[speaker001:] Right as far as I'm concerned we've completed the first four points on the agenda right. Yeah? Point five is under your name what's that all about?
[Brett:] Right well just that er it's been resolved a bit since I handled it cos er got this meeting set up which I don't know whether, whether you need to come, it's on the second of February
[Gary:] Yeah
[Brett:] And we're going to discuss er the likes of and and myself and Stuart er how we're gonna allocate the national accounts and who's gonna do what and just clarify
[Gary:] What what what accounts and whose portfolio?
[Brett:] Yeah
[Gary:] Are you asking me whether I wanna be in there?
[Brett:] I was just mentioning it to you in case you wanted to
[Gary:] Don't wanna. No, you can sort it out between yourselves can't you?
[Brett:] Yeah, so that was that. I just wanted to actually sort of mention it to so that he knows cos he's obviously invited to come if he wants to
[speaker001:] I don't think there's going to be any dramatic changes
[Gary:] Well he should be there if you're there he should be there
[Brett:] Yeah exactly
[Gary:] Well just tell him to be there
[Brett:] Yeah, okay
[Gary:] You,,,, and, yeah?
[Brett:] Yeah and new people if they're on board
[speaker001:] They won't be there by the second
[Brett:] No way
[speaker001:] So that was just that one er... nineteen ninety-three
[Gary:] So is that is that point five gone is it, yeah?
[speaker001:] Yeah, only because it's
[Gary:] Well you do have clearly define it you don't want yourself
[speaker001:] Got er got an agenda here The key issue is really the multiples isn't it?
[Gary:] Yeah
[speaker001:] About how far down we go and how far up mob goes
[Gary:] done this agenda where she wants where we need to discuss allocation of non-national accounts, national accounts, regional accounts, special offers, plans for nineteen ninety
[speaker001:] I think that one of the most confusing aspects is this word corporates, what's a national account corporate, what's a national account I went in to two corporates yesterday er and erm who are a massive potential for us, right in where we need to be I actually put a deal forward to Well I didn't yeah well we may have done We agreed didn't we, no we agreed, I thought we agreed that where that head office was in no where erm the multiple concern who looked after that business, where their national account department looked after that corporate we would look after it and where their key account department looked after it you would look after it and is a national account for for erm I remember that at one of the meetings, yeah
[Gary:] is it?
[speaker001:] Yeah, so erm
[Stuart:] The sales rep shouldn't have called on because that's, that's a
[Brett:] That's easy to say Gary but where's the memos, where's the lists that tell people these things?
[speaker001:] This is the grey area, we didn't call on the company we called on the implants and I hope we haven't done any damage, but what we have done and what the p
[Gary:] And these things move from time to time as well of course
[Stuart:] Yeah I know but nothing's happened since that time to change what we originally agreed
[speaker001:] Yeah but I mean I don't clearly remember an agreement like that meself and does I'm sure that was agreed at one of our meetings
[Gary:] Well might do but I think it needs to be put in writing you know like who's is who's what you know
[speaker001:] Well we can start off with the top one hundred companies and allocate them like that if you want, if it makes things easier rather depends on where the head office is doesn't it?
[Stuart:] Well no the top one hundred companies isn't a guide to anything at all. What you mean top one hundred F T S E companies you mean? half of them don't even travel
[speaker001:] No I know but it can be a springboard Well the best guide is the one that's in the Travel Weekly that mag er
[Stuart:] Yeah but that'that's but half of them don't travel
[speaker001:] Oh you mean the Business Travel World magazine Yes that has
[Stuart:] Yeah that's useful No I think I think er it should be a national corporate account, the definition of a national corporate account it one that is multi-locational throughout the country
[Brett:] Yes, exactly yeah
[Stuart:] That's the only definition and worth over x million pound or whatever total revenue or whatever their threshold is
[Brett:] It's not throughout the length and breadth of the country it's only in my patch
[speaker001:] I agree, I agree The other grey area which cos in point cos that's only in your area innit
[Brett:] Yeah as far as I know
[speaker001:] unclear No, no, because passed it over to us that's why I had to go and see the guy if you remember
[Brett:] Yeah well Mar was un got, got the impression perhaps wrongly now that it was a national account by virtue of where the allocations were
[Stuart:] Well can we make it a clear definition please because national means, national in terms of agents and corporates means multi-locational and all represented
[speaker001:] is multi-locational doesn't just have one branch
[Stuart:] Yeah but it only has Norwich and it has Dagenham doesn't, that's it isn't it?
[speaker001:] Yeah those are the two big ones
[Stuart:] Well that falls in region so it's a regional account in my respect
[speaker001:] Yeah but it's dealt with by the national account department back in
[Stuart:] Bollocks to I don't care less about
[speaker001:] This is where the grey areas comes in
[Stuart:] Well I mean I don't care how they define their, their descriptions. We have to define ours separately
[speaker001:] No we said that's how we were going to define us, erm define it, I distinctly remember that being said it would be defined
[Stuart:] Yes but
[speaker001:] Things may change now but we've working on that basis
[Stuart:] We can't, we can't be driven by the definition that they work
[speaker001:] No but that's what we agreed before
[Stuart:] Well if we did
[speaker001:] unclear No I thought we agreed
[Stuart:] I don't remember that I've never seen it on any minutes
[speaker001:] I'm gonna pull out the minutes cos we did have a meeting, we had a meeting at which was present and that's how we defined it
[Stuart:] Oh well it was not a meeting that I was at then
[speaker001:] No well you said you don't want to be involved in the meetings anyway
[Brett:] Well I wasn't there either was I?
[speaker001:] Well that's true, but what I'm saying now is regar I think national is national it's it's multi-locational and it across boundaries right If it's confined within the southern region therefore it's. If it's even lower than that it's local and it's area I'm not sure No I'm not sure I agree with that because I mean area goes right up to Birmingham from the south and it be made multi-regional, multi-locational accounts within Southern England and London which are big accounts What happens if we get one of the national agencies who's located in the opposite part to where the majority of the erm the business from the multi-location commercial account is? There's no point my people working [LAUGHTER] a certain part of I beg your pardon sorry I'm getting my definitions wrong may be looking after something which the erm corporate locations are solely within the south but it's handled by an corporate account. Now surely that comes under or through No, it doesn't matter what the travel agent is when you're talking to the corporate The basis of our decision before was my people work very closely say take with the national account people in right, and the main objective there is to get as much business from the corporate accounts as they're responsible for like or whoever. If they're split, you can't have people from the field going into dealing with national account managers when my people are also dealing with them. That's the basis That's what's caused the grey area Yeah, that's not, that's where it's changed
[Stuart:] Well that is actually a problem from you know
[speaker001:] Cos you got
[Stuart:] Well the national account what you are saying is the national account if the work's for is then responsible for all those accounts that happen to be from the national account manager.
[speaker001:] That's what, that's what I thought we agreed
[Mike:] Well no I thought we agreed that if it was in the southern boundaries, the locations it doesn't matter what were
[speaker001:] You can have that Frank, you can't have several different sales reps going into seeing different people and my people seeing them as well. You need one central point for each of the multiples
[Mike:] Yeah well this is what's not, I mean we don't know who who those accounts are that you're dealing with where that's the situation
[speaker001:] Well you c I can get a list of all the corporate accounts that and have and we can go through them one by one
[Mike:] Yeah
[speaker001:] We can't have people crossing over main problem at the moment is that they want one person to deal, cos at the moment we've got us dealing with national account and we've got dealing with the regional account managers and sales execs dealing with the individual branches and I think things are getting lost as it goes from one to the other
[Stuart:] It's a question of whether we adapt to their structure or or we have our own structure
[speaker001:] mm
[Stuart:] Isn't it, that's the question
[Mike:] The other area was er the area of er tour operators and allocations because as you know holidays was not one of your accounts and we wandered in there only to find that they'd got allocations and business was
[speaker001:] Yeah, the reason that happened was that there was no-one servicing holidays erm and they came to us for an allocation and and we gave it to them. Had somebody been in there to see they would've spoken to them Well no I mean It's account isn't it? There was no-one covering that area
[Stuart:] Well
[speaker001:] Yeah, if if there's no-one covering that area then I have to make arrangements for that to be covered which I I will do and that will be. I don't think
[Stuart:] Well it seems like we've got the wires crossed in one or two areas
[speaker001:] I think the problem's been is the problem's been is that we don't want to let any business go [LAUGHTER] and if it comes to us we take it on board means we'll be short of people which is not a bad thing yeah well quite I'm not trying to cast any blame here but handed over allocations on Innsbruck to at one time yeah and left us to carry the ball cos she sort of withdrew at one time Yes well I understand so on board
[Stuart:] Well er just hang on a minute I think
[speaker001:] that's what she
[Stuart:] You've got a meeting for the second have you? Well can you sort that out amongst yourself and then after you've done that then present it to the February sales meeting as to what you've done so everybody knows
[speaker001:] mm
[Stuart:] Yeah?
[speaker001:] Not least the girls in the office Yeah so it's absolutely clear even if it's a precis I think it'll be
[Stuart:] Cos you're right cos we don't want to get people trampling on each other. I think we're actually getting in each other 's way for the right reasons rather than the wrong reasons, like just said and it's not a question of somebody else trampling on others er cos I've heard this sporadically for some time. People walking in but we need to need to clearly define the areas and if it's that the national account department at has this list of corporate clients then maybe it makes sense that the national account manager responsible for deals with those also
[speaker001:] Yeah
[Stuart:] to avoid repetition you see we have to be a bit careful because what happens if we closed down right and transferred out to the field
[Mike:] And then we have to change our structure
[Stuart:] Then we have to change again and that's what you're saying we have to be a chameleon
[Mike:] Oh yeah, we'd have to adapt to the situation we find ourselves with
[Stuart:] Yeah cos they have, they have a tendency to do that sort of thing you see they're changing all the time
[Mike:] We don't know what they'll do so
[Stuart:] Well I don't see, I don't know why we're, we're trying to
[Mike:] No what I'm saying is the logistics, the logistics of servicing with a field of national account departments is going to be a potential nightmare
[Brett:] But I don't think that means we have to adjust our sales structure to them it may mean that we have to look at theirs and decide who's gonna deal with what, but th but we don't have to gear all our structure
[Stuart:] Yeah well
[Mike:] No but the national accounts department is set up to deal with the head offices of of the key multiples and national accounts. You take and their equivalents away from my people we're redundant and you might as well take it all over Britain.
