Category Archives: Travel

Southwest Air WiFi: Real or Myth?

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

Posted by in 2020 Enterprise Technologies, Branding, Business, Club Leadership, Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, History, Honor, Independent Studies, Information Technology, Internet, Management Practices, Privacy, Public Relations, Travel

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USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype: 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

Southwest Airlines (SWA) has been talking about in-flight WiFi service for over four years, but today most Southwest passengers will find that going online is still something that happens on the ground, not in the air. Even if a Southwest plane has the ‘WiFi hump’ and is labeled as a WiFi HotSpot, it doesn’t mean the service will be turned on during the flight.

Southwest’s goal of in-flight Internet service has had its challenges in getting airborne. A brief history of their communications on the topic:

53 months agoª – In an interview about restructuring fuel contracts, SWA CEO Gary Kelly mentions that his airline is considering adding WiFi service. Kelly is quoted as saying,

“We are very seriously exploring that. We’d be acutely interested in the cost of doing that. It would be a very exciting development if we could make that work.”¹

A Southwest Plane with the WiFi 'hump' satellite antenna located on the top of the plane in front of the tail

44 months ago – Southwest announces it will be testing passenger WiFi service on four planes in the summer using Row 44 as it’s Internet service provider.²

25 months ago – Southwest announces that testing is completed and that they will start equipping planes with WiFi in the Spring of 2010.³

20 months ago – Senior Vice President of Marketing and Revenue Management Dave Ridley states in SWA’s blog, Nuts About Southwest, admits, “… the road to onboard wi-fi has been a long one…,”¹¹ but said that starting the 2nd quarter of 2010, SWA will start installing WiFi on 15 planes a month and increasing it to 25 planes a month. He added:

“…we estimate that our full fleet of more than 540 planes will be outfitted with wi-fi service by early 2012.”

11 months ago – SVP Ridley announces in the Nuts About Southwest blog that only 32 planes have WiFi installed and he adds:

“…we are adding to that number weekly.”¹²

2 months ago – In a call to investors CEO Kelly reveals a timetable revision for in-flight WiFi:

“…Kelly said he feels “very comfortable” with the “2013 timeframe” for fleetwide Wi-Fi installation…”¹³

Last week, after two separate incidents of the WiFi service being turned off on WiFi designated Southwest planes, uniformed Southwest employees had different explanations of the status of the company’s on board Internet service. One claimed that the system ‘worked yesterday’ and another said confidentially that their were problems with the Internet service provider and that the Southwest was no longer using them.

Howard Lefkowitz, Chief Commercial Officer

Not so, says Chief Commercial Officer Howard Lefkowitz of Row 44. Lefkowitz, the former CEO of Vegas.com who joined Row 44 about a year ago, said in a telephone interview that Row 44 is still Southwest’s Internet and entertainment provider and that they are continuing to equip the planes. He said that “…over 100…” planes now have WiFi Internet service and thousands of people are using it everyday. Lefkowitz said he would check into why two of the WiFi equipped flights were not in service last week.

Southwest Airlines was contacted by phone and email, but did not respond to requests for information.

This article first published as
Southwest Air WiFi: Real or Myth?
on Technorati.com

NOTES AND REFERENCES

ªGary Kelly’s original remarks were recorded in the Dallas Morning News; however, that link is broken. The link appears in an April 19, 2007, blog in WNN WiFi Net News. The remarks are from another blog referenced below on the same date.

¹Author Unknown. The Wireless Weblog (2007.) Southwest Airlines Wants WiFi. Retrieved September 13, 2011 from http://www.wireless-weblog.com/50226711/southwest_airlines_wants_wifi.php.

²W. Safer. Switched.  (2008.) Southwest Airlines Adding In-Flight WiFi Internet Access This Summer.  Retrieved September 13, 2011 from http://www.switched.com/2008/01/24/southwest-airlines-adds-in-flight-wireless-internet-access-this/

³B. Parr.  Mashable. (2009.) Southwest Airline: Wi-Fi On Every Flight by Early 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2011 from http://mashable.com/2009/08/23/southwest-wifi/. ¹¹D. Ridley. Nuts About Southwest. (2010.) It Is Official–Wi-Fi Is On The Way! Retrieved September 13, 2011 from http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/it-is-official-wi-fi-is-on-the-way

¹²D. Ridley. Nuts About Southwest. (2010.) Southwest Airlines Media Day 2010: WiFi Details (Including Price) Revealed. Retrieved September 13, 2011 from http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/southwest-airlines-media-day-2010-wifi-details-including-price-revealed.

¹³Dennis Schaal. tnooz. (2010.) Southwest Airlines: Fleetwide Wi-Fi Won’t Come Until 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2011 from http://www.tnooz.com/2010/07/29/mobile/southwest-airlines-fleetwide-wi-fi-wont-come-until-2013/.

Courtyard in Dallas: A Hotel For Real People

04 Wednesday May 2011

Posted by in Business, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Internet, Re-Imagine!, Travel

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype: 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

I spend more time than most people I know in major market hotels and typically they can be lumped into the category of ‘people warehouses.’ Sometimes I find a hotel that has made an attempt to make the lodging experience something more than a Orwellian, mega-corporate vision of a room with a bed. It is rare; however, to find a hotel that was intentionally designed to make a real person welcome and wanted.

Courtyard by Marriott Front Desk in Dallas, TX

The Courtyard by Marriott DFW Airport South in Dallas, Texas is one of those rare exceptions.

Located near the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and near two freeways (Texas 183 and 161) the Courtyard hotel could easily fall into the trap of the thousands of chain hotels near major transportation centers that seem to be set up to process travelers as quickly and efficiently as possible, but absent of any warmth. The Dallas DFW Courtyard by Marriott is efficient, but it is also friendly, customer-focused in the important details, and well designed.

The desk and flat screen television in my room

When I walked into the hotel I found a relatively small registration desk as opposed to those massive registration desks in some hotels where it looks like they could take care of 20 guests at once, but only have one person on duty. I was greeted with a friendly smile by a devastatingly attractive young woman named Amy who made me feel like I was the only person she would be helping that day. There was another young man there named Chris, but for some reason I didn’t notice him as much. 🙂 I did have a chance to talk to him later in the evening and he was very helpful.

In addition to the friendly staff, I also noticed that the front desk has an opening in the middle so that the person behind the desk can step through quickly and easily. The design made me feel like they were real people behind the registration desk, not caged robots.

A Self-Service Board Pass Print Station

As I was going to my room I noticed that the sleeve for the plastic room key said, “This key is not meant to lock you in your room.” That is was the first time I have ever had a hotel openly express that to me as a guest.

The room size was slightly larger than most hotel rooms, and the arrangement and the furniture were atypical for a standard hotel room., It made it feel more like a suite than a warehouse. The room had free WiFi Internet access and a flat screen television, which are two of my critical tests of quality. Free Internet says, “we know you’re a mobile person and access to the Internet is important to you so we’re not going to gouge you for $14/day for it.”

A flat screen television demonstrates that the hotel is keeping their facility updated. Old televisions are bulky, ugly, and tell me that the money I spend for the room is not being reinvested in the facility. Another test of quality is access to outlets in the room and the Courtyard has them, including outlets on the wall lights near the bed.

Food/Bar Counter Makes the Entire Lobby a Gathering Place

I had already decided to go out for dinner before I arrived, but I changed my mind once I had seen the lobby/restaurant area. This hotel has a unique lobby design. Opposite of the registration desk is a partial oval bar/counter for ordering food and/or drink, but behind it are tables and chairs as in a restaurant dining room.

Around the room are pod-like areas with flat screen televisions scattered about, all on different channels. The food preparation area (kitchen) is not in sight. Every thing about this area, and another large lobby area opposite the registration/bar area is designed to welcome people to congregate and relax. It is a Starbucks®-like model, only with full food and drink service. The food was excellent and the service from the man and another young woman in the food service area was great (and yes, she was also devastatingly attractive.)

