Recently I took yet another United flight from LAX to Denver. I was sitting in row 5, right side window, of a Boeing 757. A few minutes before we took off the Captain, Michael J.A. Guymon, walked back from the cockpit and introduced himself to every passenger (in first class). That was a nice change.
Just before the plane pushed back from the gate, Captain Guymon was explaining to the passengers over the P.A. that he had requested, and received permission, to make an "S" turn over the Grand Canyon--something for which he seemed quite excited. He went on to explain that since it was such a beautiful morning, the turn over the Grand Canyon would be a special treat for the passengers.
As were about to leave California air space, Captain Guymon started talking to the passengers about the Grand Canyon and urged everyone to get their cameras ready for the spectacle. Later when we were approaching the Canyon, he was back again chatting over the P.A. about the impending turn he would make.
As we made the right turn, my side of the plane got an amazing view of the Grand Canyon--one that I had never seen prior to this flight. The Captain continued to share interesting details and facts about the canyon. A few minutes later he made the left turn revealing an equally amazing view for the passengers on the left side.
What was the down side for him making this "S" turn? He used some extra fuel, for which United had to pay. But, what was the up side? For every passenger, especially the ones in the window seats, he turned a boring flight, a commodity, into an amazing and memorable experience for the passengers.
When one thinks about this situation, for just a little bit of extra effort, Captain Guymon's passengers received a "once in a lifetime experience" rather than just another flight. In your organization, do you encourage your Captain Guymons or do you beat them into submission to "follow policy" and thereby be mediocre and deliver marginal experiences for your customers?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Vacations; I Say Use Them or Lose Them
Here in California we have a nasty little secret, and perhaps you have it in your state too? We allow most municipal & state workers to bank their vacation days until they retire. Then they can receive a payout during their last year and greatly spike their retirement benefit for life. In my opinion, this is stealing from the taxpayers in three ways.
First, by not taking their vacation time on a regular interval, they are much less effective. The reason for vacation time was not intended for "banking for a later payoff" but rather to offer the employee an opportunity to recreate their mind, to rest and repose, and to recharge their inner battery. The municipal and state workers cannot, I repeat--cannot, be effective on the job and have a higher propensity to make costly mistakes, that will be paid for by the taxpayers, when they forgo regular vacations. Simply stated, the employees are not working at the level for which they are being paid and therefore stealing from the tax payer.
Second, by banking their vacation for the expressed purpose of spiking their retirement, they are again stealing from the tax payer by receiving a higher lifetime retirement benefit then they honestly deserve.
While the first two methods of tax payer theft are epidemic, there is also a third way that many California municipal and state workers are stealing from the tax payers and this is made possible because of different retirement systems. In my county, Ventura, we have an assistant Sheriff that is drawing a retirement from one system (city, where he retired as a chief of police) while at the same time earning close to $200K working for the county immediately following his first retirement, where he will also eventually receive an overly generous additional retirement. In the City of Los Angeles, Councilman Bernard Parks is doing the same thing and monthly raking in an egregious amount of money--thanks to the largess of the tax payers and corrupt actions of state legislators allowing the practice.
Because of the recent California court ruling forcing municipalities and the state to reveal compensation and retirement benefits paid to public employees, unfortunately it is now crystal clear that the sear numbers of those receiving excessive benefits is equivalent to a plague--one that California cannot sustain.
First, by not taking their vacation time on a regular interval, they are much less effective. The reason for vacation time was not intended for "banking for a later payoff" but rather to offer the employee an opportunity to recreate their mind, to rest and repose, and to recharge their inner battery. The municipal and state workers cannot, I repeat--cannot, be effective on the job and have a higher propensity to make costly mistakes, that will be paid for by the taxpayers, when they forgo regular vacations. Simply stated, the employees are not working at the level for which they are being paid and therefore stealing from the tax payer.
Second, by banking their vacation for the expressed purpose of spiking their retirement, they are again stealing from the tax payer by receiving a higher lifetime retirement benefit then they honestly deserve.
While the first two methods of tax payer theft are epidemic, there is also a third way that many California municipal and state workers are stealing from the tax payers and this is made possible because of different retirement systems. In my county, Ventura, we have an assistant Sheriff that is drawing a retirement from one system (city, where he retired as a chief of police) while at the same time earning close to $200K working for the county immediately following his first retirement, where he will also eventually receive an overly generous additional retirement. In the City of Los Angeles, Councilman Bernard Parks is doing the same thing and monthly raking in an egregious amount of money--thanks to the largess of the tax payers and corrupt actions of state legislators allowing the practice.
Because of the recent California court ruling forcing municipalities and the state to reveal compensation and retirement benefits paid to public employees, unfortunately it is now crystal clear that the sear numbers of those receiving excessive benefits is equivalent to a plague--one that California cannot sustain.
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