Spirit Magazine - October 2013 - (Page 14)
I ask three things of the 46,000
Southwest Airlines and AirTran
Airways Employees every day:
Work hard, have fun, and treat
everyone with respect. We call this
Living the Southwest Way, and it
comprises three characteristics that
we look for in job candidates and
require of our Employees: a Warrior
Spirit, a Servant’s Heart, and a FunLUVing Attitude.
While it may sound simple (and it
is), the impact can be profound. Our
Culture has long been admired
and has earned Southwest much
recognition, including a yearly spot
on Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired
Companies” list (we ranked seventh
this year) and the distinction of
being named one of the Best Places
to Work in Glassdoor.com’s 2013
Employees’ Choice Awards. Our
Culture is not a program or a campaign; it is the sum of the personalities and behaviors of our People who
Live the Southwest Way every day.
Customer Service in Action
A Customer was traveling to Florida to spend a few final days with her father, who was suffering from pancreatic cancer. Due to a flight delay, she
would miss her connection in Chicago and was distraught because she
needed to be in Florida with her father the next day. Our Employee reaccommodated the Customer so that she could get there. But that’s not the
end of the story. Our Employee took the time to look up the Customer’s
address and sent a handwritten note, which the Customer received upon
returning home after her father’s death. The Customer writes that this act
of kindness and compassion during such a difficult time meant so much
to her. It’s a wonderful example of a Servant’s Heart in action!
Our Warrior Spirit was born from
years of legal battles just to get Southwest off the ground. That same Warrior Spirit lives on today as we continue to be successful in a brutally
competitive industry. Last year, our
Warriors rallied around an effort
to convince the City of Houston to
allow Southwest to build an international terminal at William P. Hobby
Airport. Through a comprehensive
grassroots campaign, our People
prevailed, and we broke ground on
the new terminal just last month.
(Southwest plans to launch international flights in 2014.)
Our Employees have always had a
passion for serving others. Our Servant’s Hearts have earned Southwest many accolades throughout
the years, and we’ve consistently
received the lowest ratio of Customer complaints to the Department of
Transportation since they began
tracking customer satisfaction in
1987. But more importantly, you see
that passion in the way our Employees deliver Customer Service at
the airport and on your flight—and
anytime you encounter one of their
warm smiles.
Last, but not least, we like to
have a good time, and you see that
expressed with our Employees’ FunLUVing Attitudes! Where else can
you hear a Flight Attendant sing
a song, have a chance to play gate
games with our Customer Service
Agents, or celebrate the holidays in
such a fun way with our Employees?
After all, we take our competition
seriously, not ourselves.
I invite you to join in the fun and to
let us serve you with a smile. Thanks
for coming along for the ride!
Gary Kelly
Chairman, President, and CEO
Southwest Airlines
14 SPIRIT OCTOBER 2013
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN SELLERS
+
Gary’s Greeting
Living the Southwest Way
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - October 2013
Spirit Magazine - October 2013
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
The Numbers
Business
Be Here Now
Don’t Just Stand There
Your Adventure In San Jua
Promotional Series: Florida: Full of Surprises
Your Adventure In San Juan
Promotional Series: Focus on Women’s Health
Promotional Series: Focus on Franchises
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Service
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The “If” List
Spirit Magazine - October 2013
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