First, they tend to be achievers, and achievers take on multiple challenges, even as children.  So you can imagine more future physicians taking piano lessons than the rest of us and achieving a respectable level of competence, showing early on the perseverance it takes to make it through eight or ten years of medical training.

And second, physicians tend to be extraordinarily busy people entwined with the needs of their patients, research, teaching, etc.  And since they are not made of stone, it isn’t always easy to let go of their day’s work.  Clearly, some relax on the drive home, cocooned within a luxury automobile, while others wind down later with a cocktail before dinner or even a soothing cup of chamomile tea.

But a surprising percentage of doctors turn to the piano for relaxation.  Just lifting the fallboard and placing their hands on the keys can have a cathartic effect.  And then the music takes them away.

What is there about a piano … a Steinway … that can move someone so profoundly? 

For the most part, it has to do with the range of touch and tone crafted into each instrument.  A Steinway simply gives back more, reaches out and connects at a deeper level (people say) than can be found on other pianos that cost as much or more.  Which makes what a doctor may experience while playing his Steinway at home not much different than what Lang Lang or Martha Argerich might experience onstage.  A concert performer’s experience may occur at a more rarified level, but may be no less heartfelt. 

“It’s great therapy,” one Steinway-playing physician told me.  “It’s immersive -- and good, clean fun!”

Where does this highly personal resonance between player and piano come from?

There are, of course, many design and manufacturing variables to consider in the creation of a Steinway.  But what it comes down to most is … wood … the care with which the wood is selected and the manner in which each of 12-thousand or so endlessly fussed over parts connect with one another and collectively speak to the individual player.  The most shaded nuances, the most passionate fortissimos are given birth in the strike of the hammer, then amplified in the piano’s soundboard heart and shaped by the massive maple rim that helps enrich every note.   

But it is here we must stop and return to the world and its worries.  For it is in that context that a Steinway rewards most eloquently, whether doctor, lawyer, corporate chief -- or even a blog writer.  It’s a great escape for busy minds and weary bodies … and so peaceful.

​Expensive?  Yes.  But for those who can afford it, worth every dime.

​As a physician friend says, “Such good therapy.”
​
TakeAway:  If your product touches the heart there always will be demand for it.

© 2016 by Brian E. Faulkner.  All rights reserved.

 "Flying commercial” brings up all sorts of mind pictures, most not all that appealing:

* waiting in lines
    - ticket agent lines
    - security lines
    - gate agent lines
    - boarding lines
    - baggage line
    - lines to get in other lines
* overbooking
* carry-on hassles
* cramped aisles
* cramped carry-on space
* cramped seats
* the seatmate crap shoot
* quarrels over seat backs
* make believe food
* bad air
* restrooms that are anything but restful
* weather delays
* crew delays
* tarmac delays
* late arrivals
* missing connections
* sleeping in the terminal

And that’s assuming the technical part of flying goes perfectly – all the doors get closed, the wings are securely fastened and somebody checks to see if there’s gas in the tank.

If I had a NetJets budget, I wouldn’t be concerned about such things.  But I don’t.  And most of us don’t.   Which made me perk up and take notice of this headline on Yahoo News:

           Airlines struggle to please the modern passenger.

According to the article, here are some of concerns expressed during this year’s meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group for airline execs – keeping in mind that these weren’t complaints from passengers but observations and comments by the execs themselves:

• More passenger info is needed, especially on mobile devices.  One suggestion was to “offer passengers a behind-the-scenes view of their suitcase as it moves through the airport machinery,” although methinks that could create more concern than certainty.
• Give people a “nice, reliable experience at a normal price,” one exec said.  Another added: “Make my life easy,” which sounds great except that airlines appear to staff for ordinary flying conditions in a world filled with extraordinary events, the least of which these days is the weather.
• “Don’t give me a vanilla experience”, one panelist told the IATA gathering.  But is that so bad?  Because  when I buy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s vanilla ice cream, my expectations are met every single time.
• Another exec spoke of “managing” expectations, which seems like an especially worthy goal – as in no surprises!    Just over half of meeting participants thought the airlines weren’t “doing a good job meeting passenger demands.” 

What are passengers demanding?   Here’s how a reader named Mike put it in the comments section:

“THE DAMN SEATS ARE TOO SMALL,” agreed Mr. B (dramatizing his frustration by writing in all caps), “and the answer isn’t smaller carry-ons,” even as the IATA proposes new industry-wide standards for carry-on bags.   The small places in which we now are asked to stow our carry-ons seem to be getting more restricted while people are becoming more frustrated (sometimes even rude) as they seek a spot to stow their briefcase or backpack, often rows away from their seat, causing that much more confusion when it comes time to get off the plane.   And as dissatisfaction increases, seat room and restroom room appear to be shrinking.  

It seems absurd, but perhaps not altogether illogical,that “the two most profitable airlines — American Airlines and United Airlines — have abysmal customer service satisfaction scores,” according to a recent Forbes article, quoting Kendall Creighton, spokesperson for FlyersRights.org , which advocates for air travelers.   “An airline’s customer satisfaction levels appear to be inversely related to profits,” she says.  “The higher the profits, the worse the scores.  The more modest the profits, the higher the customer satisfaction.”   And now the government is proposing new emissions standards for aircraft, which would put additional pressure on price and profit.

According to the Forbes article, Jet Blue has the highest passenger satisfaction scores and the lowest profit margin.  Spirit Airlines, whose ironic tagline is Less Money. More Go, had the highest margin and lowest customer satisfaction, while “Delta and Southwest have managed to strike a balance between profits and happy passengers.”

I have a suggestion:  In the interest of communicating clear competitive advantage, each airline could post a simple graphic at critical passenger touch points, from ticketing through to the baggage carousel.  The graphic would consist of ten stacked rectangles, one each for the top 10 measures of airline customer satisfaction.  Each rectangle’s color would change as customer satisfaction ebbs and flows, from angry red for poor performance through shades of yellow to leafy green for superior performance.  Data could be gleaned from in-flight customer surveys taken every day, on paper, through passenger devices or even later online.   The information should include date of service, flight number / seat number and accumulate over time.

I challenge each of these airlines, in fact the entire airline industry, to put their heads together and create what might be called the Airline Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a numerical way of communicating the same info the colored rectangles do.   Perhaps the IATA will choose to lead the way.  Such measures surely will be more effective in raising airline industry expectations – and performance -- than making “standardized” carry-on bags even smaller!

TakeAway:  If your business, brand or product satisfies – even delights – customers, let the world know about it.  

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner