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Are You Nuts? Customer Service Southwest Style

What kind of crazy airline would board a plane like a bus? An assigned seat has value, right? It gives us the security we need, knowing there actually is a seat on the plane for us. If that value (the window seat in aisle 14, for instance) doesn't exist, they must then do other things pretty well that are valuable for their customers in order to be successful.

I couldn't help but give a deep sigh of relief as I read a recent email from Southwest Airlines describing upcoming changes in their boarding procedures. The relief most likely stems from the fact that the last time I flew Southwest, I had to be on a conference call during the time I also had to stand in line to hold my precious spot in my group. It was awkward taking notes.

I love that company but don't fly them all the time because of the cattle call effect of their boarding processes. How long you'll have to stand in line before boarding seems to be determined by the person or persons that are the most anxious about getting the seat they want. They queue up really early so they are assured of a prime place, and shortly thereafter the rest of us insecure puppies line up to claim our rightful spots as well. ("I was here before he was..")

The new process will put numbers on the boarding cards again and we'll hear announcements that instruct, "Group A numbers 1-30 will be boarding now."

And peace will rule the planet.

You've got to figure that company is nuts, right? What kind of crazy airline would board a plane like a bus? An assigned seat has value, right? It gives us the security we need, knowing there actually is a seat on the plane for us. If that value (the window seat in aisle 14, for instance) doesn't exist, they must then do other things pretty well that are valuable for their customers in order to be successful.

And, that they do. They have a strong on time and safety record. They have low prices. They have people that seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs and want to make it fun to fly.

They know their niche and have stuck to their strategy. In the early years they weren't out to gain market share (although they got it anyway.) They were simply focused on creating a great company and delivering their mission - giving the average person the freedom to fly.

Through the many years I've been in business of customer retention and loyalty I've had the opportunity to learn a lot about the good folks at Southwest Airlines - and if there is one thing I understand about how they consistently create success it's this - they are disciplined and patient. And anyone can take away lessons from how they create success.

They have a clearly defined purpose and a well thought out strategy for accomplishing it. They have systems and mechanisms in place to maximize everything they do, which gives them the ability to be both a low cost and a high quality carrier. They think small, they act fast and they have figured out how to engage employees' hearts as well as their minds. And they continue to be successful and grow while others fail.

They've been accused of being a little nuts - because they dare to be different, dare to be contrarians and dare to care so much about their people. The talk of love at Southwest is frequent and sincere. Their people focus and people policies put the employees first (yes, even before the customers.)

And you?

Do you, as a manager or business owner, have a definite, able-to-be-articulated-clearly purpose? Have you developed the systems, strategies and mechanisms for making sure you get there? Are you set up to be nimble, quick and able to respond to your customer's (and employee's) needs? Do you now the place love plays in engaging employees? Are you nuts enough to really care about your people and engage their whole selves – their hearts as well as their minds - in growing the enterprise with you?

If not, take yourself away from your desk for a few days and start to think about what you can do to work "on" the business (and not just "in" the business.) As a customer focused leader, it's up to you to set the stage for success.

If you haven't read the book "Nuts" which is all about SWA, treat yourself to a snack and enjoy - it's our featured resource today, and it's a tasty read.

Have a delightful week!

JoAnna

JoAnna Brandi is Publisher of the Customer Care Coach® a weekly training program on mastering "The Art and Science of Exquisite Customer Care." She is the author of books such as "Winning at Customer Retention - 101 Ways to Keep 'em Happy, Keep 'em Loyal, and Keep 'em Coming Back" and "Building Customer Loyalty - 21 Essential Elements in ACTION."

A Speaker and consultant, she is publisher of the bi-weekly Customer Care Tips Bulletin. To receive her free bi-weekly tips bulletin, sign up at www.returnonhappiness.com. You can also reach JoAnna at 561-279-0027 or e-mail joanna@customercarecoach.com.