Blog - Gabor George Burt - Results from #175

Big Miss by SWISS

In an article I wrote for HBR entitled What we can learn from one of the worlds most mocked cars , I used the tragicomic tale of the mighty Trabant - the ultimate symbol of command-driven economics under communism - to illustrate the perils of disregarding customer experience.

It so happens that a recent and sadly still ongoing saga with SWISS International Airlines is reminiscent of the customer experience blindness the Trabant embodied.

Let me preface my tale by referencing another. Namely, the story of musician Dave Carroll. Dave was flying on United in 2009 and had his guitar damaged by the airline’s luggage handlers. He patiently followed protocol to recoup damages but was consistently met by uncaring and dismissive bureaucracy. So he took an alternative approach, and wrote a song about his experience entitled ‘United breaks guitars’. The song’s video immediately went viral, received a flood of media attention, and triggered a 10% ($180 million) drop in the airline’s stock price, causing it to revamp its customer service processes: A-broken-guitar-a-youtube-video-and-a-new-era-of-customer-service

Dave’s feel-good story illustrates the significant power spurned customers have today to push back by sharing their indignation, and the danger for companies who fail to act honorably. Every company can make a mistake and inadvertently inconvenience customers. What really shows character is how a company handles or mishandles such situations.

Similar to Dave, here is what happened in a nutshell:
- A companion and I flew from Budapest to Geneva on SWISS at the end of March for a late season ski weekend. Upon arrival and following much delay, we were informed by an airline representative that our checked ski equipment bag was in fact on a transatlantic flight to NYC by mistake. As a result, we were forced to rent or buy all ski gear during our stay.
- The missing luggage was only found and returned a week later, well after our trip was complete. The bag had been opened and the skis were badly scratched.
- Following protocol, I filed a lost/damaged luggage report and detailed all associated costs. This set in motion a bizarre, almost laughable chain of email correspondences with what I can only assume to be an automated system, as the airline provides no means to a talk to a live customer care specialist.
- Through the salvo of emails I was first informed that only a fraction of our documented costs would be reimbursed (without explanation), then told that no reimbursement would be made at all and the case was closed because our country of residence did not match the country of our bank account (a ridiculous stipulation given that a large portion of travelers use neobanks which only operate online), and later notified that partial reimbursement would in fact be made within 14 days. This sequence of messages was then repeated, creating a Monty Python-esque circle of misinformation.
- It is now over 3 months since the ill-fated incident, still no reimbursement, and no correspondence at all from SWISS since June 9^th. I must have written something gravely offensive to the automated system causing it to go silent on me.
Ultimately, it seems that the legacy of Swissair – which had a reputation for exemplary customer care – may be too much for SWISS International to live up to. But there is no excuse for wasteful and belittling processes that prevent rather than assist inconvenienced passengers in their pursuit of just compensation. It’s the surest way to turn brand loyalists into vocal critics. Now that I think about it, perhaps I should commission Dave to turn my SWISS tale into a new song?

#SWISS #airlineservice #customerexperience #customerservice #customercare
Digital to Emotional Transformation

What should be the ultimate goal of Digital Transformation and AI?

Why is happiness the wrong measure of wellbeing?

How should both corporations and governments best endear themselves to their customers and constituents?

I explore the answers to these questions in my new article for CEOWorld magazine.

Take a peek here:

https://ceoworld.biz/2023/07/31/how-digital-transformation-can-drive-emotional-transformation/

#CEOWorld #digitaltransformation #happiness #customerexperience
Beyond Disruption

Last month Professors Kim & Mauborgne published their new book entitled ‘Beyond Disruption’. The book lays out the essence and path to nondisruptive creation - the optimal type of market-shaping innovation that benefits society and all stakeholders, without causing any casualties or displacement.

I have very fond memories of my close association with the two professors during the launch and popularization of Blue Ocean Strategy, and my Slingshot platform was born as the result of that work.

The focus of their new book is highly relevant and especially timely for the post-pandemic world where a new type of leadership is needed, one based on transformational, yet sustainable and positive-sum market strategy.

#disruption #blueoceanstrategy #innovation #markettransformation #leadership #creativity #sustainability
Kudos to Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart

Congratulations to Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, who were inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame last month and will be inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November, for their indelible contributions to pop music.

Dave and I connected when he was a guest on my radio show series, and I found him to be a fearless, cultural innovator. We shared a profound conversation around the thrill of continuously pursuing new frontiers and incessantly harnessing our childhood sense of creativity. There was also a funny moment when I called Dave at a scheduled time, and he was still talking with Mick Jagger on the other line.

