Greetings from SXSW! The conference is over, and my panel is done. I spoke today on “Speaking to Geeks” with some friends from Capcom, Funimation, and other cool companies. It sucks to have the last panel of the last day, and we really appreciated the folks that delayed their end-of-conference partying to hear what we had to say.
I saw a lot of great stuff in the last few days. The “Worst Website Ever” panel was definitely a standout. (I really hope those slides get put on slideshare, because “the fap store” and “40 chan” were truly hilarious.) I got to see Matthew Inman, who writes and draws The Oatmeal, a site that I read nearly every day. He’s just as funny in person, and I’m glad I stayed even though I was in the beginning stages of a bangin’ migraine. My friend Kelly Feller from Intel also did a great presentation about using contests for social marketing. But the most validating and one of the funniest presentations I saw was from Gary Vaynerchuk about the same subject as his new book, The Thank You Economy.
I have been a fan of Gary’s for a long time. He’s an engaging and energetic speaker, he knows his stuff when it comes to community and social media, and he swears a lot… just like me. One of the reasons his session was so validating for me is that his new book is about how brands need to be humanized, and genuinely interact with their fans instead of just shoving marketing down their throats. This is so much of what I do in my day job, and it’s something that my team and I are really dedicated to. We work really hard to be human — we respond to comments, we make small talk, we share behind-the-scenes of our offices. We know the fans that interact with us by name, and our fans know us by name, too. We let our personalities shine through and we have reaped the rewards for it. Yes, we market too — it is part of our job, after all. But brands that think of Twitter as 140 character press releases are simply doing it wrong.
One of the things Gary mentioned in his session… something I truly thought was not an actual thing that would ever happen… is brands exploiting the tragedy in Japan for their own gain. But as I am catching up on my social media streams from the last few days, I was shocked to see that this really is happening. It’s incredibly tacky and crass. And (hopefully!) it’s about to bite these brands in the ass in a big way.
Bing (and Microsoft) have already apologized for their RT campaign wherein they pledged to donate $1 per RT of their content/link, up to $100k. And they just donated the $100k. Mastiff, a video game developer, is pledging to donate $100 for every 100 people that “like” them on Facebook, up to $25,000. Voskos yogurt is also pledging to donate $1 for every “like” they get on Facebook. And I sort of get where they are coming from. Especially in the current economy, not everyone can afford to give money. A lot of people want to help out, and beyond giving money, they don’t know how. So it’s easy for a brand to see it as a win/win — they get to donate money to a great cause, they get new people to market to (or, in the case of Bing, get their name and content out), and people get to feel like they did something to contribute without actually paying out money.
But what’s really easy to miss is how incredibly tacky this is. It smacks of opportunism, of holding relief dollars hostage for selfish marketing purposes. Because essentially, what a company like Mastiff is saying is that they are willing to donate $25,000 to the Red Cross, but if they only get 500 new fans, they’ll only donate $500. So, you know, it’s our fault that the Red Cross (and the people of Japan) missed out on $20,000 because we didn’t click the “like” button. That’s why Bing did the right thing with their apology — they gave the full $100,000 they had pledged.
If you are going to give money, give money. If you want to donate profits from sales of your product, do that. All of those things are perfectly noble and acceptable. But exploiting victims of a terrible tragedy for your own marketing purposes is just reprehensible. These companies should be ashamed.
OK, now that that’s out of my system, I need to go pack. Since, you know, I have to get up in 5 hours to go the airport.
UPDATE: Both Kevin Smith and Southwest have made more blogs on this situation. Please see the end of the entry for the links and updates.
Many people have probably heard of Southwest’s controversial Customer of Size policy. And a lot of people have probably heard of the recent issues with Kevin Smith getting booted off of one of their planes for (according to them) violating this policy. Kevin laid out the entire story in a recent SModcast, but here are the highlights.
