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Qantas...A lack of Buzz

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Old 8th Aug 2005, 10:44
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Qantas...A lack of Buzz

Recently took a trip to LHR and back.Staff travel for a retiree is not worth contemplating.
We flew Emirates to the UK and flew Virgin Atlantic to Sydney via HKG.
Now I know what all the fuss is about:These guys are good.I couldn`t put my finger on it but on another thread someone used the word "buzz".
Emirates and Virgin have a ton of it.
Qantas has none.
From the time we checked in in Sydney and arrived back home I saw nothing but happy obliging smiling faces.
Happiness is sadly lacking at QF
Dixon talks doom and gloom.This drives the stock price down.He is at war with his employees.He conducts random "security" searches.He hammers travel agents.He treats frequent flyers with contempt.The company is run on "incentive bonuses"There is no innovation.Fear and intimidation are "de Rigeur"
This is a tired deary airline bereft of ideas..a follower not a leader.The fleet is old and in dire need of a refurb/update.No one is proud of the product..black and grey are the uniform colours:BORING.
This is yesterday`s airline
Emirates and Virgin are vibrant,colourful innovative and the staff know it and relish it .The trip was fun.We had a ball.
These guys have the "Buzz"The buzz of success.
The only Buzz at QF are the BUZZards circling.
There is a LHR base ,an AKL base,a BKK base.The airline has no identity.
The mainline is being cannabalized.There is Jetstar,Australian,Jetstar Asia all competing and pulling in opposite directions.
QF staff are at loggerheads...fights are prevalent
I have mates who stay for the perverse pleasure of seeing Dixon and his cronies fail,leave or both.
This is multi billion dollar company that is imploding because of the idiocy of its dysfunctional CEO.
Good Heavens is anyone watching?
Does anyone care?!!!
Apparently not...how absolutely bloody sad!!!!

Last edited by Captain.Q; 8th Aug 2005 at 11:46.
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 11:07
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Captain Q,
Well said. I was on a recent domestic QF flight when they served up these bloody awful rolls, on the way back a few days later, when asked by a FA if i would like a roll, i politely said no thanks
Shes says" I see youve eaten here before"
Man, if thats what the staff think, i think your spot on Capt Q!!!
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 11:48
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Captain Q
You have hit it on the head, I agree with everything you said.
And its going to get worse, but youre right about one thing, we will see the end of Di)(on and his cronies.
What a party we are going to have.
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 14:15
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And sadly, does anyone really expect the replacements to be any better given all the wonderful training I can only assume they have received.

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Old 8th Aug 2005, 19:08
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Capt Q

I stongly suggest you go to the Middle East site and check out Emirates. She aint the outfit you think it is. Quite an effort to go from No 1 in the world to No 17 in 2.5 years.
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 21:06
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Sadly Capt Q you're right. In a recent BRW magazine Dixon is supposed to be finishing later this year with Peter Greg his likely replacement. Greg is just another Dixon, totally focused on dollars to the detriment of everything else. John Borghetti may be a bit better, but Qantas really needs to go outside and recruit a CEO with vision, someone who can rebuild the company, get the staff back on side.
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 21:32
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Unhappy

someone who can rebuild the company
Yes, Dixon has done a SUPERB job of dismantling, and in the process destroying, QANTAS.
Certainly there was some deadwood that needed removing, but this self-serving CEO has cut away just about everything except the main trunk.
I'm certain that if they upped his bonus, he'd chop that down, and rip the roots out as well!
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 21:56
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I am sure if GOD had his way He would be QANTAS and everything would be contracted out….
His management of disengaging staff and cutting cost above all else will bring the share price down and then he will leave, after taking his bonuses.
If bonuses were paid after some years so the board could see the REAL effect of management decisions, would GOD get it…
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 21:57
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Dismembered Rat

Qantas has been dismembered to the point where it is hardly recognisable from what it was in its glory days.Dixon has put a "buzz"saw through the place.Brand recognition is supposed to be the holy grail of marketing,something buzzsaw Dixon seems to have forgotten.The market recognises this and has the shareprice languishing at $3.20.
Is Dixon secretly working for Virgin Atlantic and destroying the `roo from within?
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 23:26
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Capt Q.

