Thomas Ableman’s Post

My checked bag was 47.2 pounds. I was nervous lifting the heavy suitcase onto the Southwest Airlines scale because I knew it was going to be close to the 50 lb. threshold. The sub-50 number appeared (I let out a sigh of relief) and the SWA team member smiled and said, "You're all set!" I laughed and said, "It's hard to believe a suitcase with books can be so heavy." There was a second SWA team member standing nearby and we struck up a conversation. One of them asked, "What books are flying with you today?" I responded with: "Actually, the suitcase has 75 copies of my book for a Leadership Team retreat I was traveling to facilitate over the next couple of days." I shared with them that whenever I fly SWA, which is nearly every flight, I think about the late night flight last fall during which I completed the final, final, final edits for my book. I sent it to Will Severns and Trevor Waite with Streamline Books for it to be sent to print as the plane touched down in #KansasCity late that evening. There wasn't a line behind us as we were talking about my heavy suitcase, so I shared with them one of many trust-filled experiences with SWA that I wrote about in the book...the time they gave me an $8 refund for patchy internet service...a small act, but meaningful nonetheless. Before they moved the heavy suitcase over to the conveyor belt, I reached inside the 47.2 lb. suitcase and grabbed two copies of my book to give to them. The scale dropped from 47.2 lbs to 46.1 lbs. The book gift was a small act on my part...that I hope was meaningful nonetheless for them. I said thank you to them. I thanked them for working everyday to strengthen trust in the small and big ways. We all have a choice...and I need to choose more and more to be intentional about the small acts. Small acts. Big meaning. Heavy suitcases getting lighter. Typical day-to-day experiences that result in human connection and laughter. Trust --> Value --> Loyalty #TrustProposition

Fascinating to understand how better services for citizens can be delivered while simultaneously improving efficiency - through using best in class tools and genuine partnership with experts in the domain

Apologies: 50c Fares is an opportunity for me to get back on my active transport/footpaths brain worms fixation again. Had an absolute dream run picking up the boys from various places this afternoon. Therefore, my completely unscientific feeling is that the 50c fare trial is already having an impact. But, if the trial is a success, sustaining it will largely involve rethinking our road and street networks by: - traffic calming the XXXX out of our suburban streets - simplifying our roads by dealing with the insane number of traffic lights clogging up the city (over 850) - making real investments in footpaths and street trees. Most of these levers sit with local government, so it will take some real bravery and cooperation to make happen. I know a lot of transport types point out that cost isn’t a major incentive for public transport patronage. It’s a view I largely subscribe to. But if my sense is right that the trial is a success so far, then there are a few possible things going on: - the flat rate removes discincentives created by zoning - there is latent demand for our existing network and the 50c fares have led people to seek out public transit (perhaps for the first time) - cost of living is a powerful motivator. Just as increasing service frequency is a bigger driver than fare prices, being able to comfortably walk or roll to services is more imporant than frequency. It would be great to see it all addressed together. Fingers crossed.

✨ This week, I had the incredible opportunity to spend two days with my colleagues at Paragon UK's Sunderland facility. ✨ During my visit, I gained invaluable insights into how Paragon Sunderland excels in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), providing critical support that allows businesses to operate more efficiently and focus on growth. 📑 Here's what I learned about our tailored BPO services: ⭐ Cherished Document Management: Safeguarding and managing your most important records with the utmost care. ⭐ Gone Aways Processing: Ensuring your customer data remains accurate and up-to-date. ⭐ Warranty Processing: Simplifying warranty management for smoother, hassle-free tracking. ⭐ Cheque Processing & Banking: Handling payments securely and efficiently, so you don’t have to. With our dedicated teams, businesses benefit from streamlined workflows, reduced costs, and improved compliance. We take care of the essential processes so you can focus on what you do best – growing your business! Interested in learning more about how we can help streamline your operations? Watch our video below. 👇 #BusinessProcessOutsourcing #DocumentManagement #OperationalEfficiency #ParagonSunderland #BPO #BusinessGrowth