[Stuart:] No, no that's not quite true
[Mike:] Well it is. I mean for the national account person
[Stuart:] Well, I'm not saying
[Gary:] Not necessarily, Peterborough should be the core
[Mike:] Yeah, well that's my job Peterborough really because that's really just just the review every quarter. The core of the business and the business development is at and that's the main problems we've been having with because not co-operating
[Stuart:] Well maybe, maybe it's because the person that's been dealing with is not sufficiently au fait with Peterborough
[Mike:] Peterborough's got no control over this is this is the problem
[Stuart:] Well it has, but but the level that we're pitching at hasn't... the level at which
[Mike:] It comes into yeah
[Stuart:] Well if we were into or into or then it might not be a problem
[Mike:] Yeah well
[Stuart:] That's where it em, that's where it emanates from isn't it? Can't think for one minutes if for instance was interested in a deal with that he, that er that he wouldn't, only just to have flick his fingers and would crap themselves
[Mike:] Well they don't really know
[Stuart:] Well getting into another issue
[Mike:] Yeah I know we are but
[Stuart:] Yeah but I mean that's the way it's meant to work. That's the theoretical version of it.
[Mike:] Most airlines I'm told by the multiples have one person who look after that camp and they go down from erm regional, regional level to regional sales manager. Now you
[Stuart:] Don't do that but then again they're slightly different I suppose
[Mike:] somebody almost exclusively for
[Stuart:] national account manager who's specifically looks after and then go and see on a regular basis but call on them but invariably the accounts that those account managers deal with at erm will be split all round the country and will be controlled by our local sales executives in those areas
[Mike:] Yeah I would've thought it was the job of the national account executive or whoever it may be to go there do the business, find out what's what and apportion that out to wherever it's most appropriate either to the field sales or or to whatever, because
[Stuart:] It's, it's a peculiar situation
[Mike:] That would avoid a multitude of following people in one after the other
[Stuart:] Well what we don't want is
[Mike:] What and I used to do
[Stuart:] There's people that
[Mike:] used to meet there and go in and see them
[speaker001:] Yeah, crossing over
[Mike:] We used to go see
[Stuart:] Well why don't, well why don't, why don't, why don't
[Mike:] Well you see that complaint is that and myself are not actively seeing these regional managers, they believe that we should see them
[Stuart:] Well if if if if had their way they'd have in all their branches you know, I mean, you know that's
[Mike:] Yeah, but I'm looking at how we're gonna this deal through next year because
[Stuart:] Well that's, well that's
[Mike:] perhaps we shall
[Stuart:] Well you know I agree with ya and I think I think
[Mike:] Yes we need to, if we're gonna do a deal.
[Stuart:] If we're gonna do a deal then we, we, we have some to drive it through but what I'm saying is that I think that if you have this meeting I, which is what February the second?
[Mike:] mm
[Stuart:] then you argue the toss amongst yourselves really, but you've got, you have to
[Brett:] well we are thin on the ground and limited resources so we don't want doubling up, that's what we don't want, doubling up, but I don't, I don't
[Mike:] I don't think we should mirror just for the
[Gary:] No but we have to look at what, what's a workable solution
[Stuart:] Yeah, well okay then we'll do it at that meeting and work it out then right? Yeah? Right then well I think that's the easiest otherwise we gonna waste a lot of time
[Mike:] It must be in your tray cos I've only just got that today.
[Stuart:] Well do you want me to be at that meeting then?
[Mike:] Well let us explore it first and see what the issues are and then if there's any dispute then, then you can call another meeting at the February sales meeting we can discuss it
[Stuart:] Well alright we'll do that that way
[Mike:] Cos you don't need to get into the argy bargy
[Stuart:] Yeah but I'm not erm. I don't want to get into any argy bargy about anything particularly
[Mike:] We'll see if we can come to a solution
[Stuart:] Well, yes you gotta, you gotta see the other person's point of view, you gotta understand the structure. I mean for instance is a national account at do any business with us, do they?
[Mike:] Yeah, but we wouldn't target that account would we?
[Stuart:] Well you see,tha that's one element of it, right let me think of another one then er
[Mike:] You can't, take your point which we've been trying to tackle at national account level
[Stuart:] Well is another one
[Mike:] Well we've been targeting as well
[Stuart:] Well that, I've already has already done a deal with
[Mike:] I know he has but that's one we're working on
[Gary:] He's done with has he?
[Stuart:] Yeah, Aberdeen, in Aberdeen
[Mike:] Yeah it's a national account
[Stuart:] Well you see this is where basically the criteria is what is the most, how is it most sensibly dealt with, right, cos you don't want a or somebody like that rushing all over the bleeding country going to Aberdeen one minute, Edinburgh the next
[Mike:] No, but she's does work with. I mean the one is a classic one when she knew it was Scottish based that she passed any correspondence on to
[Stuart:] Maybe that's, maybe that's, that's the, that's the system
[Brett:] I just think it's important that say at they have one reference point
[Stuart:] Well yes. They have one reference point and just that, but if it's related to an account then
[Mike:] I only go for tendering of accounts... like B T for example
[Gary:] Well B T is a national account
[Mike:] Well you could argue it is in area because
[Stuart:] No, no it's not because B T all over the country isn't it
[speaker001:] one agency point
[Stuart:] No it isn't
[speaker001:] Every single thing's through the one place now for B T. The lot Every, every single B T thing goes to the one location now
[Stuart:] Wasn't there a case when it was right?
[Brett:] That's not the point the point is that er it doesn't matter which agency it goes through it, their multi-locational site, so that's why it's a national account. It's not just in my area they're all over the place in Scotland as well, so
[Gary:] Yeah, we need to talk about this, because I mean when I saw he was upset by the treatment he got from I presume it was before, the way she dealt with him erm and he believed you know, he was big enough to be dealt with by the national accounts department. Yeah, but you know he's an old, I mean you know the guy he's quite an old, old fart basically he likes to be looked after But is he gonna give us any business?
[Mike:] Well he reckons we're losing our business now because we didn't give him a deal
[Gary:] Yeah, well I know but er he hadn't seen anyone, he reckons for well over a year and when phoned me up I agreed to have lunch with him and then he gave me an earful about all sorts of things including erm in Norwich issuing net fares on Norwich Amsterdam [LAUGHTER]. You know this K L M deal, so obviously we hadn't got under the finger until called me in almost desperation
[Stuart:] Well phoned me about and I passed it to you
[Gary:] Yeah, but nothing was done so he came through to me
[Stuart:] Oh well
[Mike:] well he wasn't happy with what he'd received. had basically told him he lived in the Stansted catchment area and we didn't need to do a deal with him, and that's what irritated him Well on the basis of what was told by the guy she went to see at who was the key account manager
[Stuart:] yeah?
[Mike:] er no some other bod who was dealing with the accounts at in Enfield. He got a letter on file, he produced a load of stats which were a load of bollocks and prove and proved that we weren't losing any business and then he they had a deal with us which was Eurobudget with no restrictions when they were based at Dagenham cos they were using right that, no the deal hasn't lapsed that's what we were trying to do
[Gary:] Well according to him it has elapsed
[Mike:] We told him it's elapsed because they're not at Dagenham any more and he doesn't like it. So he said oh, when he see me he said
[Stuart:] The truth will out here
[Mike:] He's told you that you're not, we're not getting a fair share of the business with him, but the figures I see don't don't say that at all
[Gary:] Well he reckons he hadn't seen anyone from for months
[Mike:] Well that's crap
[Gary:] I'm only telling you what he said
[Mike:] Well I know but this is, but this is where we're caught with our pants down because we haven't got the thing
[Gary:] when I spoke to about it she said that you told her to hand it over to my department cos it was a national account
[Mike:] Well if it is then that's right, but it's not
[Gary:] so if she had been told that
[Mike:] well if it isn't yeah, if we, if and I thought it was national account which means it's a multi-locational site which it is
[Gary:] mm
[Mike:] then it's a national account, but in terms of the guy not seeing anybody we went to him to sort out what was going on and she must have come away there from with all the sites and said I shouldn't be dealing with this, it's a national account, it's the national account and that's when I said you must pass it over to then
[Stuart:] Well can we get this sor stuff sorted then, because this is gonna go on forever, because I I think to be quite honest it is a lack of communication between two parties
[Brett:] I don't think it is
[Gary:] I think it's in all honesty the corporates have taken decisions
[Mike:] and we haven't got to grips with the corporate market yet fully
[Gary:] Yeah well I know that's true erm and we've been power fighting and that's the problem
[Brett:] I think those of you have genuinely erm defined what's been said in two different ways and perfectly correctly because
[Stuart:] I think, I think we need a meeting to get it laid down, we need a meeting to clear the air or not clear the air necessarily but get some definitions some definitions down yeah?
