February 2012
2 posts
The Art of Customer Recognition
Whatever hospitality business you take, customer recognition is what it is all about. You might create a restaurant with the best cuisine in the world but if you customer service sucks, you are done, even with your most fancy food. If you don’t recognize the value of your customers in terms of recognition – you actually know who your customers are and why they keep coming back – you don’t have a...
Alliance Stupidity
Over my 16 yrs as Gold Member of SAS Scandinavian Airlines Eurobonus, I have been Gold Member of Star Alliance for years, too. Eurobonus just celebrates it’s 20th Anniversary, Star Alliance has been voted to be the Airline Alliance in the World. So we’d have a good basis for some chat.
The idea of Airline Alliance, at least from the passenger’s point of view, is mostly based on smooth...
January 2012
1 post
Word of Response for Austrian Airlines.
As I have been giving my strong personal recommendation on Austrian Airlines food and service for so many people recently, I need to write few words of response too. When you get your service product up to certain level you should also keep it there and most of all, try to keep the quality standards as balanced as possible. That’s the secret of a successful service product! That’s my...
November 2011
2 posts
Waltz, Silk and Anticipation – Three Airlines,...
I have been flying in business around the year, around the world and with many airlines for almost 20 yrs. As I create strategies and new businesses for living, I also keep my eyes and ears open while flying and do My One Man Research how the customer expectation – really my own one – matches with the reality. Marketing communication and talks are not the same than actions and in-flight reality....
Someone at the Austrian Airlines made the right...
I am writing this from my corner seat on Austrian flight from Vienna towards Dubai. As the whole flight is kind of second round of the same route I did last year, it’s wonderful chance to make one 1-year Comparison, and of course, over one of my favorite subjects Food and Service.
On Feb 2010 I wrote a story from my airborne corner seat titled as “Expectations, Stereotypes and Experiences;...
October 2011
3 posts
My Life with The Left Foot Shoes - Episode One;...
Time will show whether this is my first and last blog story about fashion but let’s give a try. This story is about shoes. Yes, I know. Never thought I am finding myself writing such a story but as there are some new business models involved I can feel this acceptable, sort of at least.
Quick background overview for everyone not familiar with the Finnish market; yes Finland - that strange/trendy...
Please Let Me Pay with My Amex!
This is actually something I have been facing and wondering for some time already – and even around the world. It all started during that another once past and now back recession time when shop keepers and business owners are counting their cents and pennies more carefully. Or maybe they are just getting cheap? Or maybe it is all about keeping control? Whatever the reason is, I have faced more...
September 2011
2 posts
“Listening, thinking, meeting, wondering. People, events, communication, media,...”
The next generation
It was over 2 yrs ago when I started to write from my corner seat. To celebrate the changing moods and time slots between beeing active and not so active I just decided to jump into this slightly more modern world called tumblr. So strange name, actually. But maybe my view just tells more about me getting old than universally understandable brand names.
Anyway, I am back. I’ll just take a...
March 2011
1 post
Premium Economy – Recession came and went, this...
am sure it was a great idea. Telling business people that they can travel more comfortable than just a regular economy class but still getting some better service. Without average Joes wondering how corporations can spend so much on flights when they fire people at the same time. Premium economy, economy extra whatever they call it – that’s what it is all about. Or was. Premium seat, economy...
January 2011
1 post
Happy New Year 2011 - let this will be a good one!
02 January 2011
Happy New Year 2011 - let this will be a good one!
Categories: Blogs
It’s a New Year. I was thinking to act as most of the media channels in the world and review the year 2010 but by end of the day who cares anymore? It’s all gone anyway so why to bother and take a look backwards?
But certainly there would so much to say about the year ended, even afterwards. I could wonder...
October 2010
3 posts
Shanghai – City of Lost Umbrellas
I arrived to Shanghai last weekend, the first rainy days in Shanghai this fall they told me. First night I joined my friend Chef Petteri Luoto, one of the top ones in Scandinavia actually, for dinner at pretty high-end blocks of Shanghai and yes, I took my St. Regis umbrella with me. The one I borrowed from the lobby.
Enjoyed beautiful dinner with my friend, watched the city with lights ...
Heading east. But thinking west. Thinking...