Kevin Smith is flying to Oakland for the day. He buys an extra seat because they are cheap, and he prefers not to have someone in the seat next to him. (I think anyone that has been on a plane can understand that feeling.) On the way home, he arrives early and asks to get bumped to an earlier flight, which is pretty common with Southwest. He gets put on standby for an earlier flight, and gets on it. However, there’s only one seat available for him, as it’s a nearly full flight. No problem, he says, I only really need one seat. He gets on the plane, buckles his seatbelt (no extender), puts the armrests down, and is approached by a flight attendant. The flight attendant pulls him aside to say that the captain has deemed him a risk because of his size. Despite falling within Southwest’s policy, he was not allowed to fly. Kevin tweets about it, and here we are.
If you’ve met me in person, or maybe seen photos of me, you know that I’m a large girl. This is a complex, and sometimes emotional situation, that I think has 3 separate facets. I want to look at it from all three.
The Policy
The idea behind the policy sounds logical. You paid for a seat, you should have the space that you bought. It’s to make sure that other people are safe and comfortable. But while that sounds good in theory, there are several problems with it in execution.
First, I do think it’s discriminatory. I fly a decent amount (~25 times a year) and I have had to endure a lot in those flights. Just yesterday, I flew from JFK to SFO and sat next to a young man who had a wild time the night before. He smelled like booze and was clearly hungover. I’ve sat next to people with really bad body odor. I’ve sat next to drunk people (both that boarded the plane drunk and got drunk on the plane). I’ve sat next to chatty people who won’t shut up. I’ve sat next to babies with dirty diapers. I’ve sat next to kids who can’t sit still and smear jelly and other sticky snacks all over the place. I’ve seen people in wheelchairs, people who have casts, and other medical ailments. The point is that while some larger people do take up more than one seat, there are other behaviors, situations, and physical issues that also make people take up more than their allotted room, make passengers uncomfortable, and pose potential safety issues. Yet there are virtually no policies about people in those situations. And the policies that do exist focus on behavior (such as getting drunk before boarding a plane), not on physicality (people using crutches, etc). Large people are easy to spot, easy to single out, and don’t garner as much sympathy from people as someone who needs a wheelchair or crutches. We’re easy targets, both physically and morally.
And if you’re supposed to get all the square inches that you paid for, what about people who recline their seats? Seriously, I’ve had people in front of me recline their seat so far that I could do dental work on them. I’ve nearly had my laptop screen destroyed by people who recline suddenly and without regard to what is going on behind them. Their seat encroaches on the space I paid for, so by the same standard as the Customer of Size policy, the recline function on all seats should be disabled. (I actually do hate when the person in front of me reclines their seat, and I do think it should be disabled. But I know lots of people who vehemently defend their right to recline their seat. Probably some of the same people who would defend Southwest’s Customer of Size policy, which is interesting.)
Second, the policy leaves too much open to personal interpretation. It’s just too subjective. Many people fly on Southwest and are never approached by anyone asking them to buy a second seat or checking to see if they fall within the Customer of Size policy. And then one day *bam* they get hit with it. Whether they violate the policy or not, it starts with one employee’s judgement of that person, and whether to talk to them and investigate their size or not. A policy that starts with individual judgement cannot be uniformly enforced.
Third, and something that thin people probably don’t notice, is that not all seats, not all armrests, and especially not all seat belts are made equally. All three of the planes listed on SeatGuru (a site that helps you pick the best seat on the plane) show that the seats in the back of the plane are narrower than the seats toward the middle. What if a person fits in one of the seats toward the middle, but ends up sitting in the back of the plane and gets kicked off because of it? The armrests on exit row seating usually don’t lift up, and are instead a solid piece of plastic all the way to the bottom of the seat. This can make the seat narrower by a few inches. For some people, this is the tipping point. Finally, and the thing that is so wildly divergent, is the length of the seatbelts. It can vary from seat to seat on the same plane. I’ve had times where I can easily buckle the seat belt, and times where I struggle. You just never know what you’re going to get. I have an extender that I take with me just in case I need it simply for this reason — you just never know. But if your policy is predicated on seats, armrests, and seatbelts, how can that policy possibly be fair when all of these things vary depending on what seat you are in?
