Amir Seifizadeh Personal Website
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For years, through numerous air travels, I have encountered the diverse faces, voices, and behaviors of flight crews: men and women in uniform, with a familiar smile and professional demeanor, tasked with maintaining the peace, safety, and comfort of passengers amidst the skies.
Within these experiences, a small yet meaningful element has always captured my attention: the little light above each passenger’s seat.
This light, activated by a simple push of a button, appears simple on the surface. In practice, however, it is a crucial signal of a passenger’s request for help or need for attention. According to official aviation protocols, flight attendants are obligated to arrive at the location as quickly as possible once this light is on and address the passenger’s needs.
But things do not always go as expected.
In my experience—and undoubtedly in that of many others—two different behaviors are observed in response to this light:
Either the flight attendant arrives promptly, with the necessary respect and attention, and resolves the issue;
Or the light remains on, sometimes for long minutes… ignored, or met with a cold and rushed response.
This latter behavior, though seemingly minor and insignificant, is, at its core, a sign of an organizational flaw.
Why does this happen?
Why do some flight attendants, despite rigorous and detailed training, ignore this signal for assistance?
Where does the weakness lie? In human resources? Organizational culture? The monitoring and evaluation system? Or perhaps in the managerial perspective on the very concept of “service”?
The reality is that this negligence is less an individual failing and more a reflection of a larger, structural defect. When employees lack sufficient motivation for diligence and empathy, or feel that their performance is not properly seen, evaluated, or appreciated, the quality of service declines.
The light does not go off, yet eyes pass over it.
This small light can serve as a powerful symbol for all of us who, in any capacity, are responsible for responding to a need—on an airplane, in a company, or in life.