My favorite quote from the conversation, which made it to the back cover of my Slingshot book:

“Slingshot is like looking at things through the other end of a telescope.” – Dave Stewart

#eurythmics #music #rock&roll #innovation #popculture #creativity
The Funniest Companies in the World

In high anticipation of this year’s fast-approaching April Fool’s Day, let’s put the spotlight on the funniest companies in the world. Each year Stand-Up Strategist compiles the definitive rankings of the best corporate April Fools campaigns from around the world. You can see the ’23 winners, their highly entertaining campaigns, and the illustrious panel of guest judges here: https://standupstrategist.com/2023-rankings/

To celebrate and showcase the importance of humor, Stand-Up Strategist has been compiling the Top 23 annual rankings since 2018 (suspended in ‘20 and ’21 due to the pandemic) and we have seen noteworthy patterns emerge. Participation in April foolery is truly global – involving all continents with the notable exception of Antarctica. It spans across diverse industries – with airline, automotive, hi-tech, and consumer goods being the most prominent. And, it often features the CEO/Founder of the company personally – most famously John Legere, former CEO of T-Mobile USA.

To get the fascinating, behind the scenes peek at how the rankings are compiled, see my freshly published article in CEOWorld Magazine:

https://ceoworld.biz/2024/03/20/the-funniest-companies-in-the-world/

May you use the remaining few days wisely, to perfect your display of humor on April 1^st.

#humor #leadership #corporateculture #smartstrategy #transformation #creativity #aprilfools
Re-Imagining Learning

I was pleased to give a closing presentation on the main stage of Mindvalley University earlier this month in Tallinn, Estonia. A three-week, immersive edutainment event, MVU is a frontline example of the allure and power of continuous, cross-generational education and the current transformation of knowledge sharing.

The event was a pulsating mix of highly stimulating content, environment and activities, which I would describe as a Metropolitan Burning Man. It was a strong testament to the wisdom shared by Confucius over 2500 years ago:

“Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.”

#mindvalley #lifelonglearning #continuouseducation #confucius #burningman #Estonia
'Re-Imagine Possible' Exclusive Retreats

I am pleased to announce the launch of the ‘Re-Imagine Possible’ immersive retreat series. My co-host for these exclusive, fully immersive experiences is Sean Swarner – named one of the most inspirational people based on his amazing personal journey and accomplishments. The settings are Virgin Limited Edition resorts, Sir Richard Branson's personal collection of stunning properties.

The events are designed to unlock the intellectual wellness of participants beyond perceived limits, based on the premise that even the most accomplished among us operate within self-imposed mental boundaries. This leaves vast, unexplored levels of meaning, impact, achievement, and connectivity.

Our retreat experience provides a singular opportunity to immerse in deeply meaningful learning, recalibration, and discovery, while mastering how to systematically overstep perceived boundaries. Our handpicked locations become the personal classroom, our specially designed activities and discussions spring to life the key learnings. This isn't just about getting away. This is about unlocking full potential in all aspects of life.

#learning #sirrichardbranson #inspiration #retreat #selfimprovement
On your mark, get set, go!

The World Track & Field Championships will take place August 19-27 in this brand new, state of the art, 36,000 seat stadium on the banks of the Danube in Budapest. 200+ countries will send over 2,000 athletes, making it the highest number of participants ever.

There are of course, highly inspirational parallels between the worlds of sports and business, many great lessons in leadership, innovation, perseverance and excellence. So many reasons to tune in.

On a personal note, I still have yet to decide which event I will be competing in. Any suggestions?

And who is your favorite among the competitors to break a world record?

#trackandfields #competition #worldrecord #innovation #leadership #excellence #athletics
Your Path to Sustainable Innovation: 3 Levels of Blue Waters

A key premise of the Slingshot Framework is to shift focus from targeting only blue oceans, which is interpreted as transformational or disruptive market moves and therefore seen as elusive and risky. Instead, the focus is on pursuing 3 levels of blue waters simultaneously in a constantly flowing motion:

Blue Lake - Continuously refreshing and optimizing your current market offerings and value proposition
Blue Sea - Expanding your offerings to broaden your customer relevance
Blue Ocean - Creating new offerings that offer unprecedented value

By simultaneously pursuing all 3 levels of innovation – from incremental to transformational – the waters blend together. A blue lake idea can expand into a blue sea or blue ocean opportunity, while a blue ocean must be continuously refreshed by inflowing blue lakes. This allows you to create ongoing distinction and separation from competitors without being forced back into red waters.

See this short video on the topic:
https://lnkd.in/dSUR4h7a

#blueoceanstrategy #sustainability #innovation #smartleadership #markettransformation
Try not to laugh!

With all the gloomy chatter about the apocalyptic impact of AI, it's refreshing to see a humorous side of its application. Very funny.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/11/unauthorized-david-attenborough-ai-clone-narrates-developers-life-goes-viral/

#aiapplications #aiadoption #humorous #chatbot #creativity

Yet more coverage in the Dominican Press

A Step Beyond – with Tony Paulstain

Shaping the Future of Our Work Environment

Back in Kazakhstan, finally

Doused in the Dominican Press

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