The Social Media & PR
Let’s turn from the policy aspect of what happened to how this is being played out online. I first learned about it because I follow Kevin Smith on Twitter. He was obviously angry and the tweets were hard-hitting and coming fast. As the main Twitter person for the SEGA US team, I know what it’s like to have angry customers coming out of nowhere on Twitter. I also know what it’s like to have that situation be something you didn’t know about, can’t control, and/or can’t discuss. So I have empathy for the woman that was on Twitter duty for Southwest when this thing blew up. I will say that I think she did a great job, quickly letting people know that she had seen the tweets, that she had read them all, and that a VP would be following up with Kevin Smith personally. (Whether that actually happened or not is another story. Last I heard, he says he has not been contacted.) But so many companies’ first instinct is to clam up and don’t say anything. No comment… a resounding silence while they scramble to work up a statement. Southwest jumped right into the fray to let people know that they heard and were aware. So thumbs up from me to Christi Day, the Southwest Twitter person, as I think she handled the situation as best she could as it was breaking.
Unfortunately, that’s where my thumbs stop pointing upward and start pointing downward. Southwest then issued a statement (I don’t really think you can call it an apology) on their Nuts About Southwest blog. Straight from the title, I think it’s a little disingenuous. I get that Southwest likes to be quirky and put personality into what they do. But there’s a time and a place, and this is not it. Making a joke upfront just says that you don’t take the situation very seriously. Especially when the joke is somewhat of a negative play on the person that you’re supposedly apologizing to. Yes, Kevin Smith’s character is of Silent Bob. But using “Not So Silent Bob” as your headline implies that he’s being a loudmouth… which is true, but probably not an insinuation it’s okay for Southwest to make. The rest of the statement is just a classic non-apology apology. It’s a “We’re sorry” followed by all the reasons that what they did was right and justified.
I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes there, obviously. I am friends with Paula Berg, who until recently was the leader of the PR/blog/community/social media team at Southwest. She is a good and reasonable person who is very knowledgeable about this stuff and really does care about customers. So I do know that not all Southwest people (or at least former Southwest people) are bad. I also know what it’s like to have to stand behind a company statement or communication strategy that you don’t agree with. So I don’t assume that Christi Day (who wrote the Southwest blog entry and manages their Twitter feed) wrote or agrees with that blog, even though her name is on it. I’m guessing that the statement was scrutinized, agonized, modified, and approved by several people before being given to her to post. And it’s a shame, because it’s a sharp downturn from the positive (well, as positive as it could be) trajectory that she started on via Twitter.
I hope Southwest can go back to a proactive, people-oriented, customer-centric path in resolving this issue. I’m not sure that anything they could do would make Kevin Smith (or lots of other people) fly their airline again, but they have got to try. Stop trying to defend yourself and start making bold moves to take care of your customer, and by extension all of your fans and customers.
The Personal
Anyone who has met me in person knows that I’m a large girl. So I understand all too well the emotional and personal aspect of this issue. I have never been subjected to Southwest’s Customer of Size policy, but honestly I try to avoid Southwest because I figure it’s just a matter of time before I’m asked to demonstrate that I fit within their policy.
There is no one way to be fat. It’s easy to lump all fat people together as the same thing, but it’s just not true. My wife is about the same weight as me, but we carry it totally differently. I have wide hips. I generally wear tops that are 1-2 sizes smaller than my pants. I never have problems with things fitting over my neck, shoulders, or arms. I always seem to have a hard time with things fitting over my hips. I am pear shaped, and I carry my weight on the bottom. My wife is apple shaped and carries a lot of weight in her arms and upper body. She worries about necklaces being too small and sleeves being too tight. Consequently, although we weigh about the same, she rarely has a problem with seat belts and arm rests, and I am more likely to. Even in the fat world, we come in all shapes and sizes.