Additional Gathering Space in the Lobby Area

The lobby also has a large touch screen digital bulletin board to access hotel and local information and a separate area with video screens of DFW airport flight status reports AND a station to print out airline boarding passes. The Courtyard does not forget its customers are often travelers and these key details prove that the hotel works hard to accommodate the needs of traveling guests.

I found that everything about the Courtyard by Marriott indicated that they have Re-Imagined the concept of a hotel and they have used the viewpoint of the guest, not the accountant, as the guide in its design. In addition, the Alex Nguyen, the Director and General Manager of the facility must have a strong ability to convey to his staff the need for reaching out to the guests and making them feel at home. I know I will not forget my short stay there and I appreciate design of the facility and the warmth of  the staff.

Well done!

(This article was not solicited or approved by the Courtyard by Marriott, nor was this article written with any understanding of compensation, nor quid pro quo exchange.)

FAA + Airlines + Personal Electronic Devices = Public Mistrust

03 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by in Communication, Customer Relations, Ethics, Government Regulation, Information Technology, Management Practices, Public Relations, Travel

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype: 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

Recently, a 73 year-old man flying from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Winnipeg, Canada was ordered by the flight crew of an unnamed airline to stop using his Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) device during the flight. The GPS device tracks the user’s current position by receiving (not transmitting) a signal from orbiting satellites. Currently over half the world’s airlines allow it to be used during a flight, but not this airline. The man was arrested and fined for not obeying the flight crew instructions to turn it off and also refusing to buckle his seat belt. Not surprisingly his last name was, Ego…I’m not making this up…his name was Michele Ego (See article in Winnipeg Free Press.)

…the incident was based on the Flight Attendant enforcing an 18 year-old policy of restricting the use of  personal electronic devices (PED’s) that has little or no real experimental data to justify it…

Are these really a threat to airline safety?

Clearly Mr. Ego was in the wrong by refusing to obey the instructions of the flight crew; however, the incident was caused by a flight crew enforcing an 18 year-old policy of restricting the use of personal electronic devices (PED’s) that has little or no experimental data to justify it. The zeal of some flight attendants in following this baseless policy creates a source of conflict and mistrust between the flying public and the flight crew, all of which could be avoided, if not for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the airlines.

…the policy uses decades old research that could only pose a theoretical threat by PED’s, without any experimental proof…

The lack of evidence for the restrictions on PED’s (such as MP3-4 players, GPS, cell phones, etc.) is well-known, and yet, airlines stick to a policy of restricting them, especially during takeoffs and landings because of the FAA’s order issued in 1993, that each airline must prove a PED will not interfere with the plane’s avionics before passengers are allowed to use them during a flight. The reasoning for the policy uses decades old research that concluded that PED’s pose a theoretical threat.

During a Congressional Hearing on the issue in July of 2000, over a year before the first generation of Apple’s iPod was sold, the issue of PED’s impact on a plane’s avionics was discussed. During the hearing a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) database of anonymously submitted in flight incidents was presented. Of 69,000 reports, 52 flight crews blamed passenger PED’s for the plane’s avionics problems. In most of the cases from 1992 to 1998, incidents on planes as small as a Cessna and large as a Boeing 757, related problems in navigational readings that seemed to be corrected when passengers were asked to turn off the devices.

…In each case the problem could not be duplicated under controlled test conditions…

In several of those cases, the alleged offending PED was purchased from the passenger and attempts were made to reproduce the problem. In each case the problem could not be duplicated under controlled test conditions. These results were fortified by two commissioned studies of PED’s, including cell phones, in 1983-8, (a study for the airlines,) and 1992-6, (a study for Congress.) Both studies offered no real evidence of avionics interference caused by PED’s.

(See Blog article: Why Your iPad Won’t Kill You)

Regardless of the lack of evidence, neither study could prove that PED’s were absolutely incapable of interference, and in a British study on cell phone transmissions, it was determined that the threat from PED’s was from pre-1984 devices that could theoretically cause interference with a plane’s avionics. Despite a lack of real evidence of a threat, the FAA issued its 1993 ruling that said that airlines should restrict the use of all PED’s below 10,000 feet (for takeoffs and landings) and only allow use of PED’s above 10,000 feet if they could prove it didn’t interfere with the plane’s avionics.

The fact is that today’s commercial airliner has been designed with shielding on all electronic systems to protect it against all types of electromagnetic radiation, including a strike from a lightening bolt, which seems far more likely to happen than an incident of electromagnetic interference caused by a PED like an iPod, GPS device, or cell phone*.

(*Interestingly, it was not the FAA, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) who issued a rule in 1991, that cell phones could not be used by any aircraft –including private planes and lighter-than-air balloons– because of the fear that phones in a line of sight of multiple cell phone towers could cause problems with ground-based cell phone traffic.)

With the airlines blessing, both the FAA and FCC have created an environment that forces flight attendants to be the voice of ‘Chicken Little’, by enforcing flight rules governing PED’s that make no sense in 2011. The ineptness of the FAA and the airlines in their handling of the issue of PED’s undermines the relationship of trust that passengers must have in the flight crew if they are to be believed and obeyed during critical situations involving a real threat to passenger safety.

The question that remains is whether or not the mythological threat of PED’s to aircraft safety is greater than the loss of trust of the flying public.

A New Adventure…Virtually

14 Monday Feb 2011

Posted by in History, Internet, Travel

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by Paul Kiser

USA PDT [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

For the past week I have been distracted by two things. The first was replacing a starter on a 1994 Toyota Previa, which will be the topic of my next blog since it was almost impossible to find good information on the Internet. The second was the launch of a new blog. The new blog will not replace this blog; however, it does involve a significant amount of research, so I have to make some adjustments in my time management.

My five year-old boy, Alexander, has an exceptionally curious mind and I wanted him to be able to understand that the world is a big, fascinating, amazing place filled with people and cultures that are different from what he is familiar. If I had Bill Gates bank account I would take him around the world several times to learn and appreciate how our culture relates (or fails to relate) to other cultures.

Lacking an unlimited financial resource I have decided to take him on a virtual tour of the world. The blog, called Alexander’s Virtual World Tour, is an attempt to use the resources of the Internet and create a realistic travel log of a fictional trip around the world. Launched last Tuesday, (February 8th) we flew to Mazatlan, Mexico where we spent a few days learning about the area, followed by the next leg to Cancun, which is where we are now. Tomorrow we fly to Costa Rica, where we will take a bus to Jaco and stay a few nights in a small town on the Pacific Ocean.

All the flights and hotels are real and the cost is based on actual rates I found through Expedia, Priceline.com, and other sources. In many large cities I can use Google Street View to help Alexander (and myself) see the place as if we were actually there. I have and will be contacting real people (usually hotel staff) to find out more specific information, like meal costs and taxi rates, when possible.

This blog is teaching me a lot about geography and the history of places I have never been before. Alexander is also learning where Reno is in relation to these places and critical, mind-boggling concepts like why it’s not day everywhere in the world at the same time. He won’t be an expert on geography when we are through, but he should have a better understanding of how we are only one very small part of a very big world.

Please feel free to join us on our trip around the world.

Nevada Best Kept Secret: #1 in Crime

05 Friday Nov 2010

Posted by in Branding, Business, Communication, Crime, Crisis Management, Ethics, Government, History, Politics, Pride, Print Media, Public Relations, Rotary, Taxes, Traditional Media, Travel, Violence in the Workplace, Women

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

Article first published as
Nevada #1 Crime Rate Not Acknowledged
on Technorati

On a late October morning a Wal-Mart employee was ‘disgruntled’ and he decides it’s time to take action. He smuggles a gun into the store and buys ammunition for it in the Sporting Goods department. He then goes to the restroom where he hides in the handicapped stall mulling his decision. He makes a final commitment to confront his bosses and leaves the restroom, straight toward the manager’s office. Once there he confronts the manager, the one he likes, and, at gunpoint, orders him to call two other managers to the office. When they arrive they find an angry man with a gun. At some  point the three managers make a run for it and all three are shot. All three live, but their lives will never be the same.

