hotel stays and car rental.  Employees can work during the flight and not waste precious time standing in line at security or waiting for standby flights because their original flight was cancelled.  Those travelling on business aircraft said that they felt 20% more productive on the plane than in the office and felt that on the airlines they were at least 40% less effective.2

The larger businesses that operated corporate aircraft are reguarly among the most profitable (which means, in turn, they are able to hire and employ) and respected in our country.  NEXA Advisors, LLC, conducted a study to see if business aircraft ownership actually had a correlative effect on the health of the business operating the aircraft.  In short, yes, it did.  It made a solid positive difference in these companies.  The report’s conclusion was, “Business airplane users continue to outperform nonusers in terms of revenue growth, profit growth, and asset efficiency.” 3

Moreover, what is lost in the grandstanding on Capitol Hill and the media’s constant badgering of Business Aviation is how much business aviation contributes to our economy and to the success of companies that employ tens of thousands. Aviation and it’s related businesses directly employ more than 1.2 million people and infuse $150 billion into the economy.  Aviation is a signficant contributor to our nation’s health.4

The businesses operating their own aircraft were to be found on lists such as : Business Week’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Fortune’s 50 Most Admired Companies, Business Week’s 25 Best Customer Service Companies, Fortune’s 50 World’s Most Admired Companies, and Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens.5  Again, the caricature of the business jet operator is found to be just that -a caricature that does not accurately represent reality.

Without a doubt business aircraft have a degree of luxury about them.  And why not?  Do you chastise someone for having leather seats in their car?  An .mp3 player?  Satellite radio?  GPS?  But those things are pretty standard these days in our cars.  Perhaps one of the major issues is that business aviation stands in stark contrast to the miserable state of the commercial airline experience that we all know only too well.  If you had the choice of driving in a 76 Plymouth or a 2011 MKZ, would you really have to think long about the choice? (And for the record I drive a decade-old Ford Taurus with 140,000+ miles)  If it’s your car or boat or plane, why not make it comfortable and functional?  But at the end of the day, that’s not the point as my friend’s faulty assumptions illustrate.

Most businesses don’t operate aircraft because they simply like the luxury.  They operate them because they make practical and financial sense.  They don’t buy an aircraft so they can look cool and yet lose money.  No, they have learned that business aviation can make good business sense.  And the business aviation industry stands ready to be an integral part of the equation to help individuals and business achieve the success that, in the end, makes us all stronger.

1.  Real World Business Aviation 2009, page 5 (http://www.nbaa.org/business-aviation/Real-World-of-Business-Aviation-2009.pdf)
2. IBID, page 6
3.  The Bizav Advantage: The case for bizav, in dollars and cents Robert P. Mark, Business Jet Traveler, Oct 1, 2010
4. Aviation Week, Kansans Demand Obama End BizAv Rhetoric, July 22, 2011
5. IBID, Mark

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by Chris Findley, Aircraft Sales Specialist, CFM

It’s about time for our family to replace one of our cars.  I don’t relish the process, but I enjoy the results.  As we start to look at what’s available and for what price, we also begin examining things such as fuel efficiency, safety, maintenance and seating.  Of course, I also want a car that offers a nice driving experience.  Frankly, the more it reminds me of an aircraft, the better!

When we’re searching for the right car, we take into account a number of factors.  The same should hold true when we examine potential aircraft.  And like cars, there’s always a buzz from our friends or from slick advertisers that bring certain models to mind.  But because an aircraft works for Company A doesn’t mean in any way that it would be a good fit for Company B.  Just because there’s a really great ad that makes an aircraft look great and fun, doesn’t mean that it would be a realistically viable option for you.