I am feeling strange. Very strange, actually. I am writing this while sitting in a plane towards east. Wrong direction, frankly. At least I just found myself thinking very much about west.
”Winds from the west, coming on strong” sings Donavan Frankenreiter in my headphones, superb cool great singer from Southern California. Yes, our second home, very often thinking it should be the primary...
Yes, it is all about a smile. Rest of the story is...
Two weeks ago we stayed over the weekend at the Sheraton, Stockholm, Sweden. Pretty pleasant stay linked to rough moving task taking two of our oldest sons to Stockholm to start their university studies. And as always, I was browsing and researching around me at the hotel. No corner seat lounging this time, just a breakfast to enjoy.
Saturday morning at the breakfast room. Surprisingly busy,...
August 2010
2 posts
Disaster of Outsourcing – SAS/BLUE1 Executives,...
While waiting for some official response, and apologize frankly, just need to write few words. So stupid, really unbelievable stupid experience last week in Finland, that makes me to think whether problems in the airline business are all based just on huge level of stupidity?
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has outsourced their airport operations in Finland to company called ISS, major...
Holiday season is over; I am back.
Warmest and sunniest summer in Finland for 150 years is over; it was nice to spend it here this year. Good choice
So, I am back and busy. So much funny and strange things happened in the last two weeks already that I do have plenty of stuff to write from my corner seat.
I’ll be back soon.
July 2010
1 post
It's summer time and I am off.
Friends, after a very busy spring and summer time I did something I have not done for years and shall be more or less offline for July. It’s summer time. Enjoy!
And once again thanks for US Embassy in Helsinki and Chef John Folse, it was a good pre-midsummer week!
May 2010
1 post
Why should I if you don't pay for it?
During the last month I have received five requests to participate surveys from companies that I use regularly; two airlines, two hotels and newspaper publisher. Actually, this is pretty typical situation, something that happens maybe 15-20 times every year. And most of the time I do answer those surveys too. Why? Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe I just expect my response is having some role in...
April 2010
5 posts
Few words more about Marriott
As I wrote yesterday, while suffering the get-home-after-vulcano-issues in Islamabad, it has been great to enjoy the great and recognized service at Marriott in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Today I had a chance to speak for some time with the general manager, who has been in his position only for 3 weeks. German, true professional with wide global experience and so full of energy! And visions. H.N;...
Time for positive words - Marriott Islamabad is...
I guess the current volcano-ash-flying hassle around Europe has made us to think pretty negatively during the last days. Waiting is not nice, especially without any details what might happen next. Airlines are not handling their work as we expect, many are stuck here and there, cancelling meetings, wondering how in the heck we can get back home and work. That’s why it is also so nice to feel...
Expedia, Lufthansa, SAS, Expedia, Lufthansa,...
Yes, I guess this is slightly unfair to mention right now as the flying is still a chaos in Europe. But maybe this is exactly the right time to judge the customer service of airlines. One example to go with;
Due to the volcano ash I changed my flight from Dubai on Lufthansa. As the airports in Finland keep closing and opening, I thought there is no idea to travel to Germany or Denmark to...
Dear Emirates, why don’t you call?
Arrived from Vienna, Austria to Dubai last Wednesday evening. Touch down at 9:20pm, shuttling on buss around the airport, arrived into the transit hall and started to run (actually I never run at the airport, mostly civilized quick walking) heading the gate where my Emirates flight was leaving towards Islamabad, Pakistan at 10:15 pm. I knew it was a tight one, that’s why I asked two...
Oh'dear. Emirates - I need to teach you!
There are more to come in the coming days but I just missed my flight at the Dubai airport, mostly because Emirates didn’t contact me; even they do have my mobile phone number; and even they (usually) take good care of their business class passangers.
I know what you are missing in your service product. That’s what I shall write about tomorrow. If I can get myself to my final destination ...
March 2010
3 posts
When instability turns into frustration, shall...
I have been going to Pakistan regularly during the last five years, also seeing that people don’t join me very much from other countries. It has been only me, although on Sunday two weeks ago the Emirates flight from Dubai to Islamabad was full of foreigners, which is a good sign. Whatever they were going to do in Islamabad, as my local friend so well put it
Anyway, this story is mostly...
O'Thai, O'Thai - what happened with the quality?