Last week’s shooting of three managers in a Wal-Mart in Reno (Nevada, USA) should not be surprising in a State that has the worst crime rate in the United States. Nevada has been ranked as the Most Dangerous State for the last four years (2006-09) by Morgan Quitno’s (morganquitno.com) annual crime rate report.

Nevada’s Crime Story

  • Nevada ranks #1 in women being killed by men (1)
  • Nevada ranks #1 in stolen cars per capita (2)
  • Nevada ranks #1 in robbery per capita (2)
  • Nevada ranks in the top 10 for assaults per capita for the last 4 years (3)
  • Nevada ranks in the top 10 for forcible rape per capita for the last 4 years (3)

What is a surprise is the deafening silence about the State’s notorious ranking by local media. The top 50 hits of a Google search of ‘Nevada High Crime Rate News Media’ offer no mention of the issue among the State’s primary television and print media resources. It also was not an issue discussed in most of the major political contests this year despite the fact that Nevada’s #1 status in unemployment, foreclosures, and bankruptcies were all fodder for candidate mud-slinging.

It should be noted that Nevada’s crime rankings are not an artifact of the 2007-09 Recession. The State has been a leader in crime independent of the economic environment. It is unknown if Nevada’s out of control crime issues are effecting tourism because for over half a decade the State has experienced a steady decline in gaming revenues because of increased competition due to Indian gaming in California and other States. Any impact of Nevada’s high crime reputation would be masked by the larger trend; however, as there seems to be little awareness of the State’s crime issues, it is unlikely that it has had an impact…yet.

Nevada’s gaming industry would likely suffer more revenue losses if the crime woes were widely publicized and lower gaming revenues would have a trickle down effect on newspaper and television advertising revenue but, there is no evidence that the local media intentionally avoids the subject to risk offending their advertisers. Gaming also plays a significant role in Nevada politics but, there is no evidence that politicians avoid discussing the issue for fear of offending potential major contributors to their campaigns.

However, the lack of discussion seems to only be feeding the problem. If any effort is being made to turn around Nevada’s position as the Most Dangerous State it is being done without fanfare ….and without success.

NOTES:
(1) – Statistic for 2008 (from crimeinamerica.net)
(2) – Statistic for 2009 – #2 in 2005-08 (from disastercenter.com)
(3) – Statistic for 2006-09 (from disastercenter.com)

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Starbucks is Re-Imagining the business…again

22 Friday Oct 2010

Posted by in Branding, Business, Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Information Technology, Internet, Management Practices, Passionate People, Print Media, Public Relations, Re-Imagine!, Relationships, Rotary, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations, Tom Peters, Traditional Media, Travel, Website, Women

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

This week Starbucks continued to add value to its stores and more Re-Imagining seems to be in the forecast. A few months ago Starbucks did the smart move of offering free WiFi for everyone (see article below) and on Wednesday they took it one step farther with a Digital Starbucks that features free web content if you sign on to their WiFi service while you’re in the store.

(Free WiFi at Starbucks)

Now when you use the free WiFi service in any Starbucks you can also read a digital version of the day’s Wall Street Journal, New York Times, or the USA Today. The New York Times requires software download of a reader, but the USA Today loads up its own reader and retains the exact look of the paper copy. The site also includes Yahoo! news and GOOD content.


In addition to news, the Digital Starbucks offers access to a selection of entertainment, wellness, business/career, and local online resources. There is also a page to access most of the functions found on the Starbucks website. It seems apparent that Starbucks has teamed with AT&T, the WSJ, NYT, USA Today, and several others to offer this value-added service. Recently all Starbucks stores received new labeled newspaper stands with the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today in the top three shelves with the local paper given the bottom shelf. In my October tour of stores in Houston, Boston, Denver, and Reno I have seen more papers sold out than I have ever seen at a Starbucks store. Obviously the collaboration is a win-win.

A screen shot of the DG Wellness page

While some information has been sent out regarding the new online features most people have not caught on to the major remake of the log-in page and the new free media resources. That will change over time and I expect Starbucks will see a positive increase in store traffic as customers become aware of what they can access for free at their local store. I have already noticed high occupancy of the key ‘power’ tables (tables next to a power outlet) in almost every store I’ve visited since the free WiFi service started on July 1st.

Starbucks After Hours
The value-added virtual Starbucks is small change compared to what may be coming to some Starbucks locations. As reported in this Monday’s USA Today, the company has been testing wine and beer service at a Seattle location. The three-month remodel of a standard store resulted in a cafe-type look and feel, moving away from the glorified fast food feel of most coffee houses. The move is designed to generate more late day revenue when coffee sales die down. There is little doubt that local bars may find a Starbucks too much to compete with as it creates a middle ground for those like getting out in the evening, but seek a relaxed atmosphere free of loud music and single men on the hunt.

While I remained concerned that Starbucks is allowing accountants have too much say in store operations, I have to congratulate them on bringing value-added service and innovative ideas into the forefront. The winner is the customer … the only person that matters.

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Knowing when it’s over or beyond over

22 Friday Oct 2010

Posted by in Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Internet, Lessons of Life, Passionate People, Random, Relationships, Travel, Women

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

There comes a time in every relationship when you start suspecting problems, and then there is the point when you know it’s over. In the past two weeks I’ve discovered that I’m in a relationship that is not only over, it’s become adversarial. I can’t say I’ve been unaware that there were problems, but I have become dependent on her and it was just easier to ignore the signs than to confront her. Now she has begun a campaign of sabotage and I’m forced to do something.

I’ve played this game before. It’s always the same story. First she is unbelievably helpful and at times she surprises me with her intelligence. But then I begin to rely on her and that’s when things go south..or sometimes north, but it goes wrong regardless of the direction and then you end up alone in the rain somewhere in the Pacific Coastal range with no cell phone signal…but that’s another story.

It was Father’s Day when we met. Her name is Samantha, and she has a clear, well-enunciated voice. I stayed up late with her that first night and I couldn’t wait to take her for a ride in the car. I was impressed with what she knew and it felt like love. Then came the little mistakes. Little warning signs that should have told me that she wasn’t as perfect as I thought. Then she changed. It seemed like she was deliberately misleading me. I became frustrated, but I told myself that maybe I had expected too much.

Then last week came the proof. This time it was intentional. This time it was malicious. I was driving in the early morning in a Nor-easter rain storm to the Boston airport. It was dark, I was stressed, and my plane was not going to wait for me if I got lost. Still, I was 90% sure of where I was going, but I had her there in the car calmly reassuring me that I was where I needed to be. Then it happened. I knew I had to stay on I-90 through the tunnel to get to Boston’s Logan Airport. The airport is basically on an island so there are not a lot of options on how to get there.

The Other Woman

She said it and I didn’t imagine it. She told me to exit I-90 and go south on a road that would have taken me away from the airport. Had I obediently done as she ordered I would have been scrambling for at least 30 minutes to try to get back (you have to know Boston roads to understand why) to the airport. My sweet, innocent Garmin Nuvi 265 GPS device had turned on me and was deliberately trying to make me miss my flight. She is evil!

Now I know that she is out to get me and it makes driving stressful. Did she give me the right exit, or is she just messing with me again? I know it’s all over between us, but I have a hard time letting her go. Damn you Sam!

If you see me driving and yelling when no one is in the car, be cautious … who knows who is in the driver’s seat.

