The millionaire CEO of JetBlue, Robin Hayes, has been spotted on board a flight. In a powerful nod to the customer focused culture of the airline, not only did he fly coach, he was also helping to collect the trash from passengers on board.When your job earns you in the region of $3m a year, youâd think menial jobs would be below you. However, JetBlueâs CEO, Robin Hayes, has shown that heâs not averse to some good old fashioned hard work, even if it means picking up the trash.
Hayes, 51, has been with JetBlue since 2008, when he worked as Chief Commercial Officer, before being promoted to President of the company in January 2014. In 2015, he was promoted to CEO, and earns in the region of $3.3m each year. Prior to joining JetBlue, he worked for British Airways for 19 years, mainly in front line customer facing roles.
He is frequently seen aboard JetBlue flights, and always travels coach, proving that despite his current status, he still remembers where he came from.
Seat bingo
A passenger on the plane has claimed that the millionaire CEO also gave away some free flights, instigating a game of âseat bingoâ via the onboard intercom. The passenger, Joe Chase, said on LinkedIn:
âHayes got on the mic on my flight today to give away a couple tickets to random passengers by playing âseat bingoâ,â
When he was done with his game, he walked down the aisle picking up passengersâ trash, just as any normal flight attendant would. The CEO has been praised on social media for proving heâs not averse to getting his hands dirty, and that the service focused culture of JetBlue is very much a top down operation.
Good job Robin
After news broke of the CEOâs endeavors, social media has, predictably, blown up. Most of the commentary has been positive, with spectators largely praising Hayes for demonstrating that great customer service is always a team effort.
However, not all responses have been so positive. Some thought it was nothing more than a publicity stunt, while others reckoned he should be doing something more worthwhile with his time.
Simple Flying think itâs great to see a CEO getting their hands dirty, and proving that no matter what your role, every employee has a duty to ensure amazing customer service. Good on you Robin; it would be good to see more CEOâs doing similar things.