So what are some the things to consider as you shop for a new or used aircraft?  This list is a summary and eventually you’ll drill down into more and more specificity, but this will help you begin the process:

• First of all, what are your travel needs?  Where do you need to go?  How often do you fly and how much is that currently costing you in terms of both direct travel cost (tickets/charter etc.) and indirect cost (lost productivity,  per diem, lodging etc.)   Try to establish whether you need an aircraft that will take you on repeated short trips or regular transcontinental trips.
• Secondly, and related to the first, how many people do you need to carry on a regular basis?  If 85% of your flights involve less than 4 people, you might not need to invest in the acquisition and operational costs of a 10 seat jet.
• Third, decide on what features are essential and what would just be “nice to have”.  Is a stand-up cabin a requirement?  Cruise altitude? What type of toilet facilities?  What size door and seating arrangement are preferred?  It’s important to work through these early so that you can focus on aircraft in your search that truly fit the parameters you want in your next aircraft.
• The fourth consideration is very important and that is performance.  Many people focus on range.  That is, “How far can this airplane take me on a single leg?”  But this is only a partial indicator of performance and is dependent upon things such as prevailing winds, air traffic delays and atmospheric conditions.  You’ll also want to consider speed.   For short hauls (say under 500 miles), a jet may not give you much of an advantage in speed/time over a nice turboprop.  Keep in mind too, that aircraft tend to perform less efficiently in high elevations on hot days.  So it is vitally important to examine the field elevations, weather patterns, and runway lengths from which you will operate your plane.
• Finally, after reviewing your basic needs, passenger requirements, features needed/desired and performance, consider the basic cost of the available aircraft that seem to generally fit this mold.  At this point, you are not getting too specific, but in a basic sense, what are the costs of the aircraft that can do what you desire.  Be sure to go past acquisition cost and consider operational, maintenance, and training costs.  Purchase price is a “one-time” cost while operating costs occur every time you start the engines.  As your search becomes more specific and starts focusing in on particular planes, you can work with your broker to develop a comprehensive picture of the likely annual cost of the aircraft.

It’s exciting to be in the market for a new or used aircraft.  But it is important to find the right airplane that fits your operational needs and makes solid financial sense.  If we can be of any assistance to you in this process feel free to contact us at CFM: 615-669-9393 or sales@cfmjet.com

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Ancient writers often referred to two types of time: kairos time and chronos time.  Chronos is linear time and measures things in a sequence.  First this, then that.  Kairos time can be loosely defined as the “right” time or the “opportune” time.  Think of it this way, if you stand over home plate and repeatedly swing a baseball bat in regular intervals, you are participating in a chronos event.  If, however, you wait and swing just as the baseball crosses the plate and make solid contact that sends the ball over the left field fence, you have just participated in a kairos moment.

In your business, which type of time do you prefer?

At Corporate Flight Management our motto is “Time Creates Opportunity”.  But it isn’t just any time.  It is kairos time that creates the opportunity.  Private corporate aviation can create this opportunity for you and your business.  It is about being in the right place at the right time, whether that is closing a critical deal or being home in time for that important family event.

If you’re trying to achieve this with the airlines, you’re stuck in their time –chronos time.  And you know that it is anything but opportune and eminently frustrating.  The good news is that there is an alternative to the norm of airline travel and it is far more available and affordable than you might imagine.

Corporate aviation can help you and your company manage the one resource you simply can’t create more of: time.   When you are able to manage your time and your company’s time more efficiently and cost-effectively, you generate many more kairos moments.

Don’t just swing and hope the bat connects.  Be in the right place, at the right time and swing for the fence.

After all, “Time Creates Opportunity.”

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Social Marketing has revolutionized business.  The ability to reach, communicate, and build relationships with customers has never been more accessible (at little or no cost) than it is today.  Far from a “flash in the pan” gimmick, social media marketing using tools such as Twitter and Facebook are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future or until the next generation of marketing emerges.  The company that engages in intentional social media marketing is vastly extending its reach and its potential client base.

Today consumers research and engage businesses online long before they click “Order” on a product or darken the door of a business.  A 2009 study by Pew Research showed that people with higher income and/or education levels were the most likely to research online –87% of college graduates and 88% of those earning more than $75,000.1  This demographic is very much in line with the income and educational levels of those likely to involve themselves in flight training and other aviation related products and services.   Specifically in regards to social media, the same Pew study demonstrated that nearly half of Americans use social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.2   Additionally , a recent Nielson survey reported in Entreprenuer magazine found that almost of quarter of consumer’s online time is spent on social networks.3

If our goal is to raise visibility and awareness of our products and services, then it follows that social media should not be neglected.  Simply put, if we want to be where the customers are and then we should be in the social media marketplace.

