Spirit Magazine - April 2014 - (Page 14)

As an airline, we spend a lot of time and energy focusing on the concept of making connections-so much so that the very word "connect" is cemented in our Purpose statement: to connect People to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel. Our most meaningful connections are those that we make along the way with our Customers. So how do we do that? By being both high-tech and high-touch. Technology is a wonderful vehicle that makes our lives easier and more efficient, but it cannot replace a warm smile or a human voice on the other end of the telephone. The trick is finding ways to allow technology to complement human interactions. You might be surprised to learn that Southwest Airlines was the first airline to establish a web site. Even today, we don't rely on third-party sites to sell our tickets. We send Customers straight to southwest.com so Customer Service in Action Recently, an off-duty Southwest Employee was traveling from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to New Orleans when she saw her seatmate drop his pizza on the floor. He was naturally disappointed but laughed it off. Our Employee had the idea to contact one of her Coworkers in New Orleans, whom she knew would love to help. Sure enough, two hours later, upon the flight's arrival in New Orleans, one of our Customer Service Managers came onto the airplane and presented the Customer with a hot, fresh pepperoni pizza. And as it turns out, it was his birthday- another special connection was made! that we can communicate directly with them, build relationships with them, and maintain control over our high standards for Customer Service. We were also an early adopter of social media, emerging as one of the first airlines to have a blog and an active voice on several online channels, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. We rely on these channels to engage with our Customers and get their feedback on what's important to them. In one classic example, we were contemplating changing our famous open-seating policy, and I drafted a blog post about it titled "Open Season on Assigned Seating." Within hours, we had more than 700 passionate comments from our Customers, pleading for us not to assign seats. We listened; open seating stayed. We know that, at the end of the day, nothing can replace the connections our Employees make with our Customers. You'll hear this fact expressed in the songs performed by our Flight Attendants and in the games that Employees play with Customers in the gate area. You'll also experience it when you call us and hear a human voice, ready to help, on the other end of the line, and when you write to us and receive a personalized response to your inquiry instead of a form letter. We've found communication, both online and in person, to be the key to connecting with our Customers. Thanks for reading-and for flying with us today! Gary Kelly Chairman, President, and CEO Southwest Airlines 14 SPIRIT APRIL 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN SELLERS Gary's Greeting + Connecting with Our Customers http://www.southwest.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - April 2014

Spirit Magazine - April 2014
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Gary’s Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
Rustle up ribs
shake up a summer sipper
Wise Guide
Take better snaps
Make finance a family affair
Numbers
Make time for sweets
Learn from the Bard
Business
Zen out with Russell Simmons
Store more on your iPhone
Chasing Beautiful Questions
Connection Error
Get out of your social comfort zone
Your Adventure In Santa Fe
Destination Texas
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Service
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The "If" List
Touch base with Tracy Morgan

Spirit Magazine - April 2014

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