Almost every other man on this planet is longing for a gadget or two… And I am one of these that can’t live with one being available at will.

I got my first video game in the mid ’80, my first PC at the wake of the ’90, a digital cam and a mobile phone at the beginning of this century and my first iPod followed later by a Mac almost three years ago. It was never enough for me, and I guess this will never change. I regard upgrade as a must, and every obstacle, loss of equipment, or lack of cash seems not to be stopping me. And this is why I am not the happiest man on earth right now…

On Saturday, September 19, 2009, I was flying with Lufthansa from Munich to London. The obeying sets rules guy that I am, before approaching Heathrow, I turned my iPod Classic 160G off and placed on the seat next to me. We landed, got our bags and left the plane. But shortly after that, I realized that I have forgotten my gadget on the plane because my neighbour has placed his newspapers on top of it. I immediately contacted Lost & Found, Lufthansa counter and then GBS (LH’s handler in London). All these guys were polite and taking their time, but they did not do much to help me out trying to retrieve my lovely iPod. So naturally, I heard “Sorry, sir, but nothing was found on the plane.” Well, so much for customer care and services.

I do realize that the mistake was mine and I shouldn’t have forgotten it there. But let’s look at the whole situation from another angle!… Imagine, that Lufthansa and GBS managed to find the vanished iPod, turned it to me and said “Sir, try not to do that anymore!” (or something of that sort). Their brands would have been acquiring an evangelist for life. Someone would probably fly only Star Alliance and amass those miles, leading to a bigger turnover and positive P/L account. I am definitely not the only one who forgets something on the plane, and it frightens me that the carrier might be just as helpful to the other as they were to me. There is a potential there that Lufthansa can maximize upon and guys, remember that branding is a battle on all fronts, not just your website, ticket & check-in counters or display ads in traditional media.

Although it pains, I do see the light in the tunnel. Maybe, the time for me to get an iPhone has finally come. But this will be Apple Inc.‘s gain, not Lufthansa’s…

Copyright © 2009 Borislav Kiprin. All Rights Reserved.