Are you ready to engage?

1.  http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136747

2.  Ibid, mediapost.com #1

3.  “Baking, Listening & Selling” Entrepreneur Magazine, February 2011, page 61

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“Do you have 1000 hours of experience of 1 hour’s experience repeated 1000 times?”

I believe I first heard this question from the Godfather of General Aviation, Richard Collins.  It’s a great question that gets at the heart of our flying habits and willingness to stretch ourselves in our flying.

Some pilots fly under, and only under, very tight circumstances.  They look for CAVU (Clear Air Visibility Unlimited) days with less than 5 knots of wind (never a crosswind), only in the morning, only at their home field and never stray from their local area.  It’s great that they are flying, but they are going to have basically one hour of flight repeated 1000 times.  What a shame because flying offers you and I so much more!

It is far better, and more fun and rewarding, to gain 1000 hours of flight experience.  Go somewhere.  Make a trip an adventure.  Challenge yourself.  Fly to a Class C airport and have dinner.  Master the crosswind landing.  Learn to fly safely in something other than a CAVU sky.  If you need an instructor to help you gain comfort and confidence in some of these situations, then book one today.

Certainly, there will be flights that are similar.  My point (and I think Dick Collins’ point also) is that a variety of experiences and situations help us to become a well-rounded and proficient pilot.   I think in the end, this approach will also keep your flying fun!

So, fly often and always be looking for a new challenge!

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Anyone in the aviation industry is familiar with the success of Southwest Airlines.   We have heard the stories of both employee and customer satisfaction that seem to represent an anomaly among the large air carriers.  Many reasons are given for their success including the use of one type of plane, emphasis on simplicity of service, or use of less congested airports.  Several bestselling books have focused on the leadership of Herb Keller and the Southwest team.  In her well-researched book, The Southwest Airline’s Way, Jody Gittell demonstrates that while all these are indeed factors, there is another underlying and more foundational reason for SWA’s accomplishments –its ability to foster and sustain relationships.  She writes:

“Southwest’s most distinctive organizational competency is its ability to build and sustain relationships characterized by shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect.” 1

In short, it is about the human network.

Other companies, large and small, are now learning this valuable and often overlooked lesson.  Relationships are how we do business.  Relationships that are (forgive the often-used buzzword) authentic, can truly make a real difference in how we attract, sustain, and build business.

Sales used to be stereotyped by the iconic image of the used-car salesman.  Fair or not, the image often conjured by mentioning this is one of a greasy, manipulative, and patently untrustworthy individual who views customers simply as walking dollar-signs.  There is a low-level of trust between the salesperson and the customer and many people avoid this type of exchange if at all possible.  In a recent Gallup poll the sales professions ranked in the lower 10 percent of professions that foster trust in the public eye.2  Why?

Because more and more, we are choosing to do business with those we know and trust, particularly with high-involvement products such as cars and yes, aviation related purchases.  Research has shown that while we may indeed seek the absolute lowest price for a box of cereal, most people are willing to pay more for an expensive item or service when they sense that the person or company has a relational connection to their product or service.  Certainly price is a factor, there is another set of factors at work in our businesses –the relational.

Think about Apple computers.  The base-model Apple Computers are clearly more expensive than a comparably equipped PC.  Why do these computers regularly have strong sales, even in a down economy?  It is the connection Apple has created in our culture.  In his book What Americans Really Want… Really Frank Luntz discusses this culture Apple has been able to create:

“Mac people want you to know they are Mac people.  You’ll see the Apple logo on cars or on the backpacks of college kids.   Thousands of people attend MacWorld….People who own Macs want you to know that they are part of that community of people…People are prepared to pay an Apple premium because their products satisfy all our other needs (fewer hassles, longer lasting,  fewer worries and less stress.)”3

It’s the connection with the human network and a clear message about how this meets more than the real need (computing).  Their products also meet the felt needs of our modern society, connection and relational trust.

There is a lot we can learn from this in the aviation community whether we sell multi-million dollar aircraft, charter, or flight lessons.  We need to examine our place in the human network and our ability to demonstrate our ability to foster trust and real relationships among the people we work with and the people we serve.