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Dear Teresa Laraba, SVP of Southwest Airlines Customer Service

20 Wednesday Oct 2010

Posted by in Branding, Business, Communication, Crisis Management, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Ethics, Information Technology, Internet, Lessons of Life, Management Practices, Passionate People, Pride, Public Relations, Relationships, Respect, Travel

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

Teresa Laraba
Senior Vice President Customer Services
Southwest Airlines

Dear Teresa:

Last Friday I felt betrayed by Southwest Airlines and while the outcome of the event was not horrible, the stress it caused me has profoundly effected the trust I place in your airline. I also felt that some of your key people failed in their duty toward customer service.

I have been on 28 Southwest flights since the beginning of August and the one that was the longest was last Friday’s flight from Boston to Reno. I was on the flight for almost eight hours. I knew it was going to be a long flight, but I always pay for Early Bird boarding so that I can get a window seat and settle in. I have relied on this service to make the ‘open seating’ policy less of an ordeal, especially on long, full flights where the last to board are the Big Losers who have to sit in the middle seat.

The Boarding Pass of Shame

The day started out stressful as a major storm hit the northeast and I had to drive through heavy rain, in the dark to get to the airport. After getting to the airport, gassing up the car, and turning it in, I took a sigh of relief as I went to get my boarding pass. I had early boarding, which was critical on a flight that would be five minutes short of 8 hours on the same plane. I finally found the TSA line and as I stood there I looked to see where I would be in the ‘A’ Boarding Group. I was shocked to see that I was in the ‘B’ Boarding Group, and that I was at the end of the ‘B’ Group.

I got through the security line and went to the Gate Counter. I asked the gate agent at the counter, (who seemed like she was in a bad mood at 6:30 AM in the morning,) if this was a mistake. She said that there was a ‘computer glitch’* and that all Early Boarding passengers lost their Early Boarding status. She told me I would be refunded $10.

(DEFINITION: Computer Glitch – One of our computer programmers applied a change to the system that screwed everything up, and while it was human caused, we’re going to make it sound like a mechanical problem, so we don’t have to take responsibility for the error and actually do something to make it right.)

Southwest Airlines doesn’t seem to understand that when you fail to do what you promise, giving back the money you took in exchange for that promise is not making it right. Giving money back for a service not performed is what you are legally obligated to do, it’s not doing me a favor. It is essentially saying, “We’re not going to try to screw you out of your money for our failure to do our job.”…thanks a lot.

So I was going to sit in the middle seat for an eight-hour flight because Southwest screwed up and that was your ‘best’ customer service response. I complained further and the gate agent reluctantly said she would let me board at the end of the ‘A’ group. That was a good half measure at a solution, but I still don’t know why she didn’t offer it when she first admitted the error.

I was still frustrated so I called your Customer Service line. I was met with the same cold, uncaring, “..we’ve had a computer glitch and you’ll be refunded your $10.” When I told her that I was going to be stuck on the same plane for eight hours she acted like she didn’t believe me. I then helped her with the math and explained the three time zones we would be crossing, to which she said, “Oh, yes, that is eight hours.” In her defense she did suggest that I could talk to the gate agent, but I had already done that with little results.

I’ve flown SWA a lot recently, and I’ve come to trust the Early Bird boarding system. I used to try to pull my boarding pass at 24 hours before boarding in order to get a decent seat with limited success. The Early Bird boarding option has made all the hours in a loud aluminum tube where I have no rights, no say, and no real food, … bearable. BUT, on the longest flight of 29 (tomorrow is #29), the system failed me…big time. What I’ve learned from this not only is the Early Bird boarding system unreliable, that when there is a problem, Southwest does not, 1) recognize the significance, or attempts to minimize the problem, and 2) offers no reasonable solution unless you really complain.

I do have three positive experiences to report that kept this flight from being a disaster. First, I was able to get a window seat and that kept me from going over the edge. Second, another SWA employee, (Mark, I think) who actually loaded the passengers on the plane, recognized that the loss of the Early Bird boarding passes was a major problem. He made it clear that anyone with Early Bird boarding would be allowed on the plane at the end of the ‘A’ Group. He admitted that it was a big problem and he apologized several times for it.

That was it! Admitting it was a major problem, apologizing for it, and then attempting to make it right was the key to showing that someone cared. The gate agent and the phone ‘customer service’ showed a lack sympathy or concern. Your ‘customer service’ staff has become too good at minimizing the problem and being ‘professional’ by not caring.

The third positive came from the flight deck. We boarded the plane to sit there for an hour so someone (a professional mechanic) could come and tape up an exit sign that was hanging down. However, the pilot (possibly the co-pilot) came out and personally explained, multiple times what was going on and during the flight he came out and walked the plane explaining where we were in the flight. He cared enough to show his face and give us the news, bad and good.

I don’t understand why your customer service staff is so uncaring, leaving the rest of the employees at SWA to pick up their slack? I will likely continue to fly SWA because we really don’t have a choice anymore, but I will go back to pulling my boarding passes 24 hours in advance, even with my Early Bird boarding fee, just because I can’t trust your system to do what it supposed to do, and because when it fails, your CS staff could care less.

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Richmond Embassy Suites: The best at true Hospitality!

01 Friday Oct 2010

Posted by in Branding, Business, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Employee Retention, Ethics, Honor, Information Technology, Internet, Lessons of Life, Management Practices, Passionate People, Pride, Public Relations, Random, Re-Imagine!, Recreation, Relationships, Respect, Rotary, Rotary@105, The Tipping Point, Tom Peters, Travel, Women

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

In August I stayed in hotels in seven different cities (Dallas, TX; Bloomington, IL; Chicago,IL; Minneapolis, MN; Norfolk, VA; Richmond, VA; and Virginia Beach, VA..) In a previous post I expressed my displeasure with pay-for-Internet at the Millennium Hotel* in Minneapolis, which was slightly unfair as the hotel was a pleasant, although completely expected, experience. As a people warehouse the Millennium Hotel fits the mold that is typical of most business traveler-type hotels. However, out of the seven hotels of which I was a guest, there was one that made a big impression on me, the Embassy Suites in Richmond, Virginia.

(*Millennium Hotel: Go Away)

The main entrance the Embassy Suites in Richmond

The Embassy Suites hotel in Richmond, Virginia is not a flashy, Vegas-type hotel. From the outside it is a modern, yet modest building tucked back from busy streets; however, access to the Interstate is nearby. Like many hotels it is surrounded by a massive asphalt parking lot; however, the entrance is behind a landscaped island of trees. The great thing about the foliage is that it creates the sense from the outside that this hotel is not just a people warehouse like so many others.

After entering the hotel one doesn’t have to hunt for the Registration Desk as it is positioned in such a way that it oversees the entrance area, but it doesn’t intrude into the path of a guest walking to their room from the parking lot.

The Inner Courtyard

The striking feature of the hotel is the inner courtyard. I have seen this design before, but it was a refreshing change from institutional interior designs of most people warehouses. The open interior gives a community feel to the hotel rather than the impression that you just walked into a U-Store-It facility, as is the feel of most hotels. The interior landscaping and flowing water features create a tropical environment. This hotel was number six for me during my August travels and it was a refreshing change from the five previous corporate institutions of I had visited.

My room was also vastly different from my previous guest experiences. This was a true ‘suite’ and not just a room with a bed. There was a clearly defined living space with a television, desk, couch, and bar area. The bedroom was in the rear of the suite with a door that would allow privacy if two people were in the room and one wanted to watch television or work while the other one slept. The bedroom had a counter with running water and its own television. The bathroom was in the transition area between the living room and the bedroom offering easy access from both rooms. The entire suite is a brilliant design.

Of course the Internet was free (my minimum requirement) and I had no problems making a connection. If needed, I could have easily made the suite my home base. It is a comfortable living and working environment. I would have had no concerns about hosting small meetings in my room. I had everything I needed except for my Starbucks Chai Tea.