[Mike:] mm
[Stuart:] cos we can't seem to be, cos otherwise we look like flipping idiots
[Gary:] It's not fair on either of you or or your people either
[Mike:] Well no
[Stuart:] All right
[Gary:] Well that's the been the problem issue we've been struggling through on that basis
[Mike:] But one thing I would say and I think this is very valid and think pe it won't be long before people start to pick up on it and er we haven't got a national accounts, a proper national accounts team cos we haven't got the people and we all know the reasons why but nevertheless you know they're, they're pinpointing areas of big business with big companies like and and not allowed to go into new business
[speaker001:] ah, hello
[Gary:] No we have put a proposal to but they turned it down twice
[Brett:] Yeah I know
[Gary:] cos they said it wasn't good enough
[Brett:] There's quite a few, there's quite a few national accounts
[Stuart:] Yeah, come out with look I mean right what happens any travel agent right will tell ya right that these are that there are huge corporates with massive opportunities for business in the corporate sector particularly on because they're used to saying that the reps and in the main will buy that because they'll be able to get something out of it. It's not the same for, different set-up and they don't understand us therefore they come out with statements like that
[Mike:] No, this isn't this isn't travel agents making these statements this is us when we go and talk to say an implant
[Stuart:] Well it's the same thing as a travel agent
[Mike:] Well I mean you can see from the stats, the figures and routes they fly that we get ten per cent when we should be getting twenty
[Stuart:] Yeah, but you can always establish why though
[Brett:] like remember when we first went to see he reckons we were losing business. When we looked at the figures we proved that we wouldn't get any more business because of where people lived and when we tried to push them to Detroit over Amsterdam they wouldn't have it, people would prefer to drive to Gatwick.
[Stuart:] If there was ever a classic is about the laziest bastard on this side of Christendom and he and he he wouldn't do anything that supports your business at all
[Brett:] We know, we never suggested that said that their business is going down with us and that there was no extra business there for us
[Gary:] erm who was national account manager wanted us to relieve for an exploratory
[speaker001:] is that tea there? yes
[Mike:] I think basically
[Gary:] but how I structure my department would depend in all honesty on the type of people we get knows this. If we get first division people I'll do it a different way to him if I had to end up with second division people and the responsibilities they take on board will very much reflect that and the same surely should happen to the field sales force erm their abilities are reflected in in what sort of activities we give them and by looking at the people we have we then put together a team to most accurately attack whatever we want to do. I'm not sure how I'm going to structure the department, it depends on the people I get in all honesty
[Brett:] Right, okay well can we just leave this for a minute please because we're not getting
[Gary:] I mean it's not a major issue I mean it is an issue it's not a major issue it's just that there have been one or two occasions like where we have cross purposes but considering you know they are a relatively minor tour operator I wouldn't want that to muddy the water because that was just just erm a misunderstanding.
[Stuart:] What it does and I think we're also dealing with a with a with a, people like right and is probably arguably worse right who've never really had any sort of responsibility before and they not quite sure where the lines are drawn. And in a worse position than because the North they've never done any deals, never seen anybody, national accounts, done nothing in that area in terms of deals and negotiations and things like that and it was only six months ago that where could actually find out he could do deals. I mean that's the worst scenario than the one you got into
[Brett:] Oh, yeah absolutely at least we were able
[Stuart:] and what they do is all this typical regimented structures and regimented bloody this and that run like the fucking civil service
[Brett:] But we not regimented in this department we're flexible that's why these things are happening cos we turn our hands to whatever we believe is in the interests of the company.
[Stuart:] Yes I know that
[Mike:] See what I mean
[Stuart:] but it cuts across, no there there comes a point where the of this world say oh am I allowed to do this, am I allowed to do that if you've been here for more than three years right and it's particularly prevalent in Scotland, oh are we allowed to do that, oh I didn't know and that's old that is. old to a certain extent you know, she's been around longer than has and been around but influenced by who's been around a long time you see that's where we get it, you see we don't get the initiative coming in that area we get we get the oh Christ, bloody hell let's shove that one out the way that's a national account. You know.
[Gary:] That's what happened over, hadn't really dealt with big tour operators in the past and I think she got a bit nervous about it
[Brett:] Well yeah
[Mike:] erm and ended up dealing with it but that's not to say she shouldn't deal with it erm she just got to be trained how to deal with it She's put allocations on that list cos the other, the other field sales people don't see why they can't get involved with the tour operator who wants an allocation
[Gary:] Well we don't normally do allocations
[Brett:] I know
[Gary:] It's only on Innsbruck that we've done it because that's what the market demands. We don't want pe I mean we don't want sales reps agreeing to allocations I mean at the moment we haven't got anybody to administer them it's being done by groups it's going to be a nightmare in a big way
[Stuart:] Well we've actually turned away I think that the best thing is that you er that the three er obviously there's. I think that's there's certain things implied from area and er and er there's misunderstanding coming from your area
[Mike:] I don't think it's misunderstanding
[Stuart:] It is! Total misunderstanding from area. They're not quite clear at all. I can hear that just in the last ten minutes
[Mike:] Yeah, I must admit
[Stuart:] I mean, I must admit I was talking to beforehand and not clear not sure on certain things.
[speaker001:] She's asked me
[Stuart:] Whose responsibility or whose, whose supposed to be that is irrelevant, it just needs to be cleared up.
[speaker001:] Okay
[Stuart:] All right moving on rapidly
[Gary:] Before you do anything, I'm gonna interrupt here, tea coffee? Which would you like?
[Stuart:] Er black tea
[Brett:] I was gonna say same thing. A lot of these queries, or some of it stems from the fact that we're also conscious of the fact that we can't keep passing things to Gary when he's only got one person
[Gary:] wants to go full-time into erm groups and she's trying to do a one hundred and one different things. Can we not say that we say if we don't have agreement by the thirty first of January we can take someone like who we've already identified who will do the job for the money and take at least one person on pending a decision on the salary increase?
[Stuart:] I think we've got to
[Gary:] Because we need at least one person to do it, it's go it's getting out of control now
[Mike:] I think we'll have to take a person internally
[speaker001:] Do you have sugar, Gary? Well is the strongest internal candidate Sugar?
[Gary:] Yes, please
[Stuart:] Well let's
[Gary:] Do you see what I mean I don't want this to drag on and on
[Stuart:] No, no, well I know that and I know
[Gary:] Even if I can get rid of the the tour operators erm or put somebody like onto because we got up and running now and I haven't got anyone to deal with it
[Stuart:] Well I think your group selection thing with the internal candidates that's all gonna take time again isn't it?
[Gary:] No, that's what I'm saying, we've identified one person who'll join us for the summer. If we don't get approval to increase the salary by the thirty first of January so I can have the two people I want can I appoint this lady and bring her on board cos I know she'll do a reasonable job in a certain area?...
[Stuart:] Well I think you've got to, I mean
[Gary:] Don't say no please because things aren't getting
[Stuart:] No I agree with that, I think you've got to yes we'll agree that and also hopefully by then we'll have clarity the clarity on the salary and then we'll get in there in which case you're laughing, right
[Gary:] So we'll say deadline by thirty one January. If we don't get agreement we take on this lady from Oxford
[Stuart:] Because internally we still haven't got anybody that shines out have we? Yet
[Gary:] That's why I would like to do a group assessment erm but yes long term
[Stuart:] Group assessment though is is a luxury isn't it at the moment
[Gary:] I think for a day's er work it's worth assessing the three top people identified with the six outside people that I've identified who are you know in the next division down to see how they compare. I think we owe it to people like or at least to give them another crack at the whip to see if they've come on in that interim period cos it's a good six months since we interviewed
[Mike:] Well I don't think we owe it to them we just delivered them a nice big salary and they've got more than enough work to do. I think we were in that situation six months ago, I don't think we owe owe those three candidates anything now
[Gary:] Well do you think? Would you like to see them in against the outside candidates if we look at this
[Stuart:] I think it's not very likely though is it, Christ Almighty we're talking here about getting people on board to help you out the assessment are bit academic
[Gary:] right well if we haven't got the decision then by the thirty first of January you're agreed we can offer one job to from?
[Stuart:] Yeah to do the leisure things?
[Gary:] Yep
[Stuart:] Alright
[Gary:] And then if we get agreement on a salary increase then we only have to pay it to one person
[Stuart:] Well we've only got one person to pay it to
[Gary:] Well no, we got two in the sidelines, we got this Indian guy who was not coming for a second interview until we can say we'll pay him
[Stuart:] Well you don't know I mean you don't know, you might say right twenty grand and then he might say oh no I've re-considered I want twenty two and then he might say I'm not gonna turn up. He might turn up he might turn up and then say no sorry twenty grand forget it, don't want to work for you anyway. It's all a bit iff in the clouds
[Mike:] Can I just make a point this thing about salary because I know we can't people we want at the salary and all the rest of it but then there's, if we're go if that's the s if we're now saying that that's the salary for the job and there's no no way in my conscience rests clear really that we should just pay that to one person
[Gary:] It isn't, it's not ideal I mean I've got a problem with
[Mike:] Well he's happy
[Gary:] and I can't see any way out of it
[Mike:] well
[Gary:] I want the best people for the job and it if means I gotta pay one or two thousand more
[Mike:] But I'm not sure that's right I just, I mean I spent three years
[Stuart:] It's not right we know it's not right it's the fact that it's an expedient measure. We need staffing, people in that area and she's an internal candidate that's come through, she's done a good job right and and now she's you know it's not right but at the moment it gets us over a q over a quick fix
[Mike:] You can always red circle that salary at a later date and hold her increases down against other people. There are all sorts of options
[Stuart:] But as you say, it may never happen anyway. Anyone else think we should bother about that yet?
[Gary:] No but it's all tied up with this role of national accounts
[speaker001:] It's dragging on too long
[Gary:] Yes a tricky issue but I think we've got to get to grips with it
[Stuart:] Well we can get to grips with it at this meeting when you talk amongst yourselves er as to how you divide up the base accounts yeah?
[Gary:] But we can't get that meeting any earlier for you
[Stuart:] No well as well as an issue
[Mike:] But there's, there's people people holding a shotgun to our heads saying yeah I'll come and do this job and I want x. We've been all through that we've got the salaries re-graded and we don't pay a bad wage now
[Gary:] Well not at national account level I've seen lots of people now and I'm sorry
[Brett:] We've let five people go who would have joined for another two grand
[Gary:] so we mis-judged the grading of my people when we reset the salaries. The evidence is there in abundance
[Stuart:] We got it there or thereabouts for sales executives right? the area development exec job but we didn't get it right we were two grand adrift quite clearly demonstrable evidence that we were two grand adrift on that pay and I've asked now to agree to upping the pay level and if he does we might get some decent people and then we worry about the ramifications of that afterwards, yeah? But that's always the way it is in
[Mike:] Yeah
[Stuart:] You go for a quick short-term fix, right?