Historically (Southwest being a notable exception) we have not been great at this in the aviation industry.  The true value of the products we offer can only be built where we take the time to build relationships of trust.  In a recent article on sales and trust Todd Duncan puts it simply when he says, “Sales are made when trust exists.”4

While our goal will certainly be to make our companies strong by working hard to make sales, may we not neglect the lessons of trust and the human factors that enable us to establish it.  When we take the time to build an authentic human network, we may well discover an increase in affinity for, and interest in, the great products we have to offer to the aviation marketplace.

1.  Gittell, Jody Hoffer The Southwest Airlines Way (McGraw Hill, New York, NY, 2003) page 12

2.  Duncan, Todd “The Velocity of Trust” Success Magazine, January 2011, page 20

3.  Luntz, Frank What Americans Really Want…Really (Hyperion, New York, NY, 2009) pages 19-21

4.  Ibid, Duncan

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Many flight schools operate on the same paradigm used in the movie “Field of Dreams”.  You may recall Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) is inspired by a vision to build a baseball field in the middle of his Iowa cornfield.  Against the wishes of more rational minds he does it anyway following the dramatically whispered mantra, “If you build it, he will come.”

That seems to have been prevailing model for flight schools: scrounge up a couple of planes, find a few CFIs desperate for flight time, get a sign made and you’re in business!  “If you build it, they will come.”

The trouble is that many schools are learning that what worked for Ray Kinsella doesn’t work anymore for flight training.  At one time, the “Field of Dreams” model was enough to allow a flight school to keep open its doors.  But that simply isn’t the case anymore.  Today’s flight school must understand that it is competing for the attention and business of the public which is just as prone to buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle or a bass boat as it is to take flying lessons.  It must embrace a more proactive way of thinking and behaving in the marketplace in order to attract and retain the business it so desperately desires.

We need to understand target markets and red velvet ropes.  Here are a few questions that Flight Schools may want to ask:

Who is your ideal client? Review your students from the last year with your staff and identify the best students.  “Best Students” here covers a variety of characteristics.  It should include attitude and willingness to learn, financial means to train at an ideal pace, a schedule conducive to training, a sense of responsibility and professionalism.  And ask yourself who you enjoyed flying with and who responded well to the training.  The answers to these questions will help you figure out your ideal clients.  These are the people you need to actively seek in your marketing efforts.  You may fly with anyone who wanders in, but you should aim to attract those with whom you work best.

Why aim for a particular kind of client?  Because it is what is best for your business.  Look again at the traits outlined above.  Would you rather have 25 students who take a random lesson here and there, fail to show, and are lackadaisical in their attitude or would you rather have 15 hard-charging committed students who are serious about their flight training?  Then go get them!

What is your target market? Having seriously thought about your ideal clients, the question now turns to where to find them.  Your challenge now is to put your services in front of that group of people (target market) most likely to contain your perfect clients.  Begin asking other questions about your ideal clients: Do they seem to come from a particular industry, profession, or location?  Are they within a common age range, social group, or salary range?

The more common data you can piece together, the more you will see your target market emerge.  It may be that your target market has chosen you.  Once you identify your target market, you can begin to reach out to this market with intention and focus.

Why would your target market use your services? Michael Port in his book, Book Yourself Solid, notes, “You must offer what your potential clients want to buy, not what you want to sell or think they should want to buy.  You must be able to look at your services from your client’s perspective.”1

So as you look at your target market which contains your ideal clients, first try to examine why they would choose to learn to fly.  What are the underlying needs that flying meets?  What desires do your potential customers have that learning to fly will fulfill?  The answers to these questions will help you craft your approach in marketing your services.  When you begin to really study and understand your client’s motivation, then you can begin to help them see why you are the best school/instructor to provide them with these services.

All of this helps form what Port calls a “Red Velvet Rope” policy.  The image should be one of seeing your customers as VIPs arriving at an invitation-only party.  They are hand-picked.  They are the right people in the right place at the right time.  These are the people you dream of having as customers.  These are the pilot-trainees that you enjoy training.  The “Red Velvet Rope” simply is a way of being intentional about attracting, engaging, and retaining these ideal clients.  So be intentional about who you want to work with, why, and how you can best serve them with your business.

