Southwest Airlines: Leading the Airline Industry One Statistic at a Time
Southwest Airlines: Leading the Airline Industry one Statistic at a Time
Victoria Mack
May 6th, 2013
Quantitative Research Methods
Term Paper
I. Introduction “The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.” (Kelly, Gary) By providing the highest quality of customer service, Southwest Airlines business model is set up to provide customers with a great experience ranging from customer service, baggage handling, on time performance, and point-to-point flights to get their passengers to their destinations in a more timely manner. Southwest Airlines is a company that has emerged from a small Texas Airline only serving three cities to one of the top ten most admired companies in the world and largest domestic carrier in terms of originating passengers. Southwest Airlines has proven to be the most efficient airline; which has allowed them to remain profitable for over 40 consecutive years. By taking a samples from previous years and from various markets, the statistics support that Southwest Airlines is the leader in the industry in terms of customer service complaints, on time arrivals, baggage handling, load factors and number of passengers carried.
II. Customer Service Complaints Southwest Airlines continually tries to enhance the Customer Experience and Customer service efforts by encouraging customer input and feedback on a normal basis. In 2010, after every letter , email, and phone call was accounted for in regards to customer satisfaction it totaled up to more than 65,000 positive letters. This was compared to the number of rudeness complains equaling out to be 10% or a 10:1 ratio. (Customer Insight) According a most recent airline passenger sample survey from 2012, Southwest continues to be known as the “darling airline of the public” for three years in a row now
Victoria Mack
May 6th, 2013
Quantitative Research Methods
Term Paper
I. Introduction “The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.” (Kelly, Gary) By providing the highest quality of customer service, Southwest Airlines business model is set up to provide customers with a great experience ranging from customer service, baggage handling, on time performance, and point-to-point flights to get their passengers to their destinations in a more timely manner. Southwest Airlines is a company that has emerged from a small Texas Airline only serving three cities to one of the top ten most admired companies in the world and largest domestic carrier in terms of originating passengers. Southwest Airlines has proven to be the most efficient airline; which has allowed them to remain profitable for over 40 consecutive years. By taking a samples from previous years and from various markets, the statistics support that Southwest Airlines is the leader in the industry in terms of customer service complaints, on time arrivals, baggage handling, load factors and number of passengers carried.
II. Customer Service Complaints Southwest Airlines continually tries to enhance the Customer Experience and Customer service efforts by encouraging customer input and feedback on a normal basis. In 2010, after every letter , email, and phone call was accounted for in regards to customer satisfaction it totaled up to more than 65,000 positive letters. This was compared to the number of rudeness complains equaling out to be 10% or a 10:1 ratio. (Customer Insight) According a most recent airline passenger sample survey from 2012, Southwest continues to be known as the “darling airline of the public” for three years in a row now
Cited: Page Bowen, B. D., & Headly, D. E. (2013). Evaluation of the us airline industry: The airline quality rating 2012. Purdue University: Department of Aviation Technology. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=atpubs Customer Insight (2011.) Southwest Airlines One Report. (n.d.) Retrieved from website: http://www.southwestonereport.com Kelly, Gary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/ Mayerow, Scott. (2012). Airlines improve flight arrival times and baggage handling. The Durango Herald. 9th August 2012. Retrieved from:http://www.durangoherald.com Research and Innovative Technology Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved from website: http://www.transtats.bts.gov/OT_Delay/OT_DelayCause1.asp?pn=1