This is a quick and fresh one. Best response there is.
I just landed to LAX from Bangkok, flying that route on Thai Airways. Business class and expectations high, based on both experience and brand image. Everything was fairly okay but something has happened in the way that service works. Synchronization of Drinks vs. Food servings were nothing you could expect on an Asian airline and their...
With a simple checklist you can do it all, also at...
Writing this as doing observations on the work and actions of the staff at the Thai lounge in Bangkok airport. As I did on the Cathay Pacific flight from Karachi here. And as I always do. And always wondering why simple things can be so complicated in a service product like flying or hotel.
As I wrote earlier, it’s management failure if the staff cannot deliver the product that customers...
February 2010
3 posts
Expectations, Stereotypes and Experiences; just...
Funny enough, but I am writing this on my really first trip ever on the Austrian Airlines. Being Star Alliance gold member for 15 years that’s pretty interesting. But life is meant to face experiences; what else we are living for? So this one from my corner seat 1A.
Day before my flight I found myself thinking about the brand expectations I might have for Austrian Airlines and what I got?...
Pay premium and pay more, pay less and get it...
I might start this by saying; Dear General Managers of hotels worldwide,
Staying in a hotel on a business trip and need to get online? Yes, I am sure we are all doing that. But for what price and how fast you are online; that’s another question. And issue running me crazy sometimes. For few more and less fundamental reasons, you might say.
First of all, who has made the decisions inside 5...
Sorry, it's been a while.
Friends, time flies. And I have been busy with some other stuff as well. You know, we have to work sometimes as well. Anyway, I do promise to write few things from my corner seat in couple of days and I already know my topic; pricing of internet access in hotels. It seems to be so stupid and for years I have been wondering one thing; how it is possible that you have to pay for slow internet...
January 2010
4 posts
Online leaving us with showroom windows?
Actually, this is an old story already, something I have wondering for few years already. But just came to my mind again yesterday when changing some quick thoughts over e-commerce and logistics. Latter is so easy in the US, but still so tricky in Scandinavian countries for example. Anyway, logistics was not the point but windows are.
Even that I buy a lot of stuff online, I need to admit...
Gadget fever is dying. Or am I old?
Okay, I have been there since mid 1990’s. I was one of the guys who always had the latest mobile phone with him, usually several ones at the same time. Very often something you couldn’t buy from the shops yet. I am still known as “phone-guy” among many people. I have been co-founding dot.coms, mobile services, content companies and so on. I still follow the business - and yes, I have one of...
Standards, Assumptions and Expectations – The Art...
This blog was started originally in a hotel, on that corner seat; speaking there with the bartender about hotels, restaurant and people. And hotels are something I know. Some of the hotels are places I keep coming back; some of those are places I will avoid after one visit. Like/dislike button is very sensitive when it comes to hotels; it happens in minutes, or even in seconds. Sometimes it’s...
Happy New Year 2010!
Just want to wish you all a Very Happy New Year 2010! Last decade was awful, interesting, funny and surprising but I guess that’s what life is all about, right?
December 2009
1 post
State of Mind it is.
I recently read a blog post written by a young entrepreneur who runs her own marketing agency. She wrote about those obvious elements we entrepreneurs or entrepreneur-minded people recognize so well; how we care about of own company and people, like it is our own child, 24/7 you might say and sometimes even too much. But she also mentioned that you might find yourself thinking why are you...
November 2009
4 posts
What happened with the peace medium?
I guess we all recognize the story about football – the European version i.e. soccer - as a global medium of peace and development. From Europe to Africa, from Asia to Far-East football has been the bridge of peace and possibilities. You remember the stories of boys-of-the-slums whom just kept playing football and become billionaires and global sport stars, don’t you? We have seen so many...
What – it was not Barack who tweeted me?
There was a little-big news today. President Obama made a big confession; he has never used Twitter. Even that he has around 2,7 million followers and he is tweeting regularly. That absolutely awful, isn’t it?
After that there has been so much talk in the cyberspace about the whole Twitter as media. How can we trust President Obama’s Twitter tweeds if he is not writing those? And when President...
Are you stupid or what?
I was having some other thoughts from this corner seat as well but since this subject is really irritating me so badly, let this be the Message today.
