In the airline industry, there are many companies that go above and beyond when it comes to quality service. Whether that is overall customer service, or something as small as giving a customer a pillow, there is always one airline that is far above the rest in quality service. That airline is Southwest Airlines. By many airline websites and other source, Southwest has been rated as the best customer service of any airline in America. They have thoughtful food services, well-advertised bookings of flights, and a major focus on their employees. These three facets make their customer service quality the best and the leader of this industry.
Looking at the food part of Southwest, it is a very small touch they have when it comes to their food services. Usually, most airlines are serving peanuts on short flights as a complementary snack, just to get people to enjoy their services. Nothing is usually said about the options. However, Southwest does something different. They decided a few years ago to switch to pretzels over peanuts. Normally, this is not a big change, but this was a big deal in the airline industry because of allergies. Many people had been complaining to their airlines saying that they could not eat peanuts and even the residue of peanuts could have them go into shock. Most airlines would ignore what they had to say and then would continue to serve the peanuts, and not serve it to that specific person. The main problem is that the peanut air gets trapped in the airplane, and a person that is deathly allergic to peanuts will be harmed greatly since the air is pressurized. So, Southwest decided to change their policy when it comes to serving snacks on a plane and went to pretzels. Not only do people still get their food they need during a long flight, but they also continue to get quality service. Southwest saw a problem with the food part of their industry, and addressed it immediately. Other airlines are continuing to fall behind by not addressing this problem. Even the smallest of changes can give you a competitive advantage when it comes to customer service.
Southwest continues their quality customer service with their ticket purchasing service. Every airline has their typical interface when it comes to buying a ticket online. But, Southwest has two ways they are changing and improving service for their customers. First, they have introduced a new ticket on their purchasing interface. It is called the “wanna get away” ticket. This is a one-time ticket to your location that is less expensive than the other tickets, and you can get the ticket for both the return trip and your flight out. It plays on two aspects for the consumer. First, it is significantly cheaper. That will help get people on flights so that you are not having flights that are primarily empty. Now, people have three options when buying a ticket. First class, economy, and the “wanna get away” option. Secondly, it plays on the slogan of Southwest. It further imprints in their mind that Southwest is about getting you to your location easier than other airlines. That is a clear competitive advantage for Southwest. Another big part of Southwest’s ticket service is that the flight times and connections are honest. Usually, you see flights that are saying you can buy the bundle for the connection, but the times are usually off and never show you that there is only one connection. So, they are just trying to fill seats and not necessarily having the right idea for consumers. Southwest does not do that. For example, I searched a flight from Richmond, VA to Columbus, OH. It gave me three options for flights that were at 6:30 AM, 10:30 AM, and 12:45 PM. However, all of these flights on Southwest’s website showed that the connection was at 3:30 PM. So, they were showing that the 12:45 flight may be more efficient if you want to be on time and not have to wait in a layover. Other airline websites do not have this feature and usually are more focused on getting seats filled on planes.
The last and probably most important quality of Southwest’s incredible service is their people working on the plane. The CEO said that the employees are the most important part of the business. When you have your boss backing the employees, it makes them enjoy where they are working and want to give back more. Southwest’s management is focused on employee needs, rather than just the bottom line. This is why the customer service is so crucial and overall better than the other airlines. They have the management backing, and their visions are clearly outlined to give them a goal to work toward. Customers are known as the number one priority in Southwest, so the employees know exactly what they must do in order to make a positive impact on the consumer. It is important for them to have these clear visions and backing of the organization so there is no inconsistency in their service. Southwest wants all employees to have the same ideas when going into work every day. If you have an employee that is not having a great day, they may ruin the service for everyone. By having these goals outlined, employees can make sure that the inconsistency is not going to hurt them in the future. Same with inseparability between people and the service. You do not want the service to be disassociated from the brand. With the employees being so focused on the consumer, the consumer will be able to look at the company and have positive thoughts about Southwest. That makes them have superior customer service, because they are so committed to employees and customers. Without these guiding principles, Southwest would not have been able to break into the market and cause such a disruption.