It sure beats plowing up the cornfield hoping someone will show up.

Chris Findley (CFI, CFII) is a flight instructor in the Nashville area.  He is also an author, speaker, and life/ career coach.  You can find him online at www.myflightcoach.com & www.chrisfindley.com or on Twitter @myflightcoach.

1.  Port, Michael Book Yourself Solid (John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ: 2006) Page 22

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C.S. Lewis once noted that, “You are never to old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.”  In teaching high school students, I have also found the opposite to be true –you are never too young to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.  As a pilot and advocate for General Aviation, I believe that helping people dream dreams of flight is one of the our greatest responsibilities.  It is also a great privilege.  Recently I took our high school Aviation Club (organized through scouting’s Aviation Explorer  program) to tour Corporate Flight Management’s facilities at the Smyrna Airport.   

It was an excellent visit.  It gave our kids an overview of the aviation world.  We saw a major refurbishment shop at work as well as a behind the scenes walk-through of how charter operations work.  Of course we were able to hang around the planes including sitting in the cockpit of a LearJet.  The kids walked the ramp as our tour guide (PlaneConversation’s Jon Anne Doty) explained the charter system and pointed out features and uses for different aircraft.  One of the most important parts of the afternoon was hearing an explanation of the benefits and uses of corporate aviation.  This is something that many of the kids had never heard.  They have only heard the mainstream media’s criticism of general aviation.  I saw the lights go on for several students as they considered how aviation can save time and money and actually serve its customers. 

CFM’s staff took a lot of time with us on this tour which lasted more than two hours.  The kids talked all the way home about how this was the best tour we had received.  

One student wrote me the next day saying, “I really liked learning about the different aircraft and their different features.  I enjoyed seeing how flights are arranged and what the airplanes look like when taken apart. I liked the nice people who gave us the tours. It was fun getting on the jets and getting to go into the cockpit. When I learn to fly I would like to learn here. Thanks for the tour.” 

Notice the “When I learn to fly…” statement.  

The power of visits like ours to CFM Smyrna may not appear today or tomorrow.  But I am convinced they will be remembered.  Who knows what seeds may have been planted?  

No, you’re never too old or too young to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.  

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In the New York times bestselling book, Delivering Happiness, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh (pronounced “Shay”) chronicles the rise of Zappos .com from obscurity to profitability and finally to its now infamous  1.2 billion dollar acquisition by Amazon.com .  He outlines Zappos’ legendary focus on customer service and corporate culture.   As I read Hsieh’s book, I couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities and implications for those of us who love flying and aviation related businesses.

In the introduction, Hsieh, takes us into his thoughts as he prepares to announce to Zappos’ employees that Amazon was acquiring the company.  While the media was focused on the sheer size of the deal, Hsieh’s thoughts were elsewhere:

 “To all of us in the room, we knew it wasn’t just about the money.  Together, we had built a business that combined profits, passion, and purpose.  And we knew that it wasn’t just about building a business.  It was about building a lifestyle that was about delivering happiness to everyone, including ourselves.”¹

There are several things noteworthy in this quote.  One is the sense of team that you feel.  Hsieh speaks in terms of “us”  and “together”.  Clearly the focus is on something more than the bottom line.  Words such as “passion”, “purpose”, “lifestyle” and “happiness” all speak to the company’s core values and goals.  Hsieh notes later that, “We decided that we wanted to build our brand to be about the very best customer service and the very best customer experience.” ²  What Zappos discovered was that by creating a culture centered on these values and expectations,  profitability developed.  

 Zappo’s Rabid Dedication to the Customer & Employee

As I read, I would often seek out my wife to read her passages (some guys read poetry to their wives…so much for romance!)  I would begin with saying, “Can you believe that a company would do this?”   Here are a few examples: 

• Customer service that includes free, unannounced upgrades in shipping.  You place an order for shoes that should take 4 days to arrive and without warning –for free—they’re on your doorstep the next day.
• A reward system for employees for pursuing personal development.  A lending library of the best personal growth books was created in the lobby to do just this.
• Free shipping on all orders…and if the shoes don’t fit you can send them back for free!
• If they don’t have the shoe in stock, they will research three competitor’s websites and will direct the customer to the competitor.
• In 2008, Zappo’s was faced with making a round of layoffs.  Instead of the standard 2-week severance, they offered to pay each employee through the end of the year (which at the time was about 2 months).  They paid an additional amount for those who had been with the company 3 or more years.  They reimbursed laid-off employees for 6 months of COBRA payments.

