E-MAIL CHRIS   PRINT   2007 COLUMNS   ARCHIVES   SEARCH ARCHIVES WOOING YOUR WAY TO BETTER TRAVEL By Chris Barnett January 10, 2008 -- Mario Moussa roams the nation advising corporate behemoths like Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and Oracle on how to get their way without stomping on their competition. His approach is spelled out in a book he co-authored called The Art of Woo. Moussa's pitch: Win over your adversaries by crawling into their brain, empathizing with their problems and leaving your own agenda on the table. But can subtle wooing help a frustrated traveler win a few battles today? Moussa says that it can. A principal in Philadelphia-based Cfar, an organizational change and teamwork consultancy, Moussa practices what he preaches--and publishes--when he's wooing an airline for comfort, convenience or cost savings or a hotel for a bed and sharp room service. Flying nationwide out of his Philadelphia headquarters, Moussa is pretty much stuck with US Airways. He often flies on first-class tickets paid for by clients who are wooing him to share his wisdom. But with US Airways, Moussa says that the wooing starts by showing empathy to the ground and cabin employees who are at the mercy of the dolts running the airline. "US Airways people tend to be very stressed, not terribly friendly or responsive," he explains. "They have gone through lots of changes [and] are doing more work for less money. You may have to go out of your way with them to get good service." Translated: The art of the woo is showing genuine concern for employees or service providers and making them aware of the fact that you understand the kind of pressure they're under today. Moussa recently told me an interesting travel story not in his book. He was booked on a 6:30 p.m. flight on US Airways and arrived at the airport with just enough time to make a 5:30 p.m. flight. With scant minutes to spare, he struck up a conversation with a Transportation Security Administration agent at the checkpoint. He asked her how her day was going. Was she starting or ending a shift? Did she have children? Then he explained that he could make the earlier flight. And "I gave her a reason. I told her I wanted to get home and see my family before the kids went to bed. That made all the difference." The TSA agent took him to the head of a long security line. "The wooing arts include the 'power of because,' " Moussa explains. "Human beings are programmed to respond to reason." Once he cleared security, however, Moussa says he discovered that the gate area for the 5:30 p.m. departure was mobbed. The flight was oversold, too. Moussa asked the gate agent, "Can I just wait here?" He was told, "Sure, but there's no way you will get on this flight." Moussa "hovered" by the counter and "made small talk" with the gate agents. "I simply said, 'Boy, you are really busy today. Must be stressful for you with all these people wanting to get on an overbooked flight.' I was careful not to disparage the airline. I just tried to develop a sense of rapport with them and some of the passengers at the top of the waitlist. And I kept checking on the status without being pushy." The wooing worked. There were two no-shows and three wait-listed passengers, including Moussa. "The first woman boarded and I turned to the second woman and said with a smile, 'I think I was here first.' We [talked about] how tough air travel is today. That mini-negotiation worked out because I appealed to her sense of fairness. People are fair." But Moussa knows when to zip his lip, too. He tells of being on a sold-out, cramped US Airways regional jet while another passenger, also a consultant, tried to stuff his bag in the tiny overhead bin. The flight attendant told the consultant that the space was reserved for oxygen and flight-crew gear. "I told him, 'This is a battle you're never going to win.' The flight attendant was in a position of authority and very stressed. She told the consultant, 'Either get your bag down or get off the plane.' He stewed, snapped at her, but complied." In those cases, Moussa adds, "I don't want an unpleasant experience so I just suck it up and realize there are things I cannot do or woo." The wooing arts include total silence, too. During a recent stay at the Omni Hotel in San Francisco, Moussa's room-service breakfast was a half hour late. He says he called down and explained, "I was on important calls, delivering my breakfast was important to me--and then said nothing." The room service clerk apologized, promptly brought up the meal and didn't charge him for it. Says Moussa: "There are times to be ingratiating, quiet or firm." Moussa recently flew from Newark to Mumbai nonstop in business class on Continental Airlines and says that the "service was over the top." Moussa got a note from the airline purser, sent one in return and a dialogue ensued. "Nice example of an airline trying to develop a relationship with its customers," he muses. Moussa's final wooing tips for road warriors? Chill out no matter what. Don't argue. Don't throw your weight around. Employees have the last say and they can help you or ignore you. Form coalitions with fellow passengers on a flight to get information, but make sure the intelligence is correct. Lastly, pick your battles. Not every situation is winnable by wooing, he admits.

ABOUT CHRIS BARNETT Chris Barnett writes about business-travel tactics and strategies that save time and money and help minimize hassles. He is based in San Francisco and has written for a wide variety of major newspapers and national magazines. Barnett on Business Travel is syndicated by Copley News Service. THE FINE PRINT Joe Brancatelli makes this space available to Chris Barnett in the spirit of free speech and to help encourage editorial diversity and the wider discussion of important travel issues. All of the opinions and material in this column are the sole property of Barnett. This material may not be reproduced in any form without the express permission of Chris Barnett. A NOTE TO EDITORS Barnett on Business Travel is available biweekly through Copley News Service. Contact: Glenda Winders. This column is Copyright © 2008 by Chris Barnett. JoeSentMe is Copyright © 2008 by Joe Brancatelli. All rights reserved.