Repeat customers

J

JordanD

Here so I don’t get fined
Is this just me, or does it seems like very, very, very few people that come in for first lessons end up coming back for more than a handful, or even a second?

Same goes for people who want to meet with me and ask question about training. It seems like 9 times out of 10 I never hear another peep from them. I give my all to everyone who comes to me with questions, but after seeing so many of these people come through the doors it becomes hard not to feel like I'm wasting my time in most instances.

As an aside, does anyone encounter a lot of students that say "I guess it's more to it then I thought it was." Usually these are the types that end up dropping out. I hate to sound like an ass, but it's flying an airplane. What did they expect?
 
I'd say 1/2 the people who call or email me end up taking their first intro flight. Of those who have, only one didn't come back for more lessons, and his intro flight was a gift from a friend.

Is it possible you're throwing too much information at them on the first flight?

I think of the first lesson as more of a chance for people to experience flight, the views, the sensations, and get a little hands on time. I only explain some of the basics. We get into more details as time goes on (building blocks).
 
Yeah same thing here. Most intro customers I see have no interest in going for a rating. They only come because they got a gift certificate or purchased a Groupon (I wonder if the school needs to refocus markting efforts on different channels.) Many of them look very excited after the flight and ask about the "license" but their enthusiasm vanishes as soon as they see the rate sheet and do the math.
 
hammerhat said:
Many of them look very excited after the flight and ask about the "license" but their enthusiasm vanishes as soon as they see the rate sheet and do the math.
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Which is why I think Groupon/Social 1/2 off deals are really stupid for flight schools. If a cheap flight is what brought them in the door, they will not be staying for training. So you're not going to make up what you lost on the promo... ever.

If you want to give away flight time, do it for Young Eagles or some other good local non-profit fund raiser, you'll get good will from the community instead of peeing it away on some cheap non-customer.
 
rframe said:
Is it possible you're throwing too much information at them on the first flight?
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There really should be a few chapters on sales in the FAA's CFI books. Anyway, the prospective student needs just enough information for them to come back. By all means, answer questions, but make it sound more enticing. And don't talk about how much it costs too much. Talk about the cool things they can do, like flying away for the weekend some place cool that doesn't have airline service. You know, sell the sizzle not the steak.

I'd say my most reliable repeat customers are pilots getting BFRs. Like clockwork, they will be back in 2 years. Intro flights? Maybe 5% might actually consider coming back. Transition pilots (adding ratings/categories/types) are probably the best. They know what's involved before they show up. Airline guys can be the worst, they think they know everything, but often have a very weak grasp of the basics.
 
rframe said:
Which is why I think Groupon/Social 1/2 off deals are really stupid for flight schools. If a cheap flight is what brought them in the door, they will not be staying for training. So you're not going to make up what you lost on the promo... ever.
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Eh, you need to market somehow. I think the conversion rate on intro flights runs about 5%, but you double the number through the door, you double the number of students. You need to get leads somewhere.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Eh, you need to market somehow. I think the conversion rate on intro flights runs about 5%, but you double the number through the door, you double the number of students. You need to get leads somewhere.
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True, but lead quality is even more important than lead quantity in a low volume, high cost, low margin business like this. That's the problem I see with Groupon for flight schools. I'm sure it's ideal if you're trying to sell bagels, coffee, or yoga classes.
 
JordanD said:
I give my all to everyone who comes to me with questions, but a lot of students say "I guess it's more to it then I thought it was."
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This sounds exactly what everyone is saying. I suspect you are trying to tell (teach) waaay too much on a "first encounter".

To me, "learning to fly" means the first few lessons up until you solo - that's it. What you do beyond that point is getting the training and experience to get out into the world with pax and that is complex, but the simple left/right-up/down of controlling an airplane is what they want/need to hear and DO, not talk about.
Primacy is keeping it simple and understandable every step of the way.

And simple. Did I say that?
 
Eh, first lessons are more of a sightseeing thing with a little flying thrown in. I'd say it's more losing people after a handful, and even then all I'm teaching is the presolo stuff. Not sure if people think it's like driving a car or what.
 
JordanD said:
Eh, first lessons are more of a sightseeing thing with a little flying thrown in. I'd say it's more losing people after a handful, and even then all I'm teaching is the presolo stuff. Not sure if people think it's like driving a car or what.
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Some people don't realize the kind of commitment becoming a pilot entails, so they stick to Jet Ski's and Kayaks instead.
 
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