In his podcast, Kevin Smith said that as a fat person, you have to navigate the world differently. And it’s so true. You always have to think a few steps ahead. And almost nothing is as easy or simple as it should be. I am constantly aware of my size — getting into a car, riding a crowded bus, or trying to get in an elevator. There’s always a thought of disaster in the back of my mind. What if I sit down on that chair and it breaks? (I saw it happen to someone once… they sat down on a wooden folding chair and it crumbled to the ground. My heart broke because I know that’s the nightmare scenario.) Even simple things like fashion are complicated, because there are only 4 stores in the entire city of San Francisco where I can buy clothes. So if I’m told that I need something at the last minute, even if it’s fairly basic, it’s a mad scramble to find it. If I show up to an event and someone hands me a T-shirt to wear, there’s a good chance that it will be too small. (Especially when the largest size is a large.) It’s just always something.
When you’re not dealing with that, you’re dealing with people constantly judging you. It honestly gets a bit tiring to hear how if I would just put down the Big Mac and pick up a carrot everything would be fine. If it was that easy, don’t you think we would all do it? And just like there’s no one way to be fat, there’s no one way to get there, either. Yes, some people do over eat and under exercise. But some people (like me) have medical conditions that lead to larger frames. Some people (like me) have genes that pre-dispose them to being overweight. Some people have had to take medicines that cause weight gain. I shouldn’t need to pull out the medical condition card to make it okay or excuse my size. And people really need to stop assuming that I’m fat because I eat an entire buffet table twice a day. I’ve had people moo at me when I’m exercising. I’ve had medical technicians take my blood pressure 5 times in a row because they just can’t believe that it’s lower than the standard for normal. I’ve had waitresses passive-aggressively bring me diet soda when I asked for regular. Some days, it feels like the whole world is against you, and it’s not paranoia if they really are after you.
If we’re going to focus on health (which I think we should), then let’s do that. But the first step is to get rid of the ridiculous notion that skinny = healthy. As big as I am, I have none of the medical conditions that one assumes I have because of my size. As I mentioned, my blood pressure is below the standard for normal. My cholesterol is fine. My blood sugar is rock solid. Except for a few minor things (that are in no way caused by my weight), I’m healthy. But I’m not skinny. If I stopped eating, started purging, or got addicted to crack, I could get skinny. But would that mean I’m healthier? Uh, nope… I’d be less healthy. We need to focus on helping people be healthy regardless of their size.
This opens the door to a whole other complicated set of issues. I won’t get into them here, but they include access to healthy food (something my friend Kristie just did an amazing video/blog on when she tried to find healthy food in her district in Boston), designing cities and neighborhoods to be walking-friendly instead of relying on cars, and eliminating discrimination in health care. I am lucky that I live in a place where I have access to fresh organic produce and the money to purchase it. I live in a city that’s fairly friendly to walkers and outdoor exercisers. I have health insurance and can pick a doctor who listens to me and understands me. Not everyone is so lucky. If we really want to solve the problem instead of just bitching, judging, and pointing fingers at people, these are the things we need to start working on.
Finally, there’s the issue of dignity. Kevin Smith said this in his podcast, and it really struck a nerve with me because it’s so true. As fat people, we are constantly being put down, made fun of, and generally told how awful we are as people. But when you’ve been humiliated — be it from someone mooing at you on the street, a chair breaking under you, or getting kicked off of an airplane — you have two choices. You can go in the bathroom and cry, or you can own the moment. And at the end of the day, for your own sanity, dignity, and self-esteem… you HAVE TO own it. I know that it can’t be easy for Kevin Smith to share his Southwest story, no matter how much he makes jokes about it. I heard the story at the end of his podcast about the girl he sat next to on his flight home and it broke my heart, too. I can’t imagine what it’s like to see news stories, comments, and headlines about such an embarrassing and humiliating moment, and about something so personal. It reminds me of Joy Nash and her great series of Fat Rant videos, particularly from the video below. She said that fat hate is one of the only forms of prejudice where the people being subjected to it think they are getting exactly what they deserve. And it’s so true.
