A Time for Streamlining
Charter has been hit hard by the economic decline; here’s how two operators are coping
“The majority of our customers are just that — our customers,” says Schubach. “We do primarily what I call retail business. A lot of companies out there do a lot of broker business, they do a lot of overflow from other operators, but they don’t have their own customer base.
“Years ago during the dot-com boom, we had one customer who just kept us hopping. I remember talking to staff and saying, if this lady ever gets mad at us we’ve got a problem. It’s a nice business, but we really need to develop a diverse base.”
Schubach Aviation spends much of its marketing dollars on local high-end print advertising with publications like San Diego magazine. Interestingly, Schubach says that in recent months his business has been positively impacted by leisure versus business travel.
The company recently hired a cabin services specialist to ensure customer service standards across the board, which Schubach says can be a differentiator in difficult times.
“She has standardized everything in all the airplanes, produced wonderful menus, and it makes a difference,” he relates. “What we sell is premium — it just has to be.”
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