Most QF staff agree. Like you my family travelled to LHR with Emirates.

One aspect that shouldn't be underestimated is the management incentive bonus. Human greed becomes the motivater. They cut back on staff and product to boost their bonus at the expense of the customer.

You won't see an on time deparure out of many ports at the weekend due to "staff shortages". i,e, the manager is cutting back on staff on penalty rates to boost his/her bonus. Perth and Darwin spring to mind as an example. You arrive at Melbbourne or Sydney on a weekend and there's a delay getting an aerobridge over and the front door opened. Staff shortages again.

Bonus should be for performance that enhances the Airline and makes customers happy, rather than cutting costs regardless, so managers can have their snout in the trough.
 
Old 8th Aug 2005, 23:27
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Just for some balance.....

"Air Transport World", the No.1 U.S. trade magazine recognised Qantas as " The best managed airline in the world ".

"Airline Business" arguably the best U.K. trade magazine , in it's August 2005 edition , presented it's Executive Leadership award to Geoff Dixon.
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Old 8th Aug 2005, 23:36
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Well, I had a great time on Qantas!!

Recently flew SY-LA-ATL-Miami and return, with Qantas for the Pacific legs and Delta for the US domestics.

Qantas was wonderful. Good food, good service, happy and helpful cabin crew, comfortable seat pods in business class.

But Delta was a shocker, even travelling first class. No lounge facilities for my class of ticket, and I even was told to buy some food and drink for the 4 1/2 hour run to Atlanta. The aircraft were old and unloved and the crew was run off its feet just tossing peanuts at the punters. No pillow, just a rug in a plastic bag.

On the way back it was such a feeling of relief to step into the Qantas lounge and the Qantas plane.
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Old 9th Aug 2005, 01:32
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Trade Magazine Awards

I would love to see what criteria they use to determine "leadership".Dixon is not a leaders bootlace.The credibility of both magazines needs to seriously questioned when they make assertions like this.
If Dixon wins awards of this nature the other airline Ceo`s must be totally useless.
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Old 9th Aug 2005, 01:44
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yes you're quite right, these magazines must be a total basket case to give him the award.

It makes you wonder about a lot of things!
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Old 9th Aug 2005, 02:07
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Is the remuneration of the CEO an excuse to do your job poorly?

I may not like it, nor like the savage cost cutting. However, I have a job, have not taken a 20-30% pay cut and will do my very best to keep my job and hopefully have a future.

If you cannot do your job professionally with a smile and offer the best service you are able - get out!
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Old 9th Aug 2005, 02:21
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Overpaid Ceos

HIH and Enron are just two companies that spring to mind when discussing CEOs being both overpaid and incompetent.Al(chainsaw)Dunlap almost brought Sunbeam to its knees with his costcutting.He has not worked for any company since that little debacle.
QF employs 35,000 staff most of whom are unsmiling and unhappy.
When I was working I had a responsibility to my family to maximise my income.I would never contemplate a wage cut that would impinge on their standard of living.
Dixon has no MBA,no economics degree...he is an ex journalist (like Christopher Skase)who has no visible qualifications to run a company like Qantas.He is where he is because he is someone(s)mate.
No one at QF does their job poorly there is just no"buzz"
This is the difference between Virgin,Emirates and Qantas
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Old 9th Aug 2005, 02:25
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Is the remuneration of the CEO an excuse to do your job poorly?
"Blood money" would be a better phrase than "remuneration", in Dixon's case.
The extra burden placed on existing staff BECAUSE of this CEO's cost cutting based remuneration, resulting in understaffing is evident.

If "leadership" is defined by cutting a swathe through staff numbers, rather than using intelligent tactics, then Dixon is indeed a Leader!

