It is usually said that the CEO of any service-based company should have experience working on the ground and directly interacting with the customers. That way, they are able to understand the customers’ needs, grievances and expectations better. It is then that they could make informed strategic decisions and improvements that would align with customers’ demands.
Hence, the CEO of Lufthansa Airlines, Jens Ritter, recently went undercover and worked as a flight attendant to understand the needs of passengers and gain insights on how to make their services better.
Taking to LinkedIn, Ritter (who earlier worked as a pilot) shared that working as a pilot is not the same as working as a member of the cabin crew. There is a different set of challenges that needs to be addressed.
“I was amazed by how much there is to organize, especially, if something doesn’t go as planned – for example the meals offered on the menu cards were not exactly the meals loaded on board,” he wrote.Â
“I used to fly as a pilot and so I thought I knew about the challenges a flight during the night entails. But to be present and attentive and charming – when the biological clock just tells you to sleep – was something entirely different.”Â
In the comments section, there were many questions that were directed at him regarding his experience and the changes that he would make in his work to rectify the problems his company might face.
When asked about the specific actions he would take immediately after his experience of working as a flight attendant, Ritter revealed, “Just a small example: I mentioned in my post that the food on the menu cards didn’t match the food that was delivered. We will have this fixed. However, I totally agree with you: the aviation industry suffers and as a whole system we will have to fix that in order to regain the full trust of guests (and crews alike). We are working hard on that!”
He was also asked about the things he would do to make sure the Lufthansa cabin crew continues to work diligently and he replied, “Two things, actually. On the one hand it is all about stability and reliability. Because I think our crews already do a great job. However, the aviation industry suffers from lack of staff, broken supply chains, lack of aircraft and many other problems. If we fix this – their job would be a lot easier. On the other hand I think that everyone likes working if they feel being seen and appreciated and psychologically safe. This is something else I am trying hard to improve!”
To read his full post, click here.
Sometimes, you end up learning a lot of things by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.