Business–what does it mean to run a business? How difficult can it be to operate a firm across countries and survive through competitions both nationally and globally? During Week 7, I got a chance to experience an onsite visit of Flixbus’ operation to learn more about their business model of working with multiple bus partners while serving thousands of people daily. I started my Thursday with 2 Flixies (Flixbus employees), standing at our bus stop in downtown LA, chatting with customers and providing assistance to our bus drivers to expedite the check-in process and welcome passengers on board. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, we were able to meet more than 10 drivers, asking them for feedback on Flix’s operational performance specifically for the West Coast regions. Interestingly, several drivers offered very effective suggestions that would highly contribute to improving the business as well as enhancing customer satisfaction when using our service.
One thing I noticed about what FlixBus does really well is how they reduce friction in communication channels within the company. For example, a driver told my co-worker about a problem that was arising at our Hollywood stop, and my co-worker took note and sent it to Flix’s Head of Operation immediately; the issue will likely be solved the next day. A few minutes later, two customers had some problems purchasing the ticket, another co-worker of mine called up Traffic Control, and got it done on the spot. Passengers are boarded, satisfied with our service and assistance. This fascinates me how the flow of Flix’s communication channel runs smoothly and problems can be resolved very quickly.
As an international student studying business with the hope of starting my own company or organization one day, having Flix as my internship host site is significantly rewarding as I got to learn about the business vertically and horizontally. During the week, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting where Flixies interacted and reported directly to the company COO–Chief Operations Officer–who was very open to feedback and executed great business decisions during the meeting. I really appreciate how I, being an intern, could receive these precious learning opportunities at Flix, an international, medium-sized enterprise headquartered in Germany which is able to achieve vast expansion in the US throughout all important regions: West Coast, East Coast and the Midwest. As I am amazed by their performance and growth, I see how they operate and learned that being super clear and quick in communicating across teams, from the top to the bottom, is a crucial element that contributes to their fast-paced business development.
Nevertheless, I also see the difficulties they face in operating internationally, especially entering the US market. Many Flixies wear many hats and help each other with coordinating tasks and expertise when needed. For instance, my co-workers in the government relation team are responsible for communicating with government agencies and making sure that our bus service is ADA compliant, but they also sometimes take up other tasks like leasing bus stops, dealing with insurance, and solving legal issues. At the end of the day, a successful business operation provides social values and solves arising problems in the community. FlixBus is accomplished because they contribute to improving the city’s transportation, reducing traffic congestion while providing an affordable option for people to travel between cities.