He ought to MADE to stay in the hot seat for the next 5 years, rather than being allowed to slither away like a carpet snake that's just swallowed a kangaroo.
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Old 9th Aug 2005, 05:20
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Rant mode on.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder(npd).

Corporations are just starting to wake up to the fact that certain classes of people with personality disorders are rather good at clawing their way to the top, only to destroy or maim their organisations before they are found out. You are going to hear a lot more about this in the business press.

NPD sufferers have no empathic abilities. That part of their brain is "broken". They also have a "hole in their self esteem bucket" that makes them constantly crave reinforcement of their importance to their company, their country, the universe, whatever.

The results are that these people are perfect management climbers. They have no compunction about being totally ruthless, lying or backstabbing, because they have no empathy with anyone, therefore there can be no guilt or blame, they are just doing their job.

Secondly, they manage "up" all the time, constantly seeking the approval of those above them. If you are below them on the management tree you are %^$%. If you are a co-worker, watch your back.

The net result is that they climb to dizzying heights in organisations because their bosses think they are wonderful, and to some extent they are. However there is a cost. They leave a trail of wreckage behind them that is usually covered up pretty well - for a time.

Once they reach the dizzying heights, they seek even more self aggrandisment (like starting an airline- so they can be a "Chairman" like their boss). However there are other traits that work against them.

They have an unbelieveable sense of entitlement. If you queried them about giving $500 bottles of wine to each other at Christmas when everyone else is being squeezed till the pips squeak, they would look blankly at you.

Laws are for little people, for example, why do you think Steve Vizard made it to the top of the tree in entertainement and that got caught in a grubby little insider trading deal? Leona Hemsley (Taxes are foir little people), Matha Stewart, Rene Rivkin, Adler, HIH, Enron, its a common factor in all of them. Entitlement and aggrandisment.

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Old 9th Aug 2005, 05:31
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Gregg ain't any better

There was a certain airline, across the pond that four years ago was almost dead in the water....Air NZ. Fortunately for them their CEO turned the thing over to the staff...They have ordered 787 and 777, whilst we at Qf continue to evaluate...

Dixon is nothing but another Dunlap..Don't forget though that he is merely the public face of a board. That board includes the pure genius of the Dame Margaret who presided over a huge loss whilst a Director of Southcorp wines. I'm not defending him, but Gregg is too an accountant who is given to COUNT.

Accountants, no matter what their advertising suggests do not understand much beyond figures. As a discipline it it necessary, but to allow them to run an airline will only provide more of the same, not matter what the party us staff have at the departure of GD, who incidently will recieve a lovely golden parachute. The understand nothing unless to it you can attach a number.. The synergies developed by happy driven employees isn't reflected (can't be) reflected on a balance sheet, so to an accountant is has little value. Yet this is the buzz about which the thread talks.

If Gregg gets it, he will drive costs further down, he will look at the results of the decisions, that is how the accountant thinks. They ADVISE on business, they don';t RUN them..

The share price linked to incentive bonuses is a recipe for disaster, we as a company lack an objective. Some of the morons i fly with say that it is impossible to have one, the industry is too unstable...They may well be right, but even Air NZ set a course and utilised a REAL ASSET to move the organisation toward it..It called synergy, but ask an accountant to quantify and they can't..so therefore it doesn't matter!!
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Old 9th Aug 2005, 06:21
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Corporations are just starting to wake up to the fact that certain classes of people with personality disorders are rather good at clawing their way to the top, only to destroy or maim their organisations before they are found out. You are going to hear a lot more about this in the business press.

Sunfish

I find your assertions regarding individuals with Personality Disorders, in particular Narcissistic Personality Disorder, to be inaccurate and irresponsible. Any personality disorder is defined by severe social and occupational dysfunction, making it difficult to believe they would be successfully negotiating any kind of "perfect management climbing". Unless you are a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist (which i doubt), i suggest you are not in any position to be making such crude generalisations about people with mental illness.

However, if you like, you could provide us with a reference, so that the credibility of the information you have referred to can be ascertained.
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