Five Minutes

Welcome to the 137th edition of “In Touch”. As always, I would love to continue the conversation so please hit reply and let me know what you think.

Story of the Week: “Five Minutes”

Last year, my family and I spent our summer holiday at the beautiful resort of Daios Cove in Crete. We enjoyed the experience so much that there was hardly any discussion about where we would be going this summer. We not only booked the trip but, as usual, we booked early. Very early, in fact…more than six months in advance, flights included.

My wife could not understand why, once again, I insisted on flying with Aegean when other airlines were offering the same route for up to 25% less. I explained that what you are really paying for is not just a seat on a plane. Sometimes the price reflects something far more valuable – a larger fleet, alternatives when things don’t go to plan and, above all, professionalism. Last week, I was reminded exactly why.

An email arrived from Aegean informing me of a schedule change. You know the feeling when you see that subject line – you pause for a second before opening it. I did exactly that. Our outbound flight from Larnaca to Heraklion had moved from 17:10 to 17:15.

Five minutes.

That was it. And yet, four months before departure, Aegean considered those five minutes important enough to communicate formally and clearly. Most would never bother. Many would consider it too small to matter. But true professionalism is revealed precisely in the details that others dismiss.

Because in truth, the email was never about five minutes. It was about respect – for the customer, for communication and for doing things properly, even when the difference seems minor. And that, in my opinion, is worth every cent of the extra fare.

Words of Wisdom

“The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail.” Charles R. Swindoll

“When making experiences, attention to detail matters.” Sir Richard Branson

A Question to Ponder, dear friend.

As a leader, what “five-minute detail” have you recently taken seriously in your organisation that others might have dismissed as insignificant?