512Chief

Hey guys,

I'm a student at a large flight academy in Florida and am working as an intern in the Marketing dept. part-time. I'm trying to get your insight as to what do you really want when you're looking for a flight school? What oportunities do you want? What benefits are you looking for? What could really set a school apart from the others in your mind? I'm working on some ideas to present to the school on behalf of actual students to try and better flight training in the eyes of the person who really counts, the student.

I understand I'll get a few saying a lower price and I, like most others would love flight training to be less expensive. Whether it is at an FBO or a larger school so please refrain from giving the usual financial answer.

Thanks guys and I really appreciate your answers!

Careercfi

Hmmm... lets see:

• Hire experienced CFI's!
• PAY them well, never cut them short.
• Hire customer oriented staff, that understands how to deal with customers. Treat your clients like gold and your company will soon sit on gold.
• Don't advertise/ promise what you cannot deliver (jobs, contacts)
• Never charge your customer upfront.
• Do not give your customers the feeling they are only good as long as their credit card is out of the wallet.
• Hire people who actually WANT to be a part of your organization. If they don't, or think of your company only as a stepping stone for something greater, they will never ever give 100%.

That would make one heck of a difference for starters!

Then and only then start a tactful advertising campaign, that consists of more than empty promises. And never ever let a student of your academy do the advertising based on a false promise. There are plenty of real marketing companies who can do an excellent job. Marketing is more than finding out what people want to see in the ad, it is a sign about your company, that tells the customer what you already do, without lying or making dreams up that do not exist and without any smoking mirrors. Good advertising costs a lot of money, but so do good employees. Pictures & websites tell nothing about a company. People do.

512Chief

I agree. In no way am I trying to make ANY false promises. I'm happy with the choice I made after a lot of looking around and chatting with people who have expirienced other schools. I think having somone take out a huge loan then after they are a CFI turn around and charge the student over fifty dollars an hour and only pay the instructor $10 isn't right. I think if you really look into some places you'll find what you're talking about. And in no way am I trying to pass myself off as an advertising professional. I answer phones, reply to e-mails and give tours. And, if I can, hear what students want and see what I can do to make them happy. Because, anyone who is in the business of customer service understands that you can't do a thing if you're making your customers (students) mad. I think we all know the best or most crippling thing for a company is word of mouth.

Careercfi

Would you share which flight academy you work with, maybe per PM?
Because the points mentioned above are just a quick and "no thinking involved" description of what "customers" see in this business. If I found a "academy style training facility" that did not fall short of these expectations I would maybe be able to be convinced that the market is build on anything else then the current corrupt system.
My points above are just the first couple of points that come to mind.