Fly Retro
Remember the days when the job of the customer service rep was, most bizarrely, to...serve the customer?
I read this on Consumerist.com, a story about how Southwest Air had a mechanical problem, and, in the wake of it, treated the passengers like valued customers.
One of their reps actually apologized and explained what went wrong (as did the pilot on the plane) and included a $175 voucher for every passenger to compensate them for their two-hour delay. The rep's letter follows:
I'm sorry for the unexpected circumstances surrounding the disruption of your Aug 10 flight from Oakland. In addition to my apologies, I'd like to provide you with some information about what happened that afternoon.Shortly after takeoff, the Pilots received a low pressure indication for one of the two independent hydraulic systems (A&B) on the aircraft. In response to this situation the Captain returned to have the aircraft inspected. In this case, the problem was with the A hydraulic System - there was a fluid leak. After speaking with our Maintenance Department, I learned that the supply line which helps operate one of the movable panels on the aircraft's wing surface was leaking hydraulic fluid, and as such, the corresponding line was then replaced to fix the problem.
Thank you for your patience while alternate flight arrangements were made to continue your trip. With the hope that you will grant us the opportunity to prove there are better experiences to have with us, I'm sending a LUV Voucher to each person who was onboard your flight that we invite you to apply toward future Southwest reservations. We truly appreciate your valued patronage, and we look forward to welcoming you back again real soon.
Kind Regards
Melissa ChalupaEnclose : One Southwest LUV Voucher.
Another example from the comments below the Consumerist post:
Rachacha at 09:24 PM on 08/31/08I recently was waiting at the airport for a coleague who was coming in from another city, and decided to wait for him at one of the southwest terminals. On this particular day, there was a large weather front that was delaying almost every flight into and out of the mid-west, and it had a trickle down effect, so almost every flight on every airline was delayed. The gate that I was waiting at, had a plane that also had a mechanical issue, and caused further delay, but I was very impressed with how everything was handled:
1) The PILOT got on the intercom for the gate and relayed what he knew about the problem, and advised pasengers that a mechanic was coming to assess the situation. He advised that he would come back in about 15 minutes and update the status.
2) 15 minutes later the Pilot was again back, and advised that the problem was severe, but that he had already contacted corporate and they were going to "steal" a plane destined for another flight (and corporate would get a replacement aircraft in ASAP so they would have the correct plane allocations) He thanked everyone for their patience, and then tried to lift everyone's spirits by saying that the pilot from the previous flight would be de-planing soon and he was the one that "broke" the plane, so everyone should "Boo" him when he gets off the plane. All of the passengers applauded him for his transparency in the issue, and the fact that he was taking a personal interest in the problem.
3) A few minutes later, the pilot from the previous flight deplanes, all of the passengers "boo" and then crack a smile, and the 2 pilots exchange a few (friendly) words..."Yeah, well at least I don't go around breaking someone else's plane..."
4) About 5 minutes later the pilot comes on the waiting area intercom again, and says that they have secured a new plane, and asked everyone to proceed to the new gate. Again everyone applauded and had a smile on their face, even though they were delayed by more than 2.5 hours because of weather and mechanical delays.
Moral to the story...keep the passengers informed and they will remain happy, keep them in the dark and they will turn into an angry mob.
Humor counts, too. They actually have some on Southwest. Rare deal in airplanes and airports these days.
US Airways/America West has been good for these arbitrary 3+ hour flight delays for years! Something about their compasses on Airbus A320s...
Corporate Travel usually books the cheapest carriers - Delta, US Airways, etc...
On my last delay with US Air (3 hours weather + 5 hours mechanical = 8 hours total!), I was chatting with other passengers on how cheap it would be to give free drinks/meal vouchers to compensate passengers for the wait.
On second thought, scratch the free drinks. Drunk and angry passengers are not a good thing...
When booking my own travel I'll pay extra for Southwest, Air Alaska, etc...
canaryguy at September 4, 2008 7:35 AM
Southwest's humor definitely sets them apart. Their versions of the standard safety announcements are not to be missed. I remember one flight where we had landed and were heading for the gate. The usual warning for passengers to stay in their seats until the plane is at the gate became, "We're looking for volunteers to help clean the plane. Anyone interested, please stand up before we arrive at the gate."
Rex Little at September 4, 2008 9:47 AM
Yeah, I got stuck in that nationwide ATC shutdown snafu flying out of Corpus Christi last week and SW had the courtesy to whip up a somewhat informal check-out roster so the passengers could get off the plane and walk around the terminal instead of roasting for hours in a hot cabin out on the tarmac and going at each other like the Sharks and the Jets. Though having had to fly alot recently, the gag script is starting to get a bit repetitive. It's kind of like the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland after the 7th or 8th go 'round.