The Embassy Suite's Dining/Reception Area

One of my issues with most hotels is the assumption that people don’t want to interact with other people when they stay in a hotel. I’m as reclusive as most, but to visit a city and never come out of my hotel room is what creates that ‘warehouse feeling’.

At the Richmond Embassy Suites the open feel of the courtyard was put to good use by encouraging guests to congregate twice a day for a free manager’s reception each evening and free breakfast each morning. The reception offered adult and non-alcoholic beverages along with a variety of choices of snack items (hors devours.) The breakfast was as good or better than the breakfasts I’ve eaten at eaten at most Sunrise Rotary Clubs. Those who have eaten a breakfast at a Rotary Club may think that may not be saying much, but I typically pay $14 to $15 to eat a Rotary breakfast and this was free. The free gatherings were the most ‘value-added’ service I have experienced in a hotel.

From the few interactions I had with the hotel staff it was obvious that the Chief Executive of this property, Kathleen Lyons, and her staff understood the meaning of the word ‘guest’. I was always treated with respect and a smile. It was apparent that they were pleased that I choose their hotel over the other options in Richmond.

Giving great customer service is not that mysterious, but it requires that everyone from the bottom (no offense intended, Ms. Lyons, but in my world that means you) up to the top (the maintenance and housekeeping staff) must enjoy what they do and enjoy working with people. It was clear that the Embassy Suites in Richmond is not run by ‘management’, but managed through leadership. Bravo to Ms. Lyons and her team!

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Riding Reno: The Ladies of McCarran Boulevard

15 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by in About Reno, Branding, Lessons of Life, Passionate People, Public Relations, Random, Recreation, Rotary, Sports, Travel

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

This summer I started riding a bike around Reno, Nevada. Because I live close to McCarran Boulevard it is usually the primary feature of my route. McCarran is a four lane artery circling Reno; however, most of the 23-mile ring road has a wide shoulder and is a good option for a rider looking for a workout. Because it makes a circle a rider can complete the entire route, or it can be divided up into four sections that offer different challenges and levels of workout. Solely for my entertainment I have labeled each section with a female star’s name that reminds me of the section.

I should point out that I use a borrowed 15 year-old mountain bike, which creates significantly more resistance than a more contemporary road/touring bike, or even a hybrid or commuter bike…and yes, it is a pansy excuse. For a hardcore rider who loves hills, the terrain of McCarran will hardly seem challenging, but for me (and my borrowed mountain bike), the western sections of the route are more than enough of a cardiovascular workout.

I tend to NASCAR my route, so my description of riding McCarran Boulevard will be a route that is counterclockwise in each section of the circular route. The four sections are bisected by Interstate 80 and Virginia Street.

Shakira's first hill

SHAKIRA
Northwestern McCarran Boulevard
At 3.5 miles, the Shakira section is the shortest of the four McCarran quarters. It starts at North Virginia Street and after a slight downhill offers the second highest continuous elevation gain (175 feet in 1 mile) of the 23 mile route. That seems tame for most experienced riders on narrow tire touring bikes, but on a summer afternoon or evening the climb is into a stiff headwind. Combine the climb and wind with a hot day and a rider can lose a pound or two thanks to Shakira.

The first hill flattens out on top to a slight downhill followed by a second smaller hill with a 80-foot elevation gain that puts the rider at the top of  Shakira section. From here it is all downhill for over a mile to I-80; however, this is a heavily congested area with multiple shopping campuses on both sides of McCarran. While Shakira has nice broad shoulders, she also has a lot of cross traffic in the last mile.

Shakira has great shoulders

Shakira is ideal for a short cardio workout. For a quick ride I typically hit northwest McCarran and then continue into the next section of McCarran to 4th Street and return home on surface streets.

LADY GAGA
Southwestern McCarran Boulevard
This was the first section of McCarran I named…I was listening to a Lady Gaga song during the climb … and the name stuck. It is the longest and has the most challenging terrain of the four sections of McCarran.

From I-80 and west McCarran, Lady Gaga continues to drop in elevation from Shakira past 4th Street and down to the bridge that crosses the Truckee River. Once she lures you in with fun downhill she then begins a 575-foot elevation gain over the next 2.8 miles to the highest point on McCarran (5160 ft.) To add insult to injury, a significant portion of the climb turns the rider to the southwest and into the afternoon headwind. Workout junkies might fall in love with the challenge of Lady Gaga, but for others it might feel like a ‘Bad Romance’ as you are pedaling over a mile up the hill into the wind and round a left curve only to find there is still more hill ahead.

Lady Gaga takes you for a ride

Once at the top you can congratulate yourself because you have conquered the biggest hill in the circuit. The next phase of Lady Gaga is a 600-foot mostly downhill ride for over two miles. The downhill ends at Lake Street and the remainder of the 7.1 mile section is relatively flat as you head east to South Virginia Street; however by reaching the valley floor you also have returned to a high traffic area.

Lady Gaga has great ...uhm,..shoulders too!

The paved shoulder on the Lady Gaga section is excellent for most of the route; however, the division between bike route and car lane is ill-defined in the flat area between Lake and South Virginia Streets.  It is unfortunate that just as the car traffic becomes heavier the bike route designated area on the shoulder disappears.

Taken together, the total 10.6 miles of the Shakira and the Lady Gaga sections offer 1) a great workout, 2) great bike lanes, except as noted and, 3) great views of the Reno Valley (yes I’m aware no one refers to it as the ‘Reno Valley’.) I should note that most riders will pick up considerable speed on the downhills of these ladies and I have experienced strong side gusts on the downhill at the beginning of Lady Gaga. I have never been concerned that I would be pushed out into traffic; however, some caution in gusty winds is advised.

The narrow shoulders of the Keira Knightley section

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY
Southeastern McCarran Boulevard
Having covered the 10.6 miles of the western half of McCarran, one might easily dismiss the Keira Knightley portion of the McCarran experience; however. the 6.0 miles has a unique challenge, just not the kind bike riders normally seek. From South Virginia Street, the traffic is heavy due to the collection of shopping campuses and other commercial activity in area. Initially there is plenty of paved area for riders to avoid close encounters of the automobile kind; however, the paved shoulder keeps shrinking until there is little or no shoulder after you pass Longley Lane.

I would advise that the rider have some type of mirror to track the traffic behind them and, of course, a helmet is necessary in any riding environment. Most of Keira should be considered highly hazardous riding with shoulder conditions that are uncharacteristic of most of McCarran.

The other notable characteristic of the Keira section is its flatness. At Virginia Street the elevation is approximately 4450 feet and it drops over down to about 4400 feet at Longley Lane then stays within 15 feet of that elevation for the remainder of the section.

Like the real Taylor Swift, the final section of McCarran is a tame experience for most

TAYLOR SWIFT
Northeastern McCarran Boulevard
 I have named the last section of McCarran, Taylor Swift. It is a 6.3 mile section that has some narrow shoulders at the beginning and a few minor elevation changes in the last half of the section. Overall the Taylor section has about a 250 foot rise but it levels off for the last mile before North Virginia Street. Taylor is a high traffic area for the first mile or so, but once past Prater Way the surrounding area becomes primarily residential. The other area of note is near the I-580 (US 395) and North McCarran interchange. In addition to the activity around the on/off ramps of I-580, there is major commercial activity for almost a mile on either side.

Like the Shakira section, the elevation gain occurs when the rider is facing west, which is the direction the wind comes from in the afternoon and evening. If you start your ride at the beginning of the Shakira section then you might discover that the last few miles on the 23-mile ride will remove any guilt you might have for the nice level ride of the Keira and first half of Taylor sections.