This made me want to buy shoes, just to have the Zappos experience.  Which is exactly the point- the experience.

 The Zappos Experience- Happiness

In 2009 Zappos inserted a simple statement into their vision that reflects the underlying core value that is at the heart of their company.  It says, “Zappos is about delivering happiness to the world.”³

Hsieh and Zappos are not talking about some “fuzzy” notion of happiness, which many people equate with silly giddiness.  Instead, Hsieh studied the concept of what makes people happy and investigated ways to integrate his findings into his company.  In his book, he offers several frameworks to consider, such as our need for perceived control in our lives (having a say in our future and in our work), perceived progress (we can see that we are going somewhere—don’t we all hate “dead-end” jobs?), connectedness (being in relationships that are truly fulfilling) and meaning/vision (being a part of something larger than ourselves that we believe in). 

This type of corporate emphasis helped develop a company culture that focused on amazing customer service, which aimed ultimately at customer happiness.   While Zappos was certainly concerned with profitability and bottom line, they managed to never lose sight of the crucial importance of what they were delivering, but how.  I think this begins to intersect and have application for the aviation industry. 

What if a flight school moved into the realm of radical customer service?

As an industry it simply doesn’t appear that we’re asking the customer experience question.  And yet, in some ways, flying is all about experience.  It’s built into the act of flying.  But what isn’t built in is how we attract and retain customers by giving them an experience of service.  

For instance, let’s consider flight training.  How do we attract and engage the customer before they officially become a customer?  What could we do to serve them before we’re asking for their money?  

• How about having a pleasant lobby area and facilities that are well kept?  (Seriously, the urinal that overflows regularly should be fixed. Gross.)
• How about having snacks available for free?
• Coupons (have any Flight Schools tried Groupon.com) for flights?
• Free airplane rides.  Publicize well, donate a couple of hours on a Saturday to give rides to the community.
• Flight training material professionally produced and ready to be given to the new student.
• Aircraft that are clean, up-to-date, and well-maintained.  (If your preflight involves duct-tape, think again.)

 As a customer, what kind of experience might we give our customers if we:

• Randomly chose a student to receive a free hour of instruction?  They come in from the flight line only to discover they owe nothing. 
• Instead of having them buy more and more books and videos, develop a lending library
• If you have access to a twin or jet and space permits, let your student go for a ride
• Quarterly celebrations for new solos and new licenses.  Could be as simple as a cookout at the airport in honor of these new pilots. 
• Encouraged lifelong learning by giving seminars and offering guest speakers to the larger aviation community

What about instructors?

• Incentives for recruiting (Bonus for giving 5 or more discovery flights…extra for each one who begins training) 
• Bonus for each student who successfully receives their license
• Reward for longevity (create a stable base of instructors)
• Instructor dinners and socializing
• Opportunities for adding new ratings at reduced cost and free recurrency training.

These are just ideas, some of which might be difficult to employ.  How refreshing it would be to potential pilots and employees to discover a flight school with a culture that was geared to providing the best possible service and create what Hsieh calls a “WOW” factor. 

Whether we’re talking about flight schools or maintenance departments or FBO’s, I believe there is something to be learned from Zappos.  Imagine, tomorrow, what it would be like to be “WOWED” by your company in its relationship with you.  Imagine what it would be like to WOW your customers and the transformed relationship with them.   Imagine the impact of those combined experiences, the word of mouth that would ensue, and the absolute fun of being in the flying business.  

It begins with a commitment to developing or changing the culture and embracing a foundational shift towards clearly defined values and competencies that will shape the entire organization.  It is about delivering an experience that is first class and recognizing that our happiness is found not only in profits (which is certainly needed) but in living with passion and purpose. 

If Hsieh and Zappos can do it with shoes,  I believe we can certainly do it with airplanes. 

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose, Tony Hsieh, Business Plus, New York: NY, 2010

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