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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