[Brett:] Yeah, there are, there is another quick, another quick short-term fix is promote people from within
[Mike:] Good luck to them, I'm not convinced in my own mind and I mean we've interviewed these people that there are people internally ready yet, that's why I said perhaps we should
[Stuart:] Well what're you saying then, what are you saying that, are you saying that is now ready? ready?
[Mike:] In an ideal world of course they're not but but I'm saying if if you're looking for a quick fix then that's a quick fix. You say there's three candidates there who get, one who is actually earning the money that we pay and two that aren't, the quick fix is to say right we given you an opportunity to do this national accounts job at the same salary for six months, see if you can do it, and if you do it we confirm the salary. Now that's a quick fix and hasn't cost anything, hasn't put anybody's nose out of joint and
[Gary:] It has cost you
[Mike:] No it hasn't
[Gary:] You've lost all your back-up a very high proportion of it on your own team
[Mike:] Have I?
[Gary:] Sorry I thought you were talking about two
[Mike:] He says you've got one that would join at the money and can do the job My top objective is to get on board because I believe she is the best person for the job. I've worked with her now for nearly two years and I think she'd do an excellent job. Now she may accept if the salary is not confirmed, a lower salary. I mean we've got to offer it to her and see what her ultimate decision is. She could be bluffing we don't that do we for certain erm yes we have got one who will accept the salary yes we could take one from outside the field that's why I wanted this deadline so if we don't get the increase in salary by this date we can then start planning and take on board the second tier level
[Brett:] Because there's no doubt I'll find somebody to do a field sales role
[Stuart:] Oh that's two a penny
[Brett:] Well they're easier, I'll find somebody easier
[Stuart:] Well it's easier to recruit at the lower level than it is the upper
[Brett:] Yeah, so I mean
[Gary:] But don't forget this this is a very important time with the all the increase coming in they've got a helluva lot to take on, not just learning the company but they got the new routes and everything and it's going to leave I would've thought very short in an exceptionally busy period
[Mike:] No more short than
[Brett:] I'd rather had the people I can survive with one person, one person down from the three that you've got
[Stuart:] just moved from sales hasn't she
[Brett:] I, I've I've put forward
[Stuart:] I thought didn't want to do it anyway
[Brett:] Due to location where she lives...
[Mike:] Do you think she wants to do it?
[Brett:] Yeah not 'alf
[Gary:] Yes
[Brett:] Yes, she very very erm keen to give it a go
[Mike:] You see we've gone from paying these people twelve thousand to fourteen thousand to eighteen thousand
[Gary:] in six months do you
[Brett:] See what I mean, you don't pay her that for six months, you say to her right this this is the score, we will review this first July nineteen ninety-four
[speaker001:] Would you pay her an interim amount?
[Brett:] No we can't, she's on trial. If she hack the job she gets it if she can't she goes back to what she was doing
[Gary:] Okay we'll give it until the end of January then. If we find we can't get an increase in salary
[Brett:] In fact you're in a stronger position now because then you can say she's not s she's not suitable and pass her back Well you're in a stronger position than if you take somebody on and find out six months later that they can't do it, where you gonna put them?
[Mike:] Okay we wait until the end of the month and see if comes up with the salary and work along that basis
[Gary:] Why is, do we know why he's taking so long?
[Stuart:] Who? He hasn't. He's not taken that long. I only asked him the other day
[Gary:] Oh beg your pardon sorry I didn't realise
[Stuart:] gone you see
[Gary:] yeah
[Stuart:] I mean if this had all sort of come before left we'd have got it through no problem
[Gary:] Right
[Stuart:] Unfortunately the bloke decided to leave too early...
[Brett:] Erm well one way or the other it's got the result
[Mike:] I'm quite happy to do that take and and put on a six month's trial if we don't salaries through
[Stuart:] Well something's gonna be done
[Gary:] Which is this?
[Stuart:] This is an outside candidate
[Gary:] Oh beg your pardon I'm sorry I thought you said internal right
[Stuart:] You see, I must admit you see not I don't gonna do as good a job as
[Brett:] don't think she's gonna do as good a job and that would definitely make it. If we got internal candidates
[Stuart:] well water's gone under the bridge since then
[Brett:] Yeah
[Stuart:] Water's gone under the bridge since then be fair did not perform well there's no question about it and we have worked with her in the field erm she wasn't she wasn't brilliant
[Brett:] No she
[Stuart:] She got a, I think she got a bit of a shock you know she actually probably thought she was better than she was and a lot of people had been giving her a lot of pats on the back and I tell you where half of that emanated from was down the corridor. and other various tosspots who were sort of giving her pats on the back and they were making all sorts of slurping noises about her, weren't they? erm salivating
[Brett:] Somebody else did, somebody else said something
[Stuart:] Yeah, wasn't it
[Brett:] Yeah that's right
[Stuart:] saying oh what a great person you've got. Totally uninformed judgements yet again clouding the issue. She probably had a real great impression of herself right she did and then when she turns round and we said well I'm sorry and said well sorry no got a bloody big shock, gave her a shock to the system and to be quite honest what I've seen of her since then has been a darn sight more er spruced up and a bit more on the bloody ball than she was before
[Brett:] Yep
[Stuart:] Witnessed at the Tottenham Hotspur game and er
[Mike:] Tottenham Hotspur game what else played a role in that is the two people going
[Stuart:] Yes
[Mike:] which is a nasty shock
[Stuart:] shock for everybody
[Mike:] and the
[Stuart:] and the course she was dynamite on the course, she was cruising on the course
[Mike:] yeah but she also, that we a tough course
[Stuart:] and she was very ill at the time was it?
[Brett:] so I mean she's, she's she's and I said to her when when all the things were going wrong with I had to have a lot of chats with her and said well you you've got to prove that you can rebound from this
[Stuart:] Yeah
[Brett:] you've just taken a knock you didn't get the job, it's not to say a job won't come up again now what you gonna do give up or keep trying? And she's kept trying and that's what makes me think she's got
[Stuart:] I got it here
[Brett:] But she's not, I'm not saying she's hasn't got a lot to learn
[Stuart:] Yeah, but she's only got as much to learn as the girl that girl
[speaker001:] seventh of Feb seventh of Feb
[Brett:] You can make a judgement after that, if you're not impressed after the
[Stuart:] Have you worked with her in the field? with the greatest respect you can't actually cos you haven't worked with that many of them have you?... But horses for courses you see there are not an option cos he won't move from Scotland and there's not reason why he should do and so you can forget anybody north of forget anybody in area
[Brett:] if you don't think that the girl that you've interviewed is gonna do as good a job as
[Gary:] Well it depends in which area
[Mike:] This girl's quite switched on on the tour operator side
[Stuart:] Well she's worked she works for a tour operator, she worked for a
[Mike:] she's worked in a number of different areas
[Stuart:] she hasn't gone out and sold it though has she? for one or two fairly decent names er Yeah well her her travel experience is fairly late
[Mike:] Yeah but I mean that's not necessarily an issue I mean what did she do for B M W cars?
[Brett:] Sold cars, it's nothing like what we're doing
[Stuart:] She's financing on cars
[Mike:] Well it's nothing like it is it?
[Gary:] Well you see in an ideal situation of the six people I've got on the second list there's better quality people there but they've got absolutely zero experience but we're not the sort of company who can take these people on and train them really
[Stuart:] I'd agree with there
[Mike:] So you know we're stuck between a rock and a hard place
[Brett:] Yeah but at the end of the day is she is she better or worse than?
[Stuart:] Yeah
[Mike:] I would've put them on the same level in all honesty
[speaker001:] where do you put them then?
[Stuart:] I would go for every time better the devil you know for that reason alone really
[Brett:] In many ways I wish we'd taken on that girl now who we saw right at the very beginning with
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] Fucking hell what? Oh I don't think she was right either sorry old son
[Gary:] Yeah you see but when I was seeing them one after the other tens and twenties you don't see the dross you see
[Stuart:] Well I know I don't see [LAUGHTER]. Nobody's criticising you nobody's making I'm not making a criticism of her cos at the end of the day right if we now talking the scenario that we're painting now let's take this girl on, not girl girl on right, you can have cos she's far more impressive. You would have had, if you played the scenario back, take yourself back in time when we interviewed this bird you would have had well I would have had her
[Mike:] Well I gotta say I I I
[Stuart:] Not in the biblical sense but you know what I mean
[Gary:] I was quick to snap her up before you changed your mind she wasn't right for national accounts at that time she'd been good in the groups role
[Brett:] yeah but you haven't got the right people now have you?
[Stuart:] He hasn't got anybody now
[Mike:] No what I'm saying is we'd have the right people if we pay more money, that's the core of the problem
[Brett:] That's moving the flipping goalposts isn't it?
[Stuart:] I think the thing you have to say that as far as I'm concerned, from what I've see of her so far and I haven't worked with her in the field yet but far brighter spark in your department than that one we interviewed the other day
[Gary:] All I'm saying is I've got to have people, I've got confidence in me because at the end of the day I'm responsible
[Stuart:] Well this right well I know that I know that. All I'm try we're only speaking from the best interests here, speaking from the bloody heart rather than the head probably here but we we do want th we do want the best but it's the old old story, it's botching it up isn't it, it's fudging it, it's trying to fit a square pet into a role cos we pay crap money y'know
[Mike:] Yeah, if at the end of the day it's a quick fix then
[Stuart:] Yeah, quick f if a the end of the day it's a quick fix we may as well take somebody we've got
[Mike:] Yeah, exactly cos at least they know the culture
[Stuart:] culture, they know what an agent looks like and they know what a tour operator looks like and they know and they know one or two other people around and so on and so forth
[speaker001:] They also know what's expected of them
[Gary:] Okay, we'll set the deadline at thirty one January
[speaker001:] Right okay Do you want to dictate it to me? [LAUGHTER]
[Gary:] it was agreed that thirty one January would be set as a deadline for recruiting national account execs, pending a salary review
[Stuart:] Are these national account or key account
[speaker001:] Key account Key account
[Gary:] Thank you. Right I'll just put national account execs, key account execs, right okay
[Stuart:] Alright well I think well I think actually well I know we've droned on about it for half an hour but I think it's worth a discussion to be quite honest, don't you? I know it is, it's not exactly doing a lot for me either but er cos it gets raised every bloody management meeting but I think having discussed the matter we've actually opened ourselves out a few more options than we probably thought we had
[speaker001:] Yep
[Stuart:] Right? And I think that's
[Gary:] It'd be nice to have and say in together
[Stuart:] Well let's see you see at the end of the day will probably suit you better er cos she's quite mature isn't she for her age?
