Yes, I remember when you launched the airline David Neeleman. We even shared the dais at a speaking engagement at the time. Back then, it was all hoopla and fun and games as your first crews of on board flight attendants were buzzing with goodwill and tossing around blue chips and telling jokes…..and oh, it was like a Super Bowl party with good friends. And back in the boardroom, you and the other hot shots were slapping each other on the back and drinking champagne as you stuck fingers in the eyes of the dumb bastards who ran the giant carriers with their pissed off crews and dog food meals.And then life happened. Your service turned from the gimmick of the month to just another ordeal in the sky. And it got harder to make money. And your role model, Southwest, was watching with glee as the latest impostor fell on its butt.Isaac saw it coming. He always does. In business and in life: “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.”
But that’s the good news. Last week Jet Boo-Hoo went from miserable to embarrassing. Not only that it had to cancel a zillion flights. Not only that it did everything possible to mistreat and piss off customers. Not only that it looked worse than Aeroflot. Not only that Neeleman went from chief cheerleader to self-described chief apologist. More important, that he is not really apologizing but simply following some half ass book on PR crisis management.
Why do I say that he is completely insincere and playing games again? Because someone was responsible for this monumental fiasco and that person has not been fired. Instead, Neeleman, the would be man of the people, is shielding that someone from the fate they deserve.
Great managers declare war on their businesses. And as part of this, they terminate people who make customers suffer. Yes, the buck stops at the CEO’s desk and admitting mistakes is honorable but protecting the culprits is weak and clubby and an insult to customers.
You can turn this around David. Will you? Isaac is watching. (and I say let’s boycott the bastards until we see proof that they really care.)
Mark Stevens
CEO
Do YOU think someone should be fired?
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A discounted flight is so slow
it puts all your plans in escrow.
The seats are so tight
your toes will turn white.
The meals are a lukewarm Play Doh.
Welcome to JetBlue and the great American Snafu!
I think boycott may be a little severe, but on the other hand why take the chance. Mr Neeleman has some serious work to do not only on the public front but maybe a little house cleaning might be in order as well. It is amazing the number of CEO’s who insist on running thier companies by using “The Force”, what happend to accountability? Integrity? Common sense? It appears in business just as it is in hollywood, a small amout of talent may take you to the top but it takes substance to stay there.