Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Customer Service, Power and United Airlines

Most of us have heard the story of an Asian man being violently dragged off of a plane so that crew members could take a seat. The story is horrifying and has caused an international outcry that is punishing the company through lost stock and investment capital ranging in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The CEO is adamant that nothing wrong happened. It opens the question of airline power and its effect on customer service.

I travel United Airlines all the time. I like the service they provide but this action makes me question my values and how we may have given airlines too much authority to make arbitrary decisions. No doubt we need to be protected from terrorists and other illegal activities but the actions in this circumstance seem to go beyond reason and into a darker place.

According to the Department of Commerce, 46,000 passengers are booted from flights every year. These are tickets they paid for and which airlines decide they want to overbook in order to maintain full flights and profits. The problem is that we should all be concerned when the seat we paid for is not guaranteed but up to a rolling dice game where airlines make a gamble with our plans. You can say its very poor customer service and consideration for passengers.

If the customer doesn't show up simply keep their money. They paid for the service and if they choose to not use it, then keep their money if they didn't follow the proper cancellation policy. Don't force people off the plan because you decided to overbook the flight. The airlines should own their mistakes by offering better compensation until someone voluntarily agrees. The customer should own the seat and can sell it back to the airline at their own free will.

The second major issue is the culture where airlines have rights to abuse a passenger even though there is no link to terrorism. We simply take something that was designed to protect us and then apply it to our citizens because we have become accustomed to having this type of power at our disposal. The culture of airlines should consider the violation of such power and why it is important to change their culture and reign in some of these airline "rights".

It is possible for the airline to continue to raise the opt out value until someone voluntarily accepts it. Their scheduling mistakes are their mistakes alone and shouldn't be forced on customers. If it costs them $1,000 or $2,000 until someone voluntarily agrees to take it then that it is the cost of their mistake. Taking a doctor, who might have lives to save, and forcing him off the plan and roughing him up in the process is definitely not an appropriate customer service strategy or within the reasonable application of laws that are designed to protect people.

In a reversal of previous statements after the time the post was written the chief executive officer Oscar Munoz reversed his position and with wisdom and took responsibility, a thorough review of crew movement, our policies for incentivizing volunteers in these situations, how we handle oversold situations and an examination of how we partner with airport authorities and local law enforcement.

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Management Research

ISSN 2456-3676

Call for Papers (Mar-Apr -2017)
International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Management Research (IJAEMR) is double blind peer reviewed open access multidisciplinary journal encompassing all the fields of Engineering and Management. Authors across the globe are welcome to submit their research papers in the prestigious journal fulfilling the requisite criterion.
We are happy to invite you to submit your next article of your research/review/study in any engineering and management research area for publication current issue of IJAEMR
International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Management Research (IJAEMR) is inviting papers for current Issue (Mar Apr-2017).
Current issue:  http://ijaemr.com/currentissue.php

MANUSCRIPT SUBMITTED SYSTEM:
All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the e-mail to the editor at:
: submit@ijaemr.com  or info@ijaemr.com  
Paper Submission deadline: Apr, 28, 2017

Article Processing Charges:
Middle Income Countries: $ 55 USD
High Income Countries: $ 75 USD

Topics are included but not limited:
Engineering: Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Engineering Management, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Industrial Production Engineering, Civil Engineering, Applied Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Bio mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Structural Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Chemical Engineering, , Materials Science Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Environmental Engineering, etc.
Management: Accounting and Finance, Business Ethics and laws, Economics, Enterprise and Innovation, Health Care Management and Healthcare, Human Resource Management, Industry and Public Sector Management, Information and Knowledge Management, International Business, Managing Quality, Marketing, Operations and Logistics Management, Organization Studies, Performance Management and Measurement, Education Economics, Finance and Accountability, Management in Higher Education, Management of E-Education, and other relevant areas...
Kindly forward this e-mail to your group of Friends / Students/ Colleagues / Associates / Fellow Researchers ,who may be benefited out of this.
With Regards,
Editor-IJAEMR
(International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Management Research)

Website http://www.ijaemr.com/

Understanding Employee Behavior Patterns and Motivations

The best managers understand their employees, what makes them tick, how they are likely to act in any given situation, and in what situations they excel. This awareness can often lead to putting together strong teams with the right mix of personalities and abilities. Understanding and discovering employee behavior patterns and motivations can help pull your human capital together into a productive unit.

There is a psychological saying, "The way that people do one this is the way they do everything." It means that we are creatures of consistent habit in that our behaviors in one situation often are repeated in similar circumstances. Employees who act one way in one situation are likely to repeat that behavior in another.

Our behaviors are based on deeper patterns and motivations that when uncovered can lead to a story about our strengths and weaknesses. As we begin to look at patterns of behavior in different situations we begin to get a bigger story of who are employees are and why they do the things they do. Knowing this can lead to greater group creation.

Let us say an employee that is placed in a challenging situations increases his/her effort to meet those challenges. They do this by improving coordination with other employees, breaking down activities into steps and then focus on an objective. Adding that person to the team would be beneficial as they can improve group consensus and goal directed behavior.