[speaker001:] Yeah
[Stuart:] That's just because she's married to an older man basically er she's I know it's a sweeping generalisation but it is it is a fact that and and she's more your type
[Gary:] What does that mean?
[Stuart:] Well, she's quiet and quite steady
[Gary:] Well we have to be we have to be because erm
[Stuart:] I know you do it's not don't get touchy old pal, it's not a criticism. You do in account management is a different discipline than field sales. Account management is a a lot about files and backup and administration and sorting this out and sorting that out. Yeah it is, it's going out and doing the business as well but it's gotta have a lot more intellectual input er in you know in terms of having a having a greater insight into how a company works, how an airline operates, how the marketing department operates and so forth. Why do you think I why do you think I gave you the fucking job eh? National accounts department. You know. would've struggled in that job. He'd be the first to admit it.
[Brett:] I'm struggling in this one
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]
[Stuart:] You know it is you do need that quality people who have a bit of insight but got a lot of those
[Gary:] Yeah
[Stuart:] She's got a lot of those what what's the word?
[speaker001:] Skills
[Stuart:] Not necessarily skills, she's got a lot of those erm
[speaker001:] Disciplines?
[Stuart:] Erm
[Gary:] Do you think they've come on then since we interviewed here? Cos it's sad in my opinion that going back to where we were several months ago because we set out out to attracting higher quality people paying them more money and we've come back again to basically seeing the people who we saw in the first instance
[Mike:] Yeah, but time's have changed. Things have changed since then. You've only gotta look in the back of the T T G because there's now four pages of jobs compared to half a page that's why all these people can now ask for more money. Eighteen months ago they wouldn't have been asking for more money
[Stuart:] They wouldn't have dared. Well you wouldn't have got and er when you did
[Mike:] No, exactly, no
[Stuart:] You wouldn't get them now. You wouldn't get them today
[speaker001:] Wouldn't get them today no
[Stuart:] Tell you to stuff you know, get stuffed I think I think we know where we're coming from there and I mean that's worthwhile. Point six, he says quickly, what does that mean, point six?
[Mike:] Point six means that wh just to remind you that when we had the sales conference we did promise these
[Stuart:] Yes, I know, I remember that, that's what I thought it may be. I thought about it last night and I was laying awake all last night thinking about it
[speaker001:] So was I
[Stuart:] I think we [LAUGHTER] I think the only way we can actually really do this is is to pick one from area, one from your area, one from area and one from Europe and just have er almost arbitrary er decision but justify it. Fucking hell
[Mike:] We have to come to an arbitrary decision and then justify it
[Stuart:] Yes, so it looks kosher
[speaker001:] And I think what we should have is a fifth person which is an outstanding sales award or something like that which covers all regions cos in Europe you woul you wouldn't vote for any of them would you?
[Stuart:] I don't think there's any question about that
[speaker001:] We'll make a case that he can't. We'll kick him in the groin if he questions it
[Stuart:] Your area's got have one, got have one erm and we have er one I think deserves something er I think erm one other person may be deserves something, who that is, God knows who. But I mean is gonna struggle cos he ain't had many people for very long, has he? The only person he's had through the tr the turbulence and turmoil of the last year is and you wouldn't give her a
[speaker001:] You wouldn't give her anything, should have it I don't see what's wrong with frankly, she's been through it all and she's hung on in there
[Stuart:] Which is a very er don't pre-judge it has gotta decide, you've gotta decide your area, that's one north, one south. Europe? well we could beat about the bush but there's not a single rep on the road that ever gets out the office so gotta win it cos I actually saw I actually we I actually saw her go out and see a customer so she must she must be er
[Brett:] [LAUGHTER] she saw two with you? Well she saw six with me right, that's eight times more than any of the rest of them have seen so I mean that's er
[Mike:] That's not fair does a good job
[speaker001:] Yeah
[Mike:] so er is a waste of space so and he works he works for so er that's stuff it
[Stuart:] You pick who you want but you gotta justify it and er and then so so okay, for arguments sake you pick say, for arguments sake picks. is picked in er Europe er that's three. Er outstanding achievement award er dreamt up title say er and then runner up to that or something like that or something like that, yeah?
[speaker001:] Yeah?
[Mike:] I think that would be a good mix actually
[Stuart:] And then you got five, yeah?...
[speaker001:] Yep
[Stuart:] Well we promised them a week in Bali, didn't we? How the fuck we'll get round that I don't know
[Mike:] What, the five of them together, unaccompanied?
[Brett:] No, the five plus partners we said, didn't we?
[Gary:] Plus partners yeah
[Stuart:] And there could be one outstanding person of the year telephone sales which God knows I wouldn't wanna pick that. Dear oh dear. Who'd wanna pick that?
[speaker001:] I think they oughta drop res out of it. It's too complicated isn't it? Can you image one sales agent getting a flipping prize like that? mental, there'd be a riot.
[Stuart:] So that was that point, was it?
[Brett:] Yep
[Stuart:] So let's say we award five, five categories, shall I put that down? Five categories of award... for nineteen ninety-three performance er awarded at sales conferences, yeah
[Mike:] I actually think that, I know it is more complicated and messy but I think that she should pick someone from res. I think you've got to keep er you've got to keep that momentum going because
[Stuart:] Yeah well I'll speak to about it by all means but I'm not quite sure how the hell she's gonna be able to do it. Yeah?
[Mike:] know it's difficult
[Stuart:] No it's alright there might be a way I mean I could be wrong, I could be wrong
[Mike:] I know it is more complicated and messy but I think that she should pick someone from res. I think you've got to keep er you've got to keep that momentum going because
[Stuart:] Yeah well I'll speak to about it by all means but I'm not quite sure how the hell she's gonna be able to do it. Yeah?
[Mike:] know it's difficult
[Stuart:] No it's alright there might be a way I mean I could be wrong, I could be wrong.
[Mike:] Right, having put them under the banner, clear banner of sales you know
[Stuart:] Yeah
[Mike:] To be excluded and then you know when all the glory's around there's no-one there again. I'm sure that's that's gonna work against what you've been trying to do since you got here. You know, maybe we pick someone from groups who've been doing a lot of good work lately, perhaps or something or you know some something like that, just er so they're not left out the frame You're gonna want to support someone in groups aren't you?
[Stuart:] Sorry?
[Mike:] You're gonna want to support someone in groups with the changes coming on board, know what I mean?
[Stuart:] Alright, alright let me speak separately to about that. What about er then?
[Brett:] well the have agreed the contract. Er I did bring it with me to give to but obviously I'll have to send it now. I've got the phone number er it's just a case now of er getting on and getting it advertised and marketing it but it's all been signed
[Stuart:] Is the ledger line?
[Brett:] Yeah
[Stuart:] Are we marketing it then?
[Brett:] Through all the literature the produce
[Stuart:] not doing a brochure then huh?
[Brett:] Oh got to produce a few sheets of stuff and we've gotta get the addresses of the bases and get it distributed and it's a task I'm gonna pass on to
[Stuart:] But the don't do their own brochure th?
[Brett:] Yeah, they do services, booking services, yeah. We we he's giving us free advertising in there for issue anyway
[Stuart:] W where do they ring? What number do they ring?
[Brett:] Erm
[Stuart:] I don't want the number, where is it?
[Brett:] Norwich
[Stuart:] Oh, it's in Norwich, is it?
[Brett:] Yeah, they wanted to put it in Norwich...
[Stuart:] Well fair enough
[Brett:] I just hope she's got it right cos I've explained it all to her and sh
[Stuart:] Well to be quite honest I think the reason she wanted it in Norwich was cos Glasgow're over-loaded as it was I think and they had to learn new skills and staff support and therefore it might not be a good idea to have them as well
[Brett:] Right so that's fine so I've got the number, I've got things signed, they've got the rates, can handle it you know, she's all ready to go and get the advertising in and that should start
[Stuart:] And when does that start then?
[Brett:] Well it's it's it's started really
[Stuart:] What do you mean, it's started?
[Brett:] Well at first of February
[Stuart:] Is it?
[Brett:] Yeah, paper work's all been signed now
[Stuart:] And what's it called, Leisure Line or
[Brett:] Yeah, Leisure Line
[Stuart:] Alright okay
[Brett:] Cash er cheque or credit card... and then I said to you that's really some it's really a special market that, Leisure Line. it's a special market
[Gary:] Well no not once it's set up, it runs itself, doesn't it?
[Brett:] Well someone's gotta liaise with the, someone's got to make sure that re erm res are up-dated with rates
[Gary:] Yeah, but rates just get so whenever we up-date those they just get the new rates
[Brett:] Yeah, but I mean someone's got to open it
[Stuart:] They're not getting I T A flights, they're getting for full fare, aren't they?
[Brett:] No no mega passengers
[Stuart:] Cor this looks a good deal
[Brett:] It is a good deal, that's why
[Stuart:] Fucking hell is not as generous as that
[Brett:] I know it's not
[Stuart:] full fare
[Brett:] is only flights, ours isn't
[Stuart:] What d'you mean it's flights?