I have done the ride in two hours of ride time, but I would allow for two and half hours. For hardcore riders/racers it is probably an hour and a half ride or less. I like Shakira, Lady Gaga, Keira, and Taylor because they offer fewer intersections than normal city streets and a great riding area for most of the route. If you find yourself in Reno looking for a nice ride with views of the city, you can’t go wrong with the Ladies of McCarran; however, the best views, and the best workout will be with Shakira and Lady Gaga….is that a surprise to anyone?

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Communication: Repetition of message does not increase awareness

03 Friday Sep 2010

Posted by in Branding, Business, Communication, Crisis Management, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Ethics, Government Regulation, Information Technology, Internet, Lessons of Life, Management Practices, Passionate People, Public Relations, Relationships, Rotary, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations, Traditional Media, Travel

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

“….Welcome to Flight 2333 to Norfolk….”

August was a busy month of travel for me. On four round trips in one month I spent over 40 hours on sixteen Southwest Airline planes and heard the pre-flight safety briefing 19 times. That would theoretically make me one of the most knowledgeable passengers on flight safety. One would think that I could repeat the flight attendant patter verbatim by now. But I can’t. I travel enough that the safety briefing is merely spam to me.

“…We would like to point out a few of the safety features on this Boeing 737. To fasten your seat belt slide the metal tab in the buckle. To release the belt pull up on the tab on the top of the buckle…..”

Attention will be paid to that which is unique

I know that this briefing is intended to provide a safe traveling environment and maybe there is someone who is allowed out in public who doesn’t know how to buckle a seatbelt, but really, does mindless repetition make us safer? The answer is ‘no’. Repetition can be useful in helping the brain hardwire complex information, but when the information is perceived to be too basic most people stop listening.

The failure of the passenger pre-flight briefing to inform serves as a good lesson for business people. A lot of smart people should know this, but I still find business men and women who live by the erroneous assumption that the more they get their message out, the more successful will be their endeavor. I have one group that sends at least one email to me everyday, and sometimes more than one email. I support the purpose of this organization, but I am considering blocking their emails because they have become spam to me.  When I open their email I read a few words and I file it away.

A ‘Hoser’ is what I call people who flood a Social Media tool with posts. On Twitter, I never read Tweets from someone who has multiple posts in quick succession. Sometimes people use applications that allow the Tweets to be posted on a schedule, which I think is a mistake.  When I see the same face on five consecutive posts I consider ‘unfollowing’ them over reading what they have to say. The same is true on Facebook and LinkedIn.

More about using Social Media in Aristotle’s Rules of Social Media

To be successful Public Relations and Marketing professionals must accept that a message must be more than a pre-flight briefing. If the message is just about repetition then not only will the audience not get the information, they will be annoyed by it. This is a hard lesson for traditional media ‘experts’ because they lived through a time when the audience had to get spam to get the entertainment (commercials embedded in television shows or ads embedded in magazine/newspaper articles.) Traditional media was designed to force the audience to accept the spam, but the Social Media is oriented to the audience, not the advertiser, and this means the reader has the power of the ‘off’ switch. To be heard, and understood PR/Marketing professionals must reject the old annoying ways of the past and use style, not repetition to get the message out.

As for the airlines, the pre-flight briefing will never go away even though it is completely ineffective. The briefing has little to do with informing people and everything to do with asserting the authority of the flight attendants. By standing up and lecturing the passengers on what passengers can and can’t do, they are identifying themselves as the people in charge, which is important in the unlikely event of a crisis on the plane.

However, the problem is that when your message is largely being ignored because it lacks content, the risk is that passengers won’t listen to other announcements. That’s another important lesson for PR professionals.

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Millennium Hotel: Go away, spend your money elsewhere

27 Friday Aug 2010

Posted by in Branding, Business, Communication, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Information Technology, Internet, Lessons of Life, Management Practices, Passionate People, Public Relations, Re-Imagine!, Rotary, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations, The Tipping Point, Tom Peters, Travel

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

This week I spent a couple of nights in the Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Now this is a good hotel and it has everything you would expect for the business traveler. The rooms are clean and reasonably updated. The staff is pleasant. It has a restaurant and a bar (although it struck me that maybe both were afterthoughts in the lobby design.) It has a pool on a fitness room (I didn’t go to hunt for them, but I’m assured that they exist.) It has a television with a selection of stations and optional pay-for-movies.

They have everything you might expect, save one item. Free WiFi/Internet. To access the Internet in the Millennium Hotel in Minneapolis you must add $10 (okay, $9.95) to the daily room rate.

Some business practices reflect old ideas.

This means one of two things. Either they decided to contract out their Internet service and they are getting some kind of kickback, or they have a bean-counter in their organization that has said to management, “Hey, we can boost our room rate by $10 if we charge for the Internet!”

It doesn’t matter why they charge for Internet service because what it says to me is simply, “We would prefer that you go elsewhere for Internet service.” In my case, I go to Starbucks where I can get online for free…and buy my tea with my extra $10…and then, rather than go back to the hotel to eat I find a place near Starbucks. Is that what they want their guests to do? Apparently.

A better place to spend $10/day

Next month I will be going back to Minneapolis and I will find my hotel on Priceline.com. That may land me back in the Millennium Hotel and once more I will go outside the hotel to connect to the world…and spend my money. I wonder if they have a clue? I seriously doubt it.

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Up in the air down in Texas

19 Thursday Aug 2010

Posted by in Branding, Business, College, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Ethics, Government Regulation, Higher Education, Lessons of Life, Passionate People, Public Relations, Rotary, Travel, Universities

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

I’m traveling a lot for my corporate acting/role-playing gigs lately and that has kept me out of my normal routine. During the last two weeks I have been traveling for The American College and playing multiple roles with students in their Master’s degree program.

I love traveling, but hours on a plane, all day seminars, and a quirky Microsoft Outlook/firewall issue (it conflicts with most hotel WiFi) puts me in a position of scrambling to stay up with email. Everything else begins to fall behind and my blog is one of the victims.

I spent three days in Dallas, Texas and I learned that they like to name their roadways after people. They also like toll roads. The problem with naming roads after people is that the President George Bush Turnpike is a lot for the GPS to spit out before it says, “exit right now”.

Lover's Lane in Dallas

Toll roads are not as common in the western United States, but over the past two decades Denver has been joining their eastern sister cities with pay-to-use roads. Both Denver and Dallas are going over to the dark side with cashless toll roads. The concept is that you don’t have stop and pay to use the roadway. Instead you obtain a transmitter that records your car and deducts the toll from your account.  Great idea, but it has a wicked ‘gotcha’.

The “gotcha’ is that if you don’t have a transmitter, they just take a picture of your license plate and send the bill to the owner. The problem is that rental car companies are making a killing heaping fees on renters who are caught unaware by the cashless toll roads. I went to downtown Dallas for dinner when I left my GPS took me to a toll road. I didn’t know it was cashless until I was on it and it was too late to exit. GOTCHA!

Dallas is the only city I know that will charge you $2 to drive by the airport. I understand that this road is the access to all the terminals at the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport, but it also continues past the airport and if you are using the road to get from south of DFW to north of DFW it will cost you $2. Ironically, I dropped someone off at the airport and it only cost $1 even though I spent longer in on the DFW property.

Thanksgiving Square in Dallas

Despite my negative comments, I liked Dallas. It reminded me of Denver, without the mountains…and warmer…a lot warmer. I spent just enough time in Dallas to get a 10,000 foot view and that is not enough to really know the city. The next time I’m back I will have a better plan to ferret out the cool things to do in Dallas.

I met with the District Governor and District Membership Chair for the Dallas/Fort Worth region and discovered that Rotary clubs in Texas are not that much different from the clubs in northeast California/northern Nevada. We face similar challenges in membership recruitment and the adaptation to using Social Media tools is on a similar pace; however most of their clubs have an existing website. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with them and learn about Rotary Texas style.

I was in Chicago last week and I have trips to Minnesota and Richmond, VA coming up. Might as well make this a travel blog…or not.

