Ramp fee is understandable but should be waived for a moderate (10+ gallons?) fuel purchase and always waived for charity flights
Crew cars or vehicles that can be rented by the hour available
Reliable information on good local food and lodging values
Availability of, or reliable information about local aircraft maintenance services
Snacks/drinks available (don’t have to be free)
Ability to access internet for WX and briefings (WiFi or a terminal). Wall plug(s) to charge my iPad and smartphone.
Less costly fuel really helps–weekend discount on 100LL? Discount for Angel Flight really helps too.
Don’t reposition my plane after I’ve parked it, tell me where you want it while I’m still taxiing. And don’t make me and my passengers walk 300 yards to the office.
Easy access to the ramp and my plane when it’s time to leave, even if that’s 8:00 pm or 6:00 am
I do a lot of long cross countries where I replan my intermediate stop enroute. So I tend to rely on the information in ForeFlight for planning my stop. Adding comments to an FBO’s entry about hours of restaurants would be a big help!
Wow K.,
I tried to put myself in your shoes and I have already given up!!! How can you fulfill all of the above?
I think quality is about meeting or exceeding expectations, hence expectation setting becomes key here.
Personally, I have to know exactly what to expect before I plan to get there and the first step is checking up on the web. (I agree with the poster planning at night and needing to find out all via the web).
So, decide the target market, shape and package the products and the secret sauce, advertise clearly on the net, foreflight, airnav, and deliver without fault what you have marketed.
Be available on the phone would be a nice plus.
All the best of luck and let us know!
Think you have gotten many good ideas. I agree on the post about Wilson Air at Charlotte. While this is a class “B” airport; they always treated me like I was a jet which I was not.
I do think having a good Customer Database that your employees can use to track repeat customers and then have ways of encouraging repeat business is helpful. I don’t see many FBOs that have Customer Relationship Management Software and can track or know if I have been there once or one hundred times. If you collect that customer data; then you can send follow up thank you email and maybe at certain points offer something on the next visit.
As GA gets smaller and smaller; it is getting harder and harder to provide the services without higher fuel prices and extra service charges. That is just a fact of the business.
The training of the personnel is key. Line Personnel should be the best and well trained. They are the first people we come in contact with. They should know how to fuel light aircraft and also I’ve them around. The way to get repeat business is to respond quickly and positively to customer request. Think of the Nordstrom’s Model. Whatever a customer wants even if they did not buy the product from us. I like that if I have a rental car waiting is is brought out to the plane and the airconditioning is on.
If the manager is not on the property; the employee should be empowered for some discretion or able to get in touch with the manger quickly if a request is not within company policy.
I do think FBOs could work with other local business and establish positive deals for your customers. For example; if you are going to provide rental cars from “X” company; the deal should be better than full list price. If you are a destination type location that many folks come to visit; deals on reduce daily rates for multiple days and fuel discounts if you are going to X location. Again work the relationship deals. If you send me to a hotel or resort, restaurant, etc; then that business should give you some form of kickback and me some form of nominal discount.
If the FBO is also a service center; then that side of the business needs to be top notch. I won’t stop at an FBO with a bad service rep.
Then I would say track what customers are asking for. If you don’t have it; see if it is possible. Also; go visit other FBOs around the country. Benchmarking is a good idea.
Crew cars have come up. I don’t know why some auto dealers would not want to have their product used by high value customers. For example. Chevy can’t sell volts. They should give you 2 or 3 for 6 months and see if they could get more sales by having me drive one.
Of course well maintained, clean facilities is key.
Good personnel with good customer skills and knowledge of aviation and local is nice.
WOW! Thank you so, so much for all of your advice, I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. You’ve all given me a lot to think about! I will keep you all updated on my progress and I hope it would be ok to contact you all again if I need some more advice further down the road?!!
Once I have it all sorted, I’ll have to offer you all a great deal to come and visit - I’ll make sure there’s plenty of warm cookies and popcorn available for you all!
Thank you again so much for taking the time to respond to me, I’m very grateful.
If not 24/7, access to restroom facilities and possibly internet( older computer but since all fly with iPad, wi-fi does well). If wife has to pee in the bushes, or Port-a-potty, then unlikely to return.
Self serve if not 24/7. Low deferential for full service can draw more to full service and set you apart.
On Sunday leaving Nashville, I was informed the lineman mistakenly put fuel on my plane ordered instead by a Saratoga…after confirming the fuel was in fact av gas I was jnformed my fuel bill would be comped, even though I ordered 20 more gal on top of the 10 I received.
I said several times that was not necessary, but, they insisted the manager said it was…so, I will continue to use Atlantic where available…they are super nice.
Check this – when I was delayed departing NYC due to weather and I called Atlantic and told them I would not be departing as planned due to weather, I was told my tie down fee would stop as they "didn’t want me to feel pressured to leave before I felt comfortable departing…Atlantic has won my goodwill!
Before you try to be better than the others, why do you feel that there is a demand for another FBO at that airport to begin with? Obviously it’s not about having just one who is gouging people on fuel, and you should keep in mind that most of the things posted here as suggestions and/or wish lists are pretty easy for the existing FBOs (the ones that already have customers) to duplicate in “matching” your offerings. The first step in a good business plan is to decide if there is really a business demand to begin with, particularly one that you can create a defendable/sustainable competitive advantage for.