[Brett:] it's any flight, thirty percent off, our is off-peak flights class plus a ten pound booking fee
[Stuart:] So I can't remember everything you know
[Brett:] Ten quid booking fee I got out of them as well so it's better than
[Stuart:] Ten pound booking fee?
[Gary:] Yeah, per booking, not per passenger, per booking
[Stuart:] So they're gonna pay ten quid for booking?
[Brett:] Yeah
[Stuart:] Well aright I'm k I've just had long had long memories of the. You've done well, I think you, so what has the said then, is that a national account or is it?
[speaker001:] Well I suppose ultimately it is if they use the yeah. They come in as a net fare operator
[Brett:] Someone's gotta organise all the literature and the
[Stuart:] Oh well maybe you discuss that at your meeting on the second of February yeah cos er where that lies with I'm not bothered who it lies with to be quite honest... Er, so what you're saying basically on point seven then is it's all tickety boo is it?
[speaker001:] Yeah Yeah Open for business
[Stuart:] Open for business. Cor I've heard that phrase before.
[speaker001:] It's only taken two years to
[Stuart:] Staff travel policy part eight erm well. made his comments about that. Does anybody really want to have a twopennorth on the erm staff travel comment cos [LAUGHTER] cos, had her twopennorth, put this together brilliantly before he left
[Brett:] Where is it then, where's the
[Stuart:] These documents, I mean it deals with ev everything apart from the main things about
[Gary:] One of the big changes that they propose is that should be put on an exact par with within. Not th not talking about travel on other carriers but within
[Stuart:] The service charges well Standardising service charges for tickets er things like firm concessions God Almighty erm who is going to decide whether denim suits look quite smart
[speaker001:] I put that
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] suggested that they be allowed as they can be quite smart [whispering] something from the seventies []
[Stuart:] Dress. We should seriously look at modifying this rigid code of dress. Some sports jackets and denim suits are quite smart and these would be quite acceptable to the group of companies. What is not acceptable are jeans with holes in the knees etcetera. Oh when we travel with other airlines you must abide by the specific code of dress.
[Mike:] You're gonna really cloud the issue if you if you s if you say denim's allowed.
[Gary:] Go on, tell him what I said directors
[Stuart:] Yeah... directors policy would be dealt with separately. This was in paper. Entitlement for directors to be reviewed separately, right, it says here. As none of the directors are shareholders in the group right, surely they are employees?
[speaker001:] Yes they are Quite right
[Stuart:] Anyway, it's a bit of a can of worms that to be quite honest
[speaker001:] I'll collect my P forty-five later on
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]. You should be so lucky.
[Brett:] Have you seen a pencil sharpener in here?
[Gary:] He's obsessed by pencil sharpeners this guy
[Stuart:] You should get a proper posh pencil like I have
[Brett:] Yeah, these ones keep breaking
[Stuart:] Well you should get one like this Cos this one just detached out like that you see, the pencil sharpener's on the end
[speaker001:] Oh that's clever
[Stuart:] Just sharpen it up, put it back in and retract it and you've got a sharp pencil. The business Well I got given these when I was a rep at when I started, ten years ago and I've still got half a dozen of these you know. That's that's the difference between us and [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] That's not the only difference
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] pencil fill out your order forms
[Stuart:] Ah yeah
[speaker001:] Cos there's computer-generated and picked up graphite from pencil
[Mike:] Yeah cos I notice you do everything in pencil in your diary, don't you?
[Stuart:] That's right and er They did actually, I've lost the clip. It should actually have a clip so that you stick it in your inside pocket
[speaker001:] Has one got a rubber in it as well?
[Stuart:] It's a clutch pencil, the business. This is this is this is yonks ago. We're talking about, oh fifteen years ago maybe [LAUGHTER]. Fifteen years ago that's the sort of technology that we were. We even got round g we even got round to giving them mobile phones.
[speaker001:] We haven't got a fax in the sales office
[Gary:] yours truly did a bit of negotiation on that this week but more of that later maybe when we have er we haven't got any A O B's so while we're on that subject
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gary:] I did just ask, out of the blue
[speaker001:] faxed across to Stansted cos she's waiting for it Oh yeah...
[Mike:] I'll get one of the girls downstairs to do it, can I? She's gotta fax it over to Southampton cos I've got the master
[speaker001:] Southampton?
[Mike:] It's twenty to four
[Stuart:] Alright, well I tell you what, we'll have a break then for five minutes because er I forgot I need to phone the office
[Mike:] I need to go home
[Stuart:] Sorry?
[Mike:] I need to go home
[Stuart:] Go home then you're bloody welcome. Told to go home
[Gary:] What have we got left? Sales services,?
[speaker001:] Half an hour...
[Stuart:] Right...
[speaker001:] this phone?... d'you reckon? ...
[Gary:] Hm, hello there, could I speak to please in the sales office?...
[speaker001:] the puffy lunch
[Mike:] Where's that bloody pencil sharpener thing gone? I asked for it on Wednesday, she's gone me one, she put in this bag and
[speaker001:] ...
[Gary:] Oh, well we'll see if I get chance later on I'll phone, alright?... oh that can wait. I'm gonna come in first thing Monday thought cos I've gotta pick some things up right. But it's a ten past ten flight, I'll be left by half past nine so I'll be there for half an hour
[speaker001:] ...
[Gary:] Oh yeah, sales merchandising company yeah?... Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh does he really? Well forget him then. That's a sales representation company. We don't want any sales representation in Belfast. We've got somebody that'll go over there once a m once a year is enough for the business. Yeah yeah. D'you want do you? Alright, that's it then apart from that right okay, alright, I'll put you on to then. I'll see you later. I'll see you Monday morning then, have a good weekend. Alright dear. Bye
[Brett:] Hello alright?
[speaker001:] Pencil sharpener
[Mike:] I've been search for it and here it is look at that, two in there, that's the new one
[Stuart:] Oh, they've half-inched it have they? Oh dear dear, can't have that eh? Valuable commodities pencil sharpeners
[Gary:] Talking about valuable commodities, when are we gonna get on to the subject of
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] oh dear Excuse me excuse me boys we have er we have a rare opportunity here to have er a bring the sales meeting to an end where we will resume in the sub-committee, the third party in the sales office users sub-committee [LAUGHTER]
[Mike:] You realise you dragged me away from one of my important I A T A meetings today?
[Stuart:] He's never missed one since he hasn't missed one since the second world war
[Brett:] Was it? Oh well done, all you gotta do is find the agenda now. Okay then we'll see you some time over there will I?... Right okay great yeah yeah right okay lovely. So you s you just stay in the morning eh? Right that's it fine. Fair enough, thanks a lot, see you later, bye.
[Stuart:] Right, well back to this please. Final final sales update
[Brett:] Very quick, erm for the new route to already got all his plates for Munich, erm we're under negotiations with
[speaker001:] to go in there?
[Brett:] Well we're trying for first of March. I don't know if accounts' ll be ready because they've got to set up new bank accounts in Norway and Denmark and accounts with the credit card companies in both of the countries separately. Erm, as far as we're concerned we can get it under way. I'm seeing on Tuesday to see how he wants to g us to go about it in Norway. I think because we're going to have lack of erm secretarial setup erm in either country
[Gary:] Denmark is a priority
[Brett:] we'll almost certainly erm use the contractor over there, the recognised contractor, both for supplying and servicing all our planes. It's erm a modest cost. I'll do a complete costing on it but I think er the only thing is of course there are so few agents total. We're talking just under two hundred in Denmark and just under three hundred in Norway it may be cost-effective for us to do it ourselves with initial distribution from Stansted and maybe a local person doing any new distributions but I think in all honesty it will be as cheap for us
[Mike:] You see because does that
[Brett:] Erm I think accounts are gonna be pushed f pushed for the first of March. queried whether we really needed to be in it and I told him that sales wanted it and the reasons why we wanted to be in erm even the fact that it was going to k erm give us more accounting work erm whatsisname what bank is it?
[speaker001:] Yeah
[Brett:] There are four banks in all and that means extra accounts and what are you going to do with all that money? I said remind you that all money at the moment goes either to first which isn't quite so bad cos they're family but a vast amount goes into and, both of whom have therefore access to our commercial sensitive, for want of a better term, information and we want to control that. We want to put it back in to. We also want the money quicker which erm I would have thought would more than outweigh any of the so-called extra expense that you've got and er I said we regard it as an essential sales tool to be get m better recognition in the country so er he is progressing with the applications. As regards the purely administrative side, I can see no problem at all, can see no problem. Erm, it's extremely highly automated both in respect of the agents and the reporting and everything which er says will actually be very good for them. Erm but what we will have to do is set up our local procedures as regards agents queries and things like that in both countries, both with and also whatever you decide in Denmark of how we run the procedure but that can be something later but what we'll need to do is no doubt before we actually do the distribution to the agents and the erm the information out to them th why we're going into on our own as opposed to being served by the other carriers. So erm that's really it. I'm not intending to do anything with any carriers as regards new stuff through the
[Stuart:] it's me. Alright dear?
[Brett:] schedule, just in case we suddenly find we haven't got slots and
[Stuart:] yes, I got the message
[Brett:] signed up and until they give us a firm this is it but there will be one or two quite good new opportunities I think. One or two of the long-haulers in Munich who are erm
[speaker001:] Copenhagen as well
[Brett:] Copenhagen yes sorry there's existing ones but there's there's erm I think Malaysian and is it Denmark, somebody like that
[Mike:] You got my note on
[speaker001:] Yes thank you
[Mike:] Cos that's quite easy to set up
[speaker001:] No erm do they want it on er full and excursions? Two separate rates and do they want it net or gross?
[Mike:] You need to contact that guy
[speaker001:] Okay so I'll t I'll talk to him direct
[Mike:] Okay
[speaker001:] Erm but Stansted Paris and Stansted Frankfurt centre business trips and Really? Of course they've got the so they can go round the circuit Yeah Using us as the middle bit, it doesn't matter which airport they use?