I know that this was somewhat of an epic and wandering tome. But it’s a complicated issue that needs to be dealt with from a few different angles. I hope that Southwest revises their unfair and poorly implemented policy. I hope they get back on a customer-centric communications strategy that gives them a chance to turn this into a huge positive for everyone. I hope that people start focusing on issues of health instead of just painting all fat people with the same brush of ignorance. I know that the internet affords anonymity that people use to say whatever mean and hateful thing wanders through their mind and out their fingers. I ask you all to please be better than that. Please treat others with the dignity and respect that all people deserve.
Update:
Southwest rep Linda Rutherford finally reached Kevin Smith to talk about the issue. Unfortunately, from what I can tell by reading the blogs on both sides, Southwest is closer but not quite there in terms of making it right.
Kevin’s blog says that Linda did actually sincerely apologize, and admitted that the situation was handled poorly. He says that she also told him that the pilot did not single him out as a safety risk or ask that he be removed from the flight. She said she would update the blog, and all he asked for was that Southwest admit the mistake that they made, and tell the truth that he was not “too fat to fly”.
Linda’s blog says that the captain did not make the judgement call to remove him, and that their staff made a “quick judgement call” that he “might have needed more than one seat”. But she never says that they were wrong, or that he was in fact NOT in violation of their policy. (Something that would have taken ~ 30 seconds to verify.) And then basically reiterates their policy again, and that they stand by it. Like Christi earlier, Linda apparently started off well, and then couldn’t quite stick the landing. All Kevin wanted was for Southwest to admit that they were wrong, and say so in public. Which is really not that much to ask.
Remember earlier when I talked about dignity, self-esteem and needing to own the moment? I think we can all agree that Kevin Smith has a healthy self-esteem and confidence. And he’s not been shy in owning this and discussing it. But I suspected how much it hurt to talk about this experience and have it splashed all over the news, even though it was important. Well, Kevin ends his blog entry talking about “grasping at dignity straws” and how this is going to haunt him for the rest of his life. Even for someone as self-confident and self-actualized about his physical being as Kevin is, there are still deep-running emotions here. These types of situations leave lasting scars.
In October, I’ll be speaking at the Digital PR Summit in New York City. I’ll be on a panel about measuring your digital PR efforts. Now, I certainly don’t want to misrepresent myself or confuse anyone. I do not work in PR, and never have. I think there can be a lot of overlap between community and PR, but there are a lot of areas where they don’t overlap at all. Earlier this year, I co-presented at the New Communications Forum with Connie Bensen, where I talked about the different tools that we use at SEGA to measure our community efforts, including brand monitoring tools, traditional web management tools, and the stats provided by social media sites. I also discussed some of the ways in which we are limited in how we measure effectiveness. The fine folks from PR News Online were in the audience, and asked me to speak at the Digital PR Summit later this year. I happily accepted, and I’m hoping to share my unique knowledge and experience, and I’m hoping to learn a lot, too.
I am also pleased that I’ll be speaking again at the Community 2.0 conference next year. All of the speakers are still being confirmed, but it’s looking like I’ll be on a panel about the business uses of Twitter (where I hope to discuss SEGA’s Free Stuff Friday giveaways) and I’ll also be doing a solo session on managing multiple brands in community. I have really learned a lot in having multiple people managing multiple brands over multiple tools, and I hope to share some of my learnings.
If you are interested in having me speak at an upcoming conference, I’d be honored! Please look at my page on speaking, and send me an email.
I don’t have one of those jobs/lives where I travel with great frequency. I’m not on a plane every week or anything. There have been times when I’ve been on a plane once a month, though. My father used to take two planes each week, going from our home in Cincinnati to his work in Grand Rapids and coming back again at the end of the week. I learned all the basics of travel from him. As I’m preparing to make 3 separate trips in 3 weeks (2 personal, 1 business), I thought I’d share my simple tips and rules for fast and efficient travel.