Values in Action: I embarked on my journey with TFL (Transport for London) as a Night Tube CSA (Customer Service Assistant), navigating the vibrant pulse of London during the lively Friday and Saturday nights. Amidst the unique blend of experiences, ranging from heartening moments to formidable challenges, one night etched a chapter in my TFL story. As I savored a moment for my meal break, a colleague's urgent report crackled through the radio, detailing a distressing incident of someone falling ill on the platform. Without a second thought, I abandoned my meal, hastening towards the platform where my colleagues were already attending to a man struggling to breathe. Instinctively, I inquired if he was experiencing an asthma attack, a conclusion drawn from my years of familiarity with such situations, Confirming my suspicions, he admitted to not having his inhaler that night; it had been inadvertently left at home. Swiftly, I sprinted to the messroom, retrieving my inhaler, and returning to the distressed individual. After taking a few puffs of the inhaler, his condition improved. Grateful for the assistance, he profusely thanked both me and my colleagues for our timely intervention, even at that late hour. Despite offering him my spare inhaler, he assured us he was going to be all right as he was close to home. Later, he took the time to share his gratitude on the TFL website, recounting how we collectively aided him during his asthma attack on the Central Line at Mile End. This incident stands as a testament to the ethos of care we embody at TFL. It is not just a job; it is a commitment to the well-being of each passenger. This is merely one of the myriad untold stories that unfold every day as we strive to uphold our values and demonstrate, unequivocally, that we genuinely care about every individual traversing the vast tapestry of London's transportation network.

Can it be fair that the public aren’t told the cheapest fares? I'm writing to all MSPs ahead of Thursday's debate in Parliament this week about the fair fares review. Just want to make them all aware of my second public petition on the subject of train fares. https://lnkd.in/eXWYQxVi I was given a promise by the Scottish Government in 2020 when my first petition was closed, that in the new public contract for Scotrail, the sought-after outcome would be delivered: Always telling passengers the cheapest fare. When it was not delivered, I requested a second petition in 2021, which the Citizen's Participation Committee has been kindly progressing. However, i had hoped the publication of the Fair Fares Review would be the time when the outcome of this promise would be made public. Sadly not, it would seem given yesterdays publication was silent I've heard Scotrail is working on a Tap in tap-off style App, but it would be welcome if the Scottish Government could keep its promise and outline how it will be delivered in the debate this week and when? However, I am starting to fear I will need to raise a third petition at this rate, as it's 5 years and counting since I've tried to get the cheapest price for a journey for all Scotrail passengers. Imagine how much everyone could have saved and how many car journeys could be taken off the road? Surely for a public owned railway this would be the bare minimum hygiene level for consumers eg being open and honest about pricing and adhering to the new consumer (Scotland) duty! Richard Cairns Graham Simpson Monica Lennon Paul Sweeney Joanne Maguire FCIPD Chris Musson Alastair Dalton Humza Yousaf Sarah Boyack

Are you optimizing your ground transportation costs? Concertiv's new offering can help you save time and money without altering your booking habits. Discover how we consolidate contracts and secure the best rates for black car services and ground transportation. Let us show you the difference we make. Read more to learn how! https://hubs.la/Q02Qvnvc0

Shouting from the rooftops! Imagine a world where Business Class and Economy Class costs about the same. Naturally, everyone would choose Business Class. Over 12 years ago, I cracked the code to unlock the immense value of points that lets you fly Business Class for a fraction of the price. Let me explain how using credit cards & airline points to fly Business Class is your ultimate travel advantage. Using points is your key to unlock the world. Follow along and you’ll see why I’m so passionate about points! https://lnkd.in/gD6MgZYT #iflyflat #WhyUsePoints #businessClass #businessowners #billboards #ShoutingFromRooftops

The fork in the road - Which way? In the context of using Frequent Flyer Points. Often the mass path desired by the program operators is to guide you to take the path to the left - because it represents the best value...for them. When you learn the program, or get strategic advice about the program. It will then become blindly obvious the value to you is to the path on the right. Mind you. The path of the right has always been available and never hidden. Just that, if you haven't bothered looking - you don't see it. Frequent Flyer Rewards is a massive profit centre for airlines where everyone can be a winner, if you know what to do. #iFLYflat #TheFlightsClub