[Stuart:] Cos we need to cos we need to sort of all hands to the pump next week cos we've got a big change-over... Yeah but I know ink... well no cos the leaflet he's got has only just been approved and it's going out next week... yeah... well I mean you're to ha you're to handle their enquiries er deal with their enquiries and then tell them to phone... yeah... yeah yeah but you see it's the mailing that's gone out and and then he's got to do some advertising first two weeks in Feb. Mailing's gone out. It's not really made it clear that it's for bookings and reservations as well. It's not made it clear. It says this is the only number you want but as read it and said well it doesn't really make it clear it's for reservations and bookings and it doesn't really so we'll just have to make sure that it damn well happens on the advert. The other thing is I need er we need to monitor the source of er informations reg information regarding the cordless phone promotion so I've devised a form which I'll get faxed... yeah in other words, where did they find out about the promotion. Right? Oh other people. So when they phone up your girls and they say oh I I've seen this promotion about a cordless phone I want the girls to ask where where did you hear about it? Well I've desi I've got a special form for it... Mhm yeah right okay and we well this is this is a different type of form and it needs it we need it more specific. We need to know whether it was from the Mail on Sunday or the Sunday Times, from the television, all those sort of things and it's just a simple form, they tick a tick a box. Right so I'll I'll post that up to somebody... right. Well I'll I'll fax it first thing in the morning on Monday right or somebody will so you can get it y'know we just need to monitor it for a week and that's it. No longer so just to get a feel f...
[speaker001:] she lacks what I would call sales technique
[Stuart:] Yeah but it was well it in until two days before Christmas
[speaker001:] that's one thing she has done more of in this last six months structure. If I showed her this you know what you've done there
[Stuart:] yeah well I mean I wouldn't
[speaker001:] and a number have had two or three on time saver with the incentive
[Mike:] I can't see the reason
[speaker001:] No, but she works from home, she's got
[Mike:] got an advantage she got a fax at home
[Stuart:] yeah well that's probably not a bad thing. No well I don't want anybody going round saying that the phones have been inundated in Norwich because we because we haven't circularised the number properly cos that's our fault not anybody else's
[Mike:] come in every day does she, not if she's got calls to make from home
[speaker001:] I don't mean today I mean if she's going in to London or something you know she's got a base in London to do something in the morning before she goes on a call as opposed to some of them who haven't got a proper office space
[Stuart:] Well it will be for a for a month at least until people find out the number
[speaker001:] running a social club
[Stuart:] Well I mean the sort of like in Reading will probably only call once every blue moon... Yeah but you've got a situation where there's and and sort of and th she's not gonna tell is she?th what's going on...
[speaker001:] all that off her own back y'know, only a little thing but she's doing that as well
[Stuart:] Yeah
[speaker001:] I don't know you'll have to... Yeah
[Stuart:] Yeah well b well what I'm trying to say and I can't emphasise it too strongly is that I don't want anybody going round like writing another stupid letter to somebody saying that erm you know the reason we're inundated that it hasn't been advertised properly cos I tell you what it'll come back right in our faces cos it's our bloody fault... Well that's right well we know that I mean I told them all I told them all quite clearly when I was up in Glasgow that they'd be quiet for at least a month because p it'll take time to filter through. You know, the number and I mean hasn't been able to get round to buying space in the T T G and Travel Weekly until the first two weeks in February cos we were so late in informing him... I must had this conversation has taken away the brochure so there's not a copy here but we'll try and get hold of some as soon as possible but I mean they're mainly for Glasgow but had been been up there from R and D y'know and she said that the people up there didn't seem to know the slightest thing about interline how to deal with interline tickets and agency tickets and all that sort of business. Well I think that well... [LAUGHTER] what interline? oh good thinking. Well good th yeah right yeah. Well she c well when she came down there I mean she wasn't trying to score points or anything. I just think that she was genuinely worried that they didn't seem to know a lot about it. I said well I thought well has been up there been up there er I thought had been up there a had been up there? Yeah
[speaker001:] ... Now that's that's not account management in the same way that isn't it?
[Stuart:] well between the two between the two no the only between the two in Glasgow is that you've got to cover it all anyway Whatever. I mean if Glasgow breaks down for I mean if the pros get called out for two weeks it's not gonna make a big deal of difference at Norwich. But you know what's gonna happen. Some arsehole right is going to pick up and say oh well I phoned up this and y'know and then phoned the bloody managing director...
[speaker001:] based on a two for one that's hundred and ten quid
[Stuart:] yeah well exactly that's wh yeah that's what I said alright...
[speaker001:] that's what we that's what we sold
[Stuart:] right [LAUGHTER] no...
[speaker001:] anything like that again just
[Stuart:] yeah well you know it's okay... well you know I well you know yeah it's just that it worried me about this meeting here and three people out of the five people in the room didn't realise that it was a reservations and booking service. They thought it was an enquiry line that was [LAUGHTER] yeah well it just shows you though doesn't it? It says it's there is a moral in the story as they say. Well you can never you never assume anything and thought it was a reservations line oh was sorry it wasn't a reservations line and that it was just an enquiry line. Well I know I know [LAUGHTER] is the only one that realised I would've been more shocked if had [LAUGHTER] yeah [LAUGHTER] I would have been out on the pavement here whistling with a banjo whistling Dixie there you are [LAUGHTER] that one [LAUGHTER] no not yet no. No it's er the initial the initial report that's gone back has said that you're gonna have a bad knee very shortly [LAUGHTER] but apart from that you'll be inflicted with some physical injury. Yeah well par for the course par for the course. Well I hope you're alright anyway. Put yo put your foot up y it's about time for Home and Away now so you've gotta get that on [LAUGHTER] No I'm not I'm not starting to get worried dearest. Alright. No I'm only phoning you because you phoned I'm only phoning because you ph yeah yeah no no we've been here all the time and the phone didn't ring once... well...
[speaker001:] some houses some houses for sale in your village aren't there?
[Stuart:] Yeah there's one little minor adjustment that you y you might be aware you might need to be aware of. Due to protestations that er is g for the meantime is go in the interim is going to man Glasgow er on Saturday afternoons. Well he's just gonna make them stay longer isn't he? Well that's fine, don't worry we'll get round it. Just just for a couple of weekends to see how many actual calls we do get. Ah just a couple of people that's all two people and er they'll just have to get round it somehow but we don't... yeah... well you speak to him right yeah well they can have they can have what they want but I mean it might be just a short term thing. It depends it depends on how many calls we get but says that the agencies are all open on Saturday afternoons, you shouldn't get lots of leisure leisure bookings and... [LAUGHTER] yeah yeah
[speaker001:] I heard that
[Stuart:] No he no [LAUGHTER] no way she didn't say that [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] I could hear her thinking it then
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] he could hear you thinking that he was a silly old git [LAUGHTER]. Do you know this conversation's being taped? You've missed you've missed this today. You've missed this today. We're having a k our entire meeting's being taped for er for an interest of science [LAUGHTER] in the interests of science for posterity for a survey on English language
[speaker001:] [yawn]
[Stuart:] No no this is being done by a university or Longmans press or something like that, surveying the use of language in the nineteen nineties. However [LAUGHTER] they can hear me but they can't hear you so that's no no no we've had a fairly usual frank and honest er discussion. Right okay. Right we'll leave it at that then. Have a nice weekend, keep on taking the pills [LAUGHTER] yeah well you know what it's like y'know there'll be so many people dying for this to fail... well they don't know what's going on but but all they'll get is one call interception which says I can't get through I can't get through, or I've tried this number and it doesn't work and blah you know usual thing but... right I must [LAUGHTER] keep on taking the Buffalo Bills. Yeah that's right. Yes Amsterdam [LAUGHTER] no no no I'm cont contactable. I'll be contactable. I'll be in first thing for half an hour and then I'm off... alright. I'll be in Amsterdam sales office for the af from two o'clock in the afternoon yeah
[speaker001:] There's a thrill for ya
[Stuart:] Alright cheers bye. Right, sorry about that chaps. Sorry. Right then
[Gary:] Are you doing an internal notice on the changes to all departments, including the other airports and everything like that or who's gonna put that out?
[Stuart:] Well I was going to but I was I was hoping to get some news on er summer cruise cos I'm gonna do a whole sales department down in swops and changes first
[Gary:] But I'm just thinking, the airport's should know and also the switchboards should know...
[Stuart:] Well I told, knows...
[speaker001:] ... don't look at me like that cos I know that that means
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] No it's alright. I think that there ought to be a proper company wide inst or certainly U K wide instruction going out so that everybody's aware of the changes
[Stuart:] Alright. I'll send a note round then. You watch some bright spark will say
[speaker001:] I think you're gonna get that anyway whatever you People don't mind being referred if it's something that is genuinely but say they phone Leeds and Leeds don't know and Leeds refer them to a number they think it is and then they refer to a third number then somebody gets. If Leeds say it's not something we can deal with here, this is the number you ring and they've been told the wrong number that is a very bad impression and all the airports get calls constantly, as you know from B A days, so no matter what it's about people will ring a local number, no matter whether it's in two foot high capitals saying for enquiries ring this number Yeah Even though it says it's free for you to do it, they'll still ring up another number
[Stuart:] Alright so are we have we done point ten have we?