Payl Hrissikopoulos at September 4, 2008 10:20 AM
I've generally had good experiences with Southwest. Unfortunately, they don't go everywhere. Delta's customer service is nothing to write home about, but I can't recall ever having a positive experience with American Airlines. We've got lots of miles with them, though... so we'll use those and then probably give Continental a try for our international flights.
ahw at September 4, 2008 10:25 AM
Sometimes names are destiny, I suppose.
Interesting that a customer service rep, whose job requires admissions of guilt and apologies, within her name can be found the letters (and in order)
mea culpa
(just something I noticed)
XWL at September 4, 2008 11:04 AM
And I lied,
Those letters don't quite appear in order, but 'mea clupa' doesn't fit as well.
But let's talk about Chalupa as a last name, that's not something I've ever seen before, wonder if it's made up?
(remember shopping at an electronics store, and noticed on a receipt that the salesman's name was, "Jim Beam", so I asked if that was a dummy name when nobody actually helped with the sale, and the guy behind the counter said (somehwat wistfully), "no, that's my real name")
XWL at September 4, 2008 11:09 AM
Hate to be a negative nellie, but there are certain professions where it's OK to have a humorless demeanor. Aviation is one of them.
On crosscountry Southwest flights, I've seen the safety lecture performed with more jokes than a Leno monologue. The animals in the vinyl seats went crazy for it... But if it had been my first flight, I'd have thought America's skies were flown and chauffeured by certifiable loons.
Several years ago on a SW flight back from Vegas, it was no surprise to share the cabin with loud, clumsy drunkard... You'd expect that, right? But no matter how boisterous the guy became, the stewardesses declined to interrupt his good holiday times to request that he behave himself.
Now, I know that he was the paying customer and all, but we were flying over the San Gabriels in a tin can. Quite aside from the intrusion on the privacy of those nearby, it would have been nice to believe they were ready to stop him from, say, breaking a window and exhausting the cabin pressure.
So then we land at Burbank in a easterly descent. Nearing the end of the runway, the pilot slammed the breaks in fiercest, most violent delivery of friction that I've ever experienced in an aircraft. Sober people screamed; the drunk guy went apeshit, wailing like a banshee as he stumbled out through the airport.
Following him by several paces, I was pretty sure I'd just had my life threatened.
A week later, a story in the news made me certain of it.
Fuckin' Southwest, man.
Crid [cridcridatgmail] at September 4, 2008 11:26 AM
"When booking my own travel I'll pay extra for Southwest"
Really? I've never seen anyone beat southwest, and I really want them too, I'd love to reserve myself a window seat.
Crid, most people are depressed when leaving las vegas, give the guy his coping mechanism.
smurfy at September 4, 2008 2:38 PM
If the mechanism worked, and he could actually cope --i.e., not bother others-- we'd give it to 'im.
Crid [cridcridatgmail] at September 4, 2008 3:04 PM
You guys happy to make up stuff about air travel need to read Patrick Smith.
Radwaste at September 4, 2008 3:09 PM
Thanks for the link Crid. George was my surprise concert of the year last year. I expected another yawner of a reuinion tour with the audience all khakied out.
But it seriously rocked. Of course there were two factors aiding him. He played during ">Street Vibrations, and the guy in the seat next to me was some kind of pro-am poker player so the casino comp-ed him unlimited drinks and he was happy to 'buy' a few for his neighbors.
smurfy at September 4, 2008 4:41 PM
F'in space in my tag. Just a picture of a bunch of motorcycles anyway.
smurfy at September 4, 2008 4:52 PM
Poor Southwest -- they'll never live down that trip across Hollywood Way. I secretly suspect it's the short runway at Burbank that's the culprit since that's not the only plane to overshoot there. Or perhaps they were just trying to get their customers in Lot B a head start to their cars...?
Paul Hrissikopoulos at September 4, 2008 7:15 PM
A similar thing happened to me on a flight from Phila to LAX, via Las Vegas. There was mechanical trouble in Vegas and the Southwest employees worked diligently to simultaneously determine whether the plane could fly and also arrange alternate flights. At one point they sent some of us to the next gate down, started to put us on that next flight, then when they realized our original plane was okay, put us right back on that. Some travelers grumbled at having to go to a different gate and back, but we looked at it in such a positive light -- the Southwest employees were doing whatever they possibly could to get us back in the air as soon as possible. The whole thing delayed us less than an hour. And there was a Southwest travel voucher waiting for me at home when I returned from my trip. If that's not top of the line customer service, I don't know what is. Though I was shocked to experience it, since as you've said, excellent customer service is primarily a thing of the past.
Angela at September 5, 2008 1:07 PM
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