Service by Southwest

Few companies offer the level of customer service as Southwest Airlines does.

A few years ago, a man was en route from a business trip in LA to his daughter’s home in Denver to see his three-year old grandson for the last time.

The boy, beaten into a coma by his mother’s live-in boyfriend, was being taken off life-support at 9pm that evening so his organs could be used to save other lives.

The man’s wife called Southwest to arrange the last minute flight and explained the emergency situation to the airline.

But he got held up by relentless LA traffic, and when he finally made it to the airport, he encountered long line-ups and didn’t make it to the gate on time.

When he finally got there, 12 full minutes after the plane was scheduled to leave, he was shocked to find the plane still there.

The pilot met him at the gate, and said, “They can’t go anywhere without me, and I wasn’t going anywhere without you.”

Southwest was voted the top customer service airline in 2012.

No need to wonder why.

It takes a very special company to deliver the small touches that are so rare in this world.

Companies that are willing to go the extra inch.

There were 100 business reasons why that Southwest flight should not have waited. Every five minute delay on a major flight costs an airline thousands of dollars and impacts everything down the line.

But that pilot knew his decision to hold the plane would be backed up by his company. It’s the reason Southwest has shown a profit every year, even through 9/11.

Terry O’Reilly
“It’s the Little Things”
Under the Influence
May 4, 2013