[speaker001:] Yeah
[Stuart:] Yeah. Point eleven. You've got the notes
[speaker001:] You you were just saying about us not knowing. There's my notes from the when I actually passed a repeat and we didn't say that travel agents sales were going to be done on that number. I wrote them down, trade enquiries, then I Don't you remember I stopped no you won't remember but I stopped because I was writing down exactly what we were doing
[Stuart:] Alright I won't repeat what said
[speaker001:] Thank you very much
[Stuart:] All I'll say is you missed a good lunch [LAUGHTER]. Right, air passenger duty. Th the notes that're attached are actually for er he's been looking into the matter and basically it's for information only really
[Brett:] It's completely comprehensive and really the only thing I would say in addition to that is er there are further meetings coming up. The next one is er got a meeting on it er I think the airlines are going on a very much a co- ordinated thing er I think most people are probably in agreement with this size eight exemption, make a group specific because really the idea when they put this original proposal in about the size of aircraft was to protect things like the and troops that are shall we say and I think most people would go for that line of thinking because as put in there, why the hell should something again on Cambridge when we can't on Stansted but it was really designed to protect certain things. Erm somehow or other it's going to come along and I think most people's thinkings are that it will be shown as a tax item on the ticket as are the taxes in other countries As you can see the erm, where is it, we've got to have, or the airlines have got to have their submissions in by the end of this month so if we have got anything really that we want to say from sales we ought to be letting have it in in a formal thing. Er the other thing I did mention is we're not the only people who have erm problems with typing. Timetables
[Stuart:] Did you know that I was the only one in the management meeting that picked that up?
[speaker001:] You were?
[Stuart:] I was the only one that picked that up, that I was incorrectly spelt And the other one that caught on second was which says something doesn't it? And even when it was explained to he didn't clock it.
[speaker001:] Really?
[Stuart:] No, he just looked at everybody blank
[Gary:] I went to erm whatever her name is, no, is it? Training cabin staff lady, I've forgotten her name Yeah. And said that really shouldn't our cabin staff announcements be changed to say, that the use of portable telephones is not permitted on the aircraft. She says it is. I said well will you please stop the girls saying the use of portable telephones are not permitted
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gary:] I said three flights that I've been on in the last fortnight. She said Stansted crew, I said yes, and Norwich and Glasgow. Apparently it is laid down as is but they're all saying are because they thing it's telephones are, not use is
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] That's a good one for the tape isn't it? [LAUGHTER]
[Gary:] Considering they come from the pick and mix department at
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] is that another one of phrases, is it? Oh it's a fill in, I thought that was sort of more like a personnel type phrase. queens the pick and mix department from oh brilliant. No, it's the personnel statement is well what do you expect from queens who can't talk proper [LAUGHTER]
[Mike:] While we're on the subject of can we clear
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] no well that comes last. Please can we get on with the serious stuff please.
[Mike:] Oh this is serious I'm sorry it is
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] oh hang on a minute, wait til I've finished please
[Mike:] okay sorry
[Stuart:] Right, last one then. Twelve, summer schedule ninety four. Does anyone want to say anything about that?
[Brett:] I don't know cos we thought you'd be the only one who actually managed to get a copy when nobody else could lay their fice for the af from two o'clock in the afternoon yeah F finalised
[Gary:] Well it seems that being a member of the luncheon club gives you some benefits
[Stuart:] Yes yes Is it worthwhile talking about it now or shall we leave it til next week?
[speaker001:] Probably best
[Gary:] asked for a second rotation on Scotland to Amsterdam on a Saturday
[Stuart:] Yeah
[Gary:] In fact, what they've done is split the morning service. Separate aircraft from Aberdeen and Edinburgh so that will double the capacity but it won't give us two frequencies of cost. So I mean that's that's Seventy five percent of solving the problem because the big problem for capacity was the in-bound on a Saturday morning which, of course, will be solved now
[Stuart:] Well we need to we need t there are one or two what I would call relatively minor scheduling issues that we need to keep a handle on and again it's the usual, it's the East coast and Essex stuff isn't it? You know, Teesside, Norwich that sort of thing. I mean, one or two, I mean t you've got a copy haven't ya of latest missive on this which was the twenty third of December actually about all these things. I think he went into far too much detail about it. I'm worried about this Amsterdam Amsterdam because it's obvious from paper
[Brett:] Mhm
[Stuart:] right that have got a bit of a niche round about five o'clock from bloody Amsterdam and we're getting shafted. I looked at it, I looked at the er
[Brett:] Yeah, it's a question of what goes up comes down. It's all the same stuff you know, we can't move forward unless it comes forward at the other end
[Stuart:] well you see there to seventeen forty and Stansted to the comparable er
[speaker001:] Yeah
[Stuart:] service is nineteen fifty. We're getting slaughtered on that and on the other way round. Th that's now what's the w what time is the fifth rotation?
[Mike:] Seventeen hundred
[Stuart:] It's crap, it's in the middle of the day, it's a load of shit, never sell that. It needs to be it needs to be at one at four, one at six or something like if we can possibly do it
[Mike:] In fact you know that's probably one of the only ways we can attack on this
[Stuart:] Exactly well it's look at this report. Of all the things that sprung out at me on the paper in this report that we could actually do something about was to slot in a fifth round about the five o'clock crunch time and taken them out the market but I...
[Mike:] do something about
[Stuart:] Er eighteen forty five to Stansted is ours, there's a seventeen twenty
[Mike:] Yeah it's much better
[Stuart:] Well it's much more user-friendly schedule than we've got. They're four a day, we're four a day. We've got five a day. We've got one more than them therefore we should use it to our advantage.
[Gary:] We haven't got the aircraft at that time, it's peak time
[Stuart:] Well why do we then shove it in a stupid s four o'clock job?
[Gary:] Because that's when the seats are available
[Stuart:] Yeah well come on I mean we ought to be able to be a little bit more creative than that. That's one issue that I don't like. The other issues are Aberdeen to we're gonna get shafted again cos have got a different schedule now haven't they?
[Gary:] They're going to today
[Stuart:] Yeah, are they? But aren't they going from seven o'clock nine o'clock or something like that?
[Gary:] No
[speaker001:] No
[Gary:] No, not now, our schedules are perfect with that they're planning cos I spoke to the other day
[Stuart:] Oh well
[speaker001:] Are they still ahead of us out to Aberdeen back to though? They're gonna be after us now Are they?
[Gary:] before us but their plan now is to come after us on a D C nine
[Stuart:] Oh right, well that's not so bad then I'm happy
[speaker001:] so if we get
[Stuart:] on this. I'm not sure about the er I'm not sure what the issues are regarding Aberdeen Aberdeen
[speaker001:] short spain
[Stuart:] Yeah short which is what you suggested get this plane from and then we can probably er
[speaker001:] And we need to put an end to the rumour about Stansted I mean it's ridiculous
[Stuart:] Well this i that's a lunch club rumour because that one has not been to airport
[Mike:] Yeah but that
[Stuart:] You what? You what?
[Mike:] had meetings with airport
[Stuart:] Well I mean that's
[Mike:] cos wants to keep the door open
[Stuart:] I mean by all means talk, Southend is the latest one over there so
[speaker001:] Stansted doesn't it?
[Mike:] airport are desperate. were gonna do it weren't they?
[Stuart:] ? Well you can almost swim from there
[Mike:] Just for the opening of the channel time, that'd be perfect timing for us wouldn't it? Just the sort of wrong time you know
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]
[Mike:] who wants to go somewhere when the channel tunnel
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] Well has got to have something to do hasn't he? to justify his job because I mean he's talked to in the past, he's talked about everything. Can we fly er Stansted or whatever bloody hell towns there are, Stansted I mean it's Stansted Stansted every bloody place in that's got a sodding airport
[Mike:] I don't think I
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gary:] It's a bit of poetic licence there but I think
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER]
[Gary:] if an aircraft does come back it would be an ideal way of getting our market share back from by putting it on the east coast
[Stuart:] Well apparently our load facts according to I mean they're sixties all the time so
[speaker001:] Apart from where we've only got one or two
[Stuart:] Oh well crap yeah Yeah what I don't like about if they're doing
[speaker001:] Yes I know
[Stuart:] If if they're doing the business on they could be pulling off, that's what I don't like cos the airport's are too so close together, like it's too you know too er... Right, shall we revert, I think more sensible to talk about this in the beginning of February yeah? Yes?
[speaker001:] Well, it's getting close...
[Brett:] Well it's up to the managers but I agree with Stansted four times a day, I think we're losing a lot of traffic because we have nothing between seven in the morning and three o'clock in the afternoon
[Stuart:] That that's
[speaker001:] Yeah the other ones on Saturday and Sunday I mean
[Stuart:] was tut-tutting that we shouldn't be using out of er Stansted airport, they should be jets
[speaker001:] What aircraft could we use for it? Then will have twenty seven
[Mike:] That would be too late wouldn't it for that though
[speaker001:] Twelve o'clock?
[Mike:] Yeah, fourteen hundred
[Brett:] Well I can't see why we want the other two but I can see
[Stuart:] Yeah this is at weekends. has already crapped himself about the visit cause extra work of course but er the er however we should er revert maybe we'll keep an eye on the schedule and things er but we we need to tie it up tight so we don't get a cos I mean what's being said now in the corridors of power is that the schedule is totally sales driven and it's the sales department that's put it together, I am only the administrator, I only I d I completely take my orders from the sales department quote unquote in front of everybody at the management meeting. looked around and said well he said looked at me said er well cos he was just about to g throw a wobbly and say, well surely the sales department should be dealing with this, should be should be giving him the information and he he just turned round and gave the aforementioned quote and I just sort of went yes it is. I said but you do appreciate there are some dead sectors in the timetable that wouldn't w that even the greatest salesmen in the world couldn't sell because they're precisioning sectors. And he said oh well that will always be the case, that will always be the case. I said well it shouldn't be the bloody case at all and that's when we got into the debate about er Aberdeen to er one following half half an hour after the other. I said well why the why the fuck does it do that? We don't need two services f for the from Aberdeen to one half an hour after the other. Why doesn't it cut out airport and fly one less stop you know. They said oh well we'll have to look at that you know
[speaker001:] Well they're doing that now aren't they? Take it to then back through
[Stuart:] according to they're they're they're according to I should say they've adjusted it that it's g it's not gonna go Aberdeen it's gonna go Aberdeen or even Aberdeen direct so which is pretty
[speaker001:] How many years have we been flying that route?
[Stuart:] [LAUGHTER] Right okay erm so there's the ref it's refinement rather than radical changes that we're talking about here really isn't it?
[Mike:] I'm glad I'm glad he said that cos I'm having a bit of a problem on flights for the summer we want more capacity than