We may also use the example of an employee who is seeking to support an image of themselves. This image is based on some false perceptions and is dysfunctional by nature. When placed in a difficult situation they focus on making themselves look better, undercutting their team mates and demanding their way without considering the needs of the team. Definitely not someone you want on a high performance team.

How we learn about our employees is to pay attention to what they talk about, how they act in certain situations, and the way in which they interact with others. Find their work strengths and weaknesses. Create an understanding of what stimulus create what type of responses. When forming your team include those with complementary skills that create a team energy that leads to stronger group performance.



Monday, April 10, 2017

Wine Tasting Experiences in Baja Mexico

A mere 90 minutes into Mexico from the San Diego border is a budding burgeoning wine region that hosts a cornucopia of boutique wine tastings and lush green vineyards. During the weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing a delightful taste-bud teasing wining an dining experience. A place to enjoy life in style. 

Napa Valley is great but Baja Mexico offers a whole different kind of experience. Each winery is unique and seeks to stand out. In the middle of the fields are popular and trendy restaurants that you won't find anywhere else. From monasteries to straw built structures your trip won't be redundant. 

Nothing will be the same from one to the next with the richness of experience different each time you stop.

Its a region where wealthy Americans and Mexicans engage in one of a kind experiences with every winery offering a variety of blends and tastes. Wine bottles typically range from $10 to $30 and dinner can cost you $30 to $60 USD. Unique hotel accommodations have sprouted up throughout the valley.  

Worth the trip? Yes its worth another visit.



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Is Free College in New York Worth It?

Free college is a dream for many people. The cost of higher education has risen to a massive Mount Everest peak and only those who can afford it will have opportunities to reach a new level in their lives. New York had decided their own version of free education with the belief that higher education is now a lot like high school and should be a right. Does it make sense?

The name of the program The Excelsior Scholarship and it is believe that 80% of New York State families with college-age kids will be eligible. It is a massive undertaking that includes a record $7.5 billion budget for higher education. As long as a person comes from a family with college-age kids with incomes under $125,000 they should be eligible.

So is this a good idea? That depends on....

1.) We can afford it. The money is available and the state can continue this into the future.

2.) The quality of curriculum is high. There is a difference between elite and other types of colleges. If the colleges provide a quality education it is worth it.

3.)  There is a net plus for the state. If the education leads to meaningful job growth and greater economic competitiveness beyond the costs it is a huge benefit.

4.) The education leads to greater health, wealth and opportunity. If the education leads to greater health of the individual and lowers health costs, improves income that allows for greater tax benefits, and people feel more fulfilled in their lives then it is a "go".

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2017 International Conference on Hospitality, Leisure, Sports, and Tourism-Summer Session

Join us in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan this summer for 2017 International Conference on Hospitality, Leisure, Sports, and Tourism-Summer Session (HLST-Summer 2017), August 23-25, 2017.

*Venue: Sapporo Convention Center, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
*Dates: August 23-25, 2017
*Submission Deadline: April 15, 2017
*Early Bird Registration Deadline: May 25, 2017

To find out more about registration packages, presentation options, conference events and more, please visit the conference website: http://science-techs.org/hlst-summer/. Submit your full paper/abstract now to participate in this international event!! 

Register now if your submission was accepted: 
http://science-techs.org/hlst-summer/registration/

Best Regards,
HLST-Summer Committee
Enquiries: ichlst.summer@gmail.com

9 Trends Millennials Want In Their "Walkable" Cities


Millennials want "walkable" cities and the amenities that go with a new type of metro lifestyle. This is not the big industrial and dirty cities of the past, but the trendy easy commute cities of the future. There are trends that are growing which help us determine how to plan these cities and make them attractive for top talent. The world is changing and it is important for leadership to take notice.

Creating the right kind of "walkable" city is difficult as it can take years to create the right infrastructure and amenities. Following trends helps us create an idea of what these cities are likely to look like in the future and meet the needs of up-coming generations in a way that provides them a quality lifestyle.

Trend 1: Close Proximity to Parks: People want to walk to the park, hang out, play soccer, have picnics, and socialize in a green space.

Trend 2: Smaller Affordable Housing:  Millennials don't feel the need to buy big houses or live in the burbs. They want smaller affordable houses, condos and apartments within their price range.

Trend 3: Excellent Public Transportation: Clean, efficient, sleek, and on time public transportation that makes it worth it to use public transportation without all the homeless, problems and dirt that plagued the system in the past.

Trend 4: Close Proximity to Nightlife: They want places to hang out that are trendy but within a few miles. These are places they can walk, bike, and Uber/Lift.

Trend 5: Bike Paths: Safe and accessible bike paths that allow them to get where they want without having to risk death by poor drivers.

Trend 6: Close Proximity to Shopping: If you are are going to be biking, walking, and taking alternative forms of transportation you don't have the need for large malls that are 20 miles away. Local places to get your basic grocers, clothing, and shopping needs met are important.

Trend 7: High Speed Data: Millennials are always connected and they need high speed data in place to keep their multiple gadgets running.

Trend 8: Jobs with Advancement: Millennials are smart and educated. They want professional jobs they can advance in. They don't want to be stuck doing the same job forever and need opportunities.

Trend 9: Boutique and Trendy: They want small boutique and trendy places that fit within their lifestyle and the way in which they live.