Southwest Airlines
Lewis W
MAN 103
07 April 2013

Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines has had fewest customer complaints than any major airlines for more than 18 years in a row and has been profitable for more than 31 consecutive years in compared to other airlines that operate in the red zone year after year (D'Aurizio, 2008). They work really hard at keeping all operation cost down while still making their customers happy and coming back. At the same time they also work hard at keep employees happy and productive.
Southwest focuses on nine loyalty lessