AirAsia- My Most Respected Service Company

Mr Tony Fernandes came out of nowehere and suddenly the news was abuzz about him. Most of us were thinking, how is this guy going to run a low cost carrier? How is the company ever going to survive with lower gains?

So, we thought it was going to stay around for a couple of years, but now look at it; a low cost carrier that has spread it wings to most of the Asian countries and at one time was flying to the UK.

So what lies behind Air Asia's success to my opinion. 

1. The charisma of the head of the company

This is one guy, that I actually hope to meet. Not the Prime Minister or the first Malaysian astronaut, or Mahathir, or celebrities.
He has many values that I admire. Initially I thought it was all a show, just like how its been played in poli... ehem ehem!.

After many many years being CEO, spreading it's empire, branding F1 cars, and buying QPR, he remains a humble simple chap. There are no fake airs about him, but when he walks into the room with his 'famous' red cap, he makes an entrance. When he speaks, people automatically listen.

2. Choosing the right people to work with you.

I use the term 'to work with you' because, I believe nobody works under you and nobody works for you. We are all a team and we depend on each other. We hire the people who can give opinions, have better PRs, a vision and also leaders to ensure the smooth operations of the company.

I believe in hand selecting key people in every department, people who have worked with you or people who do not have any experience before but are eager to learn. I do not think qualifications is the key to every success. After all, look at Lim Kwok Wing now, and he owns a university.

3. Have a dream, and chase after it.

When everybody said that it was impossible, AirAsia continued to stive and rose above its competitor company. This company gave a completely different approach. It did not concentrate on class, elegance, fantastic food, exclusivity. It instead concentrated on non-exclusivity, indulge in food if you want and allowing cheaper air fares if booked in advance. They shared the dream with the other customers of being able to travel the world, and they made it come true.

Air Asia served back to the people instead of only earning profits. She made other people's dream, her dream, hence the continuous support from her customers.

4. Turn complaints into positive feedback.

Not too long ago, there was a person who wrote to a newspaper, questioning the 'Now everyone can fly' motto. In his letter, he wrote that AirAsia didn't have facilities for the handicapped, especially for those confined to wheelchairs, this claim was looked into and prompt actions were taken. They apologised and continued operations.

Most people or companies do not handle complaints well. The usual response would be lashing back, just like how one of the officers of a shopping complex did on Facebook when the customer complained about their services.

5. Do not put your eggs in one basket.

AirAsia started off as a low cost carrier . Their focus market was first the South East Asia. Then it went to the rest of Asia, Australasia, and for awhile Europe.

They then started to provide holiday packages - rent-a-car, hotel accomodations, entertainment tickets.

To make it more enticing for people to travel - they started writing articles in their own in-flight magazines, websites, and they also encourage their own customers to blog about their own experiences.

(Copyright © 2012 Gorgeously Flawless Solutions All rights reserved. Editing by V & P)