Never Check Bags
This is my #1 rule. You will save so much time and worry. Your luggage will never be lost. You don’t need to shove everything you might need during your travels into a big computer bag. You don’t need to stand in baggage drop-off lines. You don’t have to pay extra fees. You never have to waste time standing at baggage claim ever again. Shall I go on?
The first thing you need to do is…
Get the Right Suitcase
The right bag can set you free and make carrying on your stuff a snap. The wrong bag can make you miserable.
Here’s what I look for in a bag:
4 wheels, each that turn 360 degrees. This makes moving through the airport so much easier because you can move your bag in any direction without it toppling over. Also, you don’t have to pull your bag if you don’t want to. Leave it standing upright and use the telescoping handle to push it along side you through the airport. It’s so much easier on your arms, shoulders and back.
Polycarbonate shell. Poly is light, which is good since you’ll be lifting this thing over your head a couple times. Poly is durable (unlike fabric, which can be punctured, ripped or torn). Poly is hard, which means your stuff won’t get crushed.
Efficient use of space. Too many pockets and compartments, and you won’t be able to pack what you need in the space. Too few, and packing just becomes a jumble. You need the right mix of space and pockets.
Not black. Not only is black luggage boring, it looks just like everyone else’s. When you’re trying to get your stuff from the compartment and get off the plane, you want to make sure you have your bag and not someone else’s (or that someone else doesn’t take your bag). Your bag can still look professional without being black. Find another color.
It is light. It is (mostly) polycarbonate. It is expandable. It has great use of space. It has 4 spinning wheels. And it is blue. It’s just about the perfect carry-on bag. (It is available in other colors, including red.)
A bag like this costs more. But it’s worth it. And it will last a lot longer than the cheap bags do. Also don’t forget the hassle that you’re saving yourself, as well as all those checked bag fees.
Speaking of bags, there’s your laptop bag to be considered here. There are lots of options here. I always look for a bag with a pass-through sleeve in the back so I can slip it on top of my carry-on and take them both together as one unit. Helps save my back and arm strength from toting them around all day.
Now that you have the right bag, it’s time to…
Pack Efficiently
The easiest way to fit all your stuff in the bag is to not take as much stuff. Eliminate anything you can live without for your trip. Look for things that can do double (or triple) duty. For example, I try to take as few shoes as I can possibly get away with, because shoes take up lots of space. I try to pack no shoes, and just wear what I wear on the plane the entire trip. Bust sometimes I need dressy shoes, so I take one pair of neutrally colored shoes that go with everything.
Once you have everything picked out for your trip, you need to pack it. Not all packing methods are the same. Some people like to roll, some people like to fold. I find that folding and using dry cleaning bags to keep everything snug helps save room and eliminate wrinkles. I learned this method from the Manager Tools podcast and it works really well. I fold my pants lengthwise twice, and put them next to each other inside the dry cleaning bag. Then fold the excess part of the bag inward, put a third pair of pants on top of the pair at the top, then fold the first and third pair (at the top) over the second, so you have 3 pairs stacked. You can do the same thing with shirts. I generally don’t do this with casual clothes, but I do with business/dress clothes.
Don’t Buy Travel Sizes (If You Can Help It)
Many people get tripped up by the restriction on liquids in your carry-on. But you can save money and space with just a few tricks.
First, know that medicines don’t count against you. Put them in a separate bag. So if you need your Flonase (like I do), you don’t need to put that in your toiletries bag.
Second, figure out what you really need. You might use a lot of stuff at home that you could go without for a couple days.
Third, don’t buy travel sizes. Make them when at all possible. Find some small containers (the smaller the better) and just use your existing stuff to fill them. In the case of things that the hotel usually provides you (soap, shampoo, lotion, etc), just use theirs. There are some things I haven’t found a way around yet — a good way to store and dispense contact lens solution, for example. So I do buy travel sizes of that. But I am always looking for a way around it. (Ideas?)
Put all your containers in a zip-top bag (I call this the “wet bag”) and put it somewhere easily accessible when you’re in the security line. You don’t want to open up your luggage just to get to it later.