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Rogue Flight Attendant shows his arrogance, Airlines dislike for customers

16 Monday Aug 2010

Posted by in Business, Communication, Crisis Management, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Ethics, Government Regulation, Lessons of Life, Management Practices, Passionate People, Public Relations, Rotary, Travel, Violence in the Workplace

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

Last week Steven Slater was anointed as the working person’s hero by CNN and based on Internet response it would seem that most admire this jetBlue flight attendant and his dramatic act of quitting his job over the intercom, grabbing two beers, opening the plane door, inflating the emergency escape slide, and leaping into history. His behavior was allegedly in response to a passenger that refused to listen to his order to sit down as the plane taxied to the gate, and it has somehow elevated Slater to fame and offers of mega-financial deals.

Yet, the facts indicate that he is anything but heroic, and more accurately described as an arrogant, customer-loathing, self-obsessed man who betrayed the passengers on his plane and showed how control-obsessed some flight attendants have become in putting their petty desires over customer service.

Steven Slater - It's all about him

First, the facts of the alleged incident that supposedly drove him to his tantrum are in dispute. He claims that while the plane was taxiing to the gate a passenger stood up to get his bag and that while confronting the passenger the bag came down and hit him in the head. Yet, passengers claim the injury to his head was there earlier in the flight and no one can validate his fight with a passenger. By his own admission, Slater said he has thought about doing this act for 20 years.

Also, when Slater opened the starboard door and blew the slide, the plane was at the gate with the jetway in place. If the port side external door was not open, it could have been easily opened and he could have exited without the big show that took a plane out of service….but it wouldn’t have been as dramatic.

I do not doubt that there was some incident, but it seems that the facts according to Steven Slater don’t quite match the story. If a passenger stood up and began getting his bags before the plane had made a complete stop then that passenger was certainly in the wrong, but here is the catch, flight attendants have almost unlimited authority and if there was a major issue Slater only had to report the incident and the passenger would be spending some quality time with the New York Police. The passenger has no such power over the flight attendants, so why would Steven Slater portray himself as some beaten down victim at the mercy of a passenger?

Note that Steven Slater’s drama not only disrupted and punished the passengers on his flight, but his act also affected the passengers waiting to board that plane when it left New York. The plane had to be taken out of service leaving hundreds of people stranded. Slater’s co-workers were left to clean up his mess and he is a hero? To whom? What possible positive example does this petty, childish, little boy set for anyone? That bad behavior is rewarded?

Of course there are problem passengers. I have witnessed people who are rude, offensive, and ignorant of everyone around them. I will not defend these people, but I will say that most passengers are well-behaved even when they are dealing with a ground staff or flight crew that has belittled and/or humiliated them.

What I see more often on planes is not rude passengers, but rude flight crews that revel in power over their customers. No where in the business world do employees hold more power than flight attendants have over their passengers. Bizarre rules that have no meaning are enforced beyond common sense.

My favorite rule is turning off all electronic devices. Most Southwest flight attendants use the phrase, “..anything with an on/off switch must be completely turned off.” The rationale is that electronic devices will interfere with the plane’s ‘sensitive’ avionics, which is not true. Every urban area is blanketed with cell phone towers, microwave towers, and millions of electronic devices that transmit electromagnetic signals. Below 10,000 feet are electromagnetic waves that are far more powerful than anything a passenger can carry on a plane. If there were a danger of electronic interference it is more likely to come from external signals, rather than internal signals. In addition, the FAA and the airlines have yet to re-create an avionics problem that they could trace back to a mobile phone or an passenger’s electronic device. However, every airline enforces these rules even though they are only FAA advisories, NOT requirements.

The mix of petty rules and petty flight attendants, along with airlines that see passengers as the evil that they must deal with in order to gain a better dividend for their investor has created an abusive situation in the skies and on the ground. It’s not an excuse but passengers are reacting to the way they are being treated. I don’t condone bad behavior by passengers, but I’ll be damned if some drama queen* should be glorified for being the worst customer representative in an industry that hates their customer but still wants their money.

(*I know Steven Slater is openly gay and I am not slamming gays with the ‘drama queen’ remark. In theatre, and in life, there are drama queens, both male and female, and if the shoe fits…)

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Nevada I-580: An Interstate by any other name

13 Friday Aug 2010

Posted by in About Reno, Branding, Communication, History, Lessons of Life, Passionate People, Public Relations, Random, Travel

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

I’ve lived in Reno, Nevada, USA for 15 years and one thing that has confused me is the identity of main north-south freeway through northern Nevada. To most it is known simply as ‘395’ and it is the only north-south freeway between I-5 in California and I-15 in Utah. When I first moved here I sometimes mistakenly called it I-395 because it is a freeway (access only by on or off ramps); however, the ‘395’ is officially ‘US 395’. Recently I learned that the road does have a federal designation, which is Interstate 580 or I-580; however, no where on the freeway can you find signage for I-580. Why?

For decades Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has been working to upgrade US 395 into a north-south freeway from Hallelujah Junction north of Reno (in California) through the communities of Reno and Carson City with the ultimate plan to continue it south of Carson City. The Federal designation for this upgrade has been Interstate 580 or I-580. According to one source, at one point in the 1980’s signage was put on the section of I-580 in Reno; however, for unknown reasons it was removed. Thus, Reno has an Interstate that is not identified as such, and is still known by an identifier associated with highways.

Signage for I-580 doesn't exist

One thing I have learned in living in Reno is that there is a strong sentiment among ‘natives’ to hang on to the past, and an even stronger dislike for the Federal government. My best guess is that there is reluctance of renaming the freeway by its correct designation for fear of upsetting the natives. I know at least a dozen people who would say something to the effect of, “I don’t care what they say, 395 is 395, and you can’t make me call it anything different!”

I actually don’t care what designation it is given, but it is an Interstate and I’m interested in how long it will take before it is referred to by its correct identifier. Rumor has it that once the link between south Reno and Washoe Valley is complete the I-580 designation will be finally given to the Interstate, but I’m not holding my breath. Nevada schools are consistently the worst in the nation, so learning new things is not a popular sport in this State.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by confusion over I-580. Nevada has a long history of avoiding reality. Just try using the correct pronunciation of Nevada (Ne-va-da) and you will have every native acting like they invented the Spanish language and tell you it is pronounced Ne-vad-duh.

That pretty much says it all.

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WiFi on Southwest Airlines: Is it ‘Shovel Ready’?

09 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by in Branding, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Ethics, Government Regulation, Information Technology, Internet, Management Practices, Public Relations, Re-Imagine!, Relationships, Rotary, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Social Media Relations, Travel, Website

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

In the July edition of Southwest Airlines ‘Spirit’ in-flight magazine SWA takes a swipe at “President Obama’s” Recovery Act (I’m pretty sure that more than one person put together the program that pulled us out of economic disaster) and informs the passengers that the definition of ‘Shovel Ready’ is also associated with a project that has failed. Obviously, there is no LUV coming out of Texas for our 18-month old administration, but I was surprised that they would put a political biased slam in their customer publication.

Regardless, I will take their lead and use their definition to ask if the Southwest Air WiFi program is ‘shovel ready’?

Southwest was testing WiFi on four planes (I’ve also heard that only one plane had/has the service) as early as March 2009. I flew a WiFi-enabled plane from Denver to Reno a several months ago when they had to replace the plane we were supposed to fly. After boarding the plane several hours late the flight attendant announce that to make up for our delay we at least would have WiFi because we were on the ‘special’ plane. She then immediately said that we would not be able to use the service, but didn’t say why. That seems to typify Southwest’s efforts to get WiFi off the ground.