Type those two words in Google, or actually only two first letters of the first word are enough, and you will get like tens of millions of hits. Take a look on any media in any place of this planet, and you will face at least one news report...
Sorry, it's been hectic.
As I received few comments today being not-so-active I need to apologize. It has been hectic with new company, old companies, new plans, old plans, threat of H1N1, not threat, travelling to Far-East, staying in Scandinavia. And so on.
I do promise to sit next to my laptop tomorrow and really write something. Yes, I know, sounds funny not to have any thoughts from the corner seat but you know...
October 2009
3 posts
Are we there yet?
First of all, I need to admit I am not one of the most environmental or green persons. Said that, I do pay attention on environmental issues but I also feel that the whole subject has gone over the limits, leaving plenty of people just wondering what should we do. Yes, I am having a diesel car, I do recycle glass and paper and notice if products are having some valuable link to recycled...
One quick one.
“The reason media companies are having trouble making money now is because they’ve spent so long producing generic soda, instead of distinctive kinds of wine. But people won’t pay much (if anything) for soda.”
Go and read rest of the story here.
Gurus; it’s just about evolution.
Social media is a hot topic everywhere in the marketing world. And naturally for a good reason; millions of people use their day – working day in many cases – with Facebook, myspace, YouTube or any other social media networks. Or just keep updating their Twitter status. And again, Gurus are back - this time with the adventures of social media marketing. They are good. As good as they were...
September 2009
3 posts
WORKING WITH ENTHUASISM OR BEING JUST PRACTICAL?
Sponsorship deals are difficult. It can be culture, sport, event or anything between. People in sport business, especially in more local level are usually filled with enthusiasm but less practical approach of marketing communications; they do love their hobby so much that they also expect everyone with some marketing money to do the same. Same story with culture, opera, classical music or...
ONE OF THE BIGGEST BRANDS IN THE WORLD, AND NOT...
It’s that time of the year again. Time, when media and marketing business is closely searching the listing of the most valuable brands in the world, published by international consulting company Interbrand.
We are all reading that every year but it’s really not so surprising. More like well-planned act to keep the world of branding and marketing communication business in the publicity, I...
All sponsors together to put California back to...
It was late 1990’s when I fell in love with the California business life. During a time when the economy was booming, dot.com was just about to reach its top and California was one of the richest areas in the world. I remember someone told me that time California being the forth largest economy in the world. I don’t know whether that was a fact or good tourism marketing but at least the state...
August 2009
11 posts
Wasps, yuppies, and hipsters – should I get this?
“Hipster - One who possesses tastes, social attitudes, and opinions deemed cool by the cool. Note: it is no longer recommended that one use the term “cool”; a Hipster would instead say, “deck.” Did you get it? If not, take a look at the Hipster Handbook.
Honestly, first time I saw someone dressed like these Hipsters do, I didn’t have a clue what was it all about; or probably for the...
Hope vs. Fear. Hope wins!
I just read advertising agency JWT’s Anxiety Index Quarterly. Always interesting thoughts so browse and learn. Report includes few very good definitions that I shall definitely steal for further use. And as always, will expand that good framework slightly.
This report was about hope-fueled markets and fear-fueled markets and it really made me think some of my personal experience over the last...
Dear airlines, could I see the secret computer?
Not directly but maybe slightly continuing earlier post of loyalty. But this is a quick one as I am trying to get myself calm and peaceful again…
I would like to see the secret-hyper-bigger-than-universe-pricing-computer which is used to put the price tags on airline tickets! Yes, yes, I know the whole concept putting different prices on the booking classes, some tickets are more fixed or...
What happened with professionalism?
This could be so long story but let’s keep it short; what happened with professionalism? I mean that proud to be a professional in whatever you do for your living. To be the best bus driver, the best taxi driver, the best doctor, the best chef, the best engineer. With that “best” I mean professionals that are really what we think they are. Fulfilling our expectations.
I heard yesterday so...
I AM LOYAL, SHOULD THEY BE AS WELL?
The whole customer loyalty issue is sure one of my personal favorites. Being member of so many customer loyalty programs of hotel chains, airlines, credit cards, retailers, shops, brands and rental car companies around the world, I have experienced the ups and downs in terms of end-users experience. And I have been wondering one simple issue so many times; why it is so hard to make few simple...