Dress for Security Success
Gone are the days when people got really dressed up to get on an airplane. I’m never surprised to see people basically in their pajamas, especially on a red eye. Unless I have a business meeting when I get off the plane, I travel casually — jeans and a T-shirt.
Think about what you’re wearing on the plane. Is there any metal on it? Is it excessively complicated? Metal will cause problems with the detector and you may get singled out for further screening. Think about jewelry, belts and watches. (Rivets on jeans usually don’t cause a problem.) The TSA requires that you take off coats, jackets, and sometimes sweaters, if you have something on underneath. Are you wearing something that you might have to take off, then spend time putting back on? If so, re-think.
What kind of shoes are you wearing? Lace-up shoes just require more hassle to get off and time to get back on. I like slip-on shoes, like Vans. They are easy to get off and on. Oh, and I always wear socks with whatever shoes I’m wearing. I don’t want to walk through security barefoot.
Security Efficiency
The whole point of this is to do everything you have to do in the least amount of time and with the least amount of hassle. Some planning ahead will really help here. You’ve already got a security-friendly outfit on, so you’re well on your way.
I always check in the night before, print my boarding pass, and put the boarding pass and my driver’s license in an easy-to-reach pocket of my computer bag. That way, I don’t have to fumble in the security line or stop before I get there to get my pass and ID ready. It’s already ready. Just pull it out and show it to the agent.
Once you get in line for the screening, start getting ready. Your wet bag is already easily accessible. Your shoes come off easily. Grab a couple bins and put your laptop in one (it has to go alone) and your shoes, coat, and wet bag in another. Then feed your computer bag and your carry-on into the x-ray machine. You still have your pass and ID in your hand, so you’re ready to walk through the metal detector and hand it over.
BE NICE TO THE TSA AGENTS. I cannot stress this enough. Put yourself in their shoes — they have to deal with cranky, nervous, tired, anxious, self-centered travelers all day. I’d be in a pretty bad mood, too. And they can totally ruin your day (or worse) if they are so inclined. A smile, a thank you, and generally being super nice and cooperative will go a long way in helping the process flow smoothly.
When you are done with screening, just put your computer back, your wet bag back, slip your shoes on, grab your stuff, put your boarding pass and ID in your pocket (you can put it back in your wallet later), and off you go.
Extra Tips
Here’s a few things that didn’t seem to fit anywhere else.
Bring all confirmation numbers, record locators, and other travel details with you. I use Evernote to help me store my travel details on my phone, but I also put it in my calendar just in case. You never know what can happen, and having a confirmation number at your disposal can solve a lot of problems.
Always have a snack on you. Who knows what could happen — you could get stuck on the tarmac, all the food in your terminal could be terrible, or you get hungrier at the end of the flight than you thought you would. It doesn’t have to be a full meal — a small bag of trail mix will do the job just fine. But always have a snack on you just in case.
Invest in an eye mask. Mine has totally saved me from sleepless flights and sleepless nights. It, and some headphones, can make the whole world go away. I never take a flight without it.
Take public transportation if possible. Avoid parking fees and remembering where you parked. If you need to drive and park though, take a photo of where you parked or text yourself the location.
If you’re in hotels a lot, text yourself the name of the hotel and the room number. Or take a photo of the door to your room (with the door number) and store it in Evernote.
I hope these tips were helpful. If I missed your favorite, pleas share it in the comments.
One of the reasons his session was so validating for me is that his new book is about how brands need to be humanized, and genuinely interact with their fans instead of just shoving marketing down their throats. This is so much of what I do in my day job, and it’s something that my team and I are really dedicated to. We work really hard to be human — we respond to comments, we make small talk, we share behind-the-scenes of our offices. We know the fans that interact with us by name, and our fans know us by name, too. We let our personalities shine through and we have reaped the rewards for it. Yes, we market too — it is part of our job, after all. But brands that think of Twitter as 140 character press releases are simply doing it wrong.