Southwest has a page on their website that announces the new WiFi service to begin in early 2010. Is July early? Note that you can only find this page by a Google search or by going directly to the page at:

Southwest Air WiFi Page

If the link is dead that will mean that Southwest read this post and someone in IT probably got chewed on for not killing the page. In case they update the page, here is what it said as of today (July 9, 2010):

“Southwest Airlines is excited to offer satellite-enabled Wi-Fi internet access onboard. The service is currently on four aircraft, but we hope to begin equipping more of the fleet with this cutting-edge technology in early 2010.”

In Gary’s Greeting on the SWA website titled “Technology is Our Friend,”  CEO Gary Kelly spends two sentences on the WiFi service:

“Many Customers want to stay connected while aloft, and your chances of flying on a Southwest Wi-Fi-equipped jet improves as the year progresses. In April, we began a two-year process of installing this state-of-the-art connectivity on our entire fleet.”

Other than that Southwest is making no effort to publicize the new WiFi service, which begs the question “Is there a problem?” Early 2010 has come and gone, April 2010 was three months ago, where’s the WiFi? I understand that it will take some time to install it on all the planes but this is a marketing opportunity and a major addition to in-flight service. Is SWA just unenthusiastic, uncaring, or embarrassed about offering WiFi, or is there a problem? If it was meant to be a secret it was not the smartest move to build a webpage to announce the service. My guess is that there have been major problems and the corporate PR people are hoping no one will notice. If that’s the case then they would be wrong.

LUV is the SWA Way, but you pay for WiFi

They have said that the service will not be free. That’s disappointing from a business standpoint. For an airline that is full of LUV’ it would seem that one inexpensive way to build customer love would be to offer free WiFi like Starbucks. I published an article today praising the wisdom of free WiFi and rather than repeating here I’ll offer the link to the article.

(The business benefits of free WiFi)

I admit I am biting the hand that feeds me. I will only fly SWA unless I can’t get to a city with their routes. But between the political jab in Spirit magazine and the noticeably absent WiFi service I am not feeling the LUV right now. I’m sure I’ll get over it and in a few weeks I’ll be flying to Dallas on SWA and I’ll be happy to do it … but just in case Gary Kelly reads this please note that ‘thump’ you hear outside of Las Vegas or Austin might be me landing a few minutes before the plane does. You never know, some people have no sense of humor.

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Two Barbecues and a Wedding

08 Thursday Jul 2010

Posted by in Branding, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Lessons of Life, Management Practices, Public Relations, Re-Imagine!, Recreation, Relationships, Travel

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by Paul Kiser
USA PDT  [Twitter: ] [Facebook] [LinkedIn] [Skype:kiserrotary or 775.624.5679]

Paul Kiser

I’m not a ‘big family celebration’ type of guy. I have about a two-hour threshold of family socializing and then I’m good for a year or two. It’s a family cultural thing. As my three older brothers and I moved out of our childhood home we didn’t make it a priority to keep close contact we each other, and in my case my parents moved out of my hometown when I went to college …., maybe that was meant to be a message.

Alexander was not impressed with the pomp.

So when it was announced that one of my spouse’s second cousins was getting married the day after the 4th of July and that all the family would be going to Colorado for a major weekend of celebrating, I was not the first one to pack my bags. It’s not that I don’t like the my spouse’s family because they are a very caring and intelligent group of souls, but I like control in my life and traveling and living in mass is about as out of control as it gets for me.

My spouse and her mother understands this character flaw of mine, but ‘no’ was not an option in this case. Initially I resisted the idea of being part of the Reno delegation but the final incentive was to add a couple of days to the trip to spend time with my daughters in Colorado. That got me to join the party … that and the potential ramifications of being a lone holdout for the event. The plan was finalized and tickets were purchased.

I was going to a family wedding in Boulder, Colorado … did I mention I don’t like family get-togethers?

A Perfect Backyard Wedding

So last week we flew to Colorado for some quality time in my home state. I prepared myself for what was to come … but I had no idea what to expect.

We spent a busy, but fun day-and-a-half with my daughters south of Denver and then drove up to Boulder for a gauntlet of family oriented parties. We were staying with one of my spouse’s first cousins, who live outside of Boulder on a ranch.

House in the Grove - Near Boulder

Sweet Home Colorado
My apprehensions about staying in someone else’s house were blown away when we got to their ranch. It was like page out of Better Homes and Gardens. We shared a ‘cottage’ with my brother/sister-in-law and their daughter. The cottage consisted of two bedrooms and a bath over a kitchen/living room. Her cousins have only lived there a little over a year, but they have done a tremendous amount of work to the main house and the cottage to make them comfortable and beautiful living spaces.

The property was among a grove of multiple types of trees with a stream running through it. In addition to the trees the landscaping showed the care and attention of thousands of hours of planning, planting, and maintenance. Across the creek and beyond the trees were horses and chickens to complete the experience for any child under 10. Did I mention the two zip lines? Well, suffice to say it was a joy to spend several days there.

(Zip Line – Wikipedia definition)

Our hosts held an excellent catered barbecue (Flatirons Catering) on the 4th of July with about 80 people attending and except for the late afternoon thunderstorm it was a one of the many highlights of the trip. Later that night some of us even rode the zip line across the stream in the dark…not advised when inebriated, but fun regardless of the state of sobriety.

(Flatirons Catering website)

View of the Flatirons over Boulder, CO

American-Values Oriented
I also spent a few free hours in Boulder and I came to appreciate the beauty of the city and the warmth of the people. People in Boulder care. They care about the environment. They care about quality of life for all. They care about politics. All of that care is translated into positive, happy people who love life.

Much of our country is infested with a group of disgruntled, bitter, sarcastic people who blame everyone else for all the country’s ills. Some people have gone as far as making up problems so they can be unhappy about them.  That’s not Boulder. Boulder is a no-excuses, we’re-in-this-together, make-lemonade type community. Boulder is an American-values place that kept true to our founders ‘United We Stand’ attitude. Don’t get me wrong, the city has had its share of problems and is not immune to failure, but a simple drive around the streets show that they have dealt with adversity and triumphed where other cities have failed and given up. I didn’t realize what a breath of fresh air a community of positive, happy people could be until I spent some time in the city at the foot of the Flatirons.

The Buff Restaurant in Boulder, CO

In The Buff
Boulder is a creative place with high standards in business. In America the definition of bad food is any restaurant on the property of a motel. However, in Boulder The Buff Restaurant has leased its space from a Best Western motel since 1995, and it was one of the most pleasant eating experiences I’ve had in a long time. I had the Baja Benney which was a version of Eggs Benedict with avocado, artichoke hearts, and tomatoes. They also had Bhakti Chai tea which is made by a Boulder-based company, which was the best chai tea I’ve ever had..and I’ve had a lot of chai tea. In Boulder, customer expectations are high and the business owner who is looking to sacrifice value-added service and quality for profits is not going to be around long.

Father of the Bride greets the guests

(The Buff Restaurant website) and (Bhakti Chai Tea website)

Weather to Enhance Any Occasion
During my fifteen-year absence from my home state I forgot about Colorado weather. A typical summer afternoon includes a thunderstorm to cool things down in the afternoon followed by clearing sky and a pleasant evening. It’s perfect weather to spend time outdoors … a lot.

The Main Event

The weather was a factor for the main event of the week, which was of course, the wedding. It was an intimate, but beautiful event held in the backyard of the parent’s of the bride. The vows were sincere and funny and the entire ceremony was under crystal blue afternoon skies. There was a slight breeze that made the leaves sound like gentle applause to the event being held in their midst. For a July outdoor wedding it was a perfect combination of people, weather, organization, and ambiance.

In all, the trip was a great success. I could go on about the place we stayed, the preparation and work that the Colorado families made for all of us, Boulder, the wedding, my daughters, or how exhausted we all were by the time we got home, but suffice to say it was a fun experience.

I’m still not a fan of big family get-togethers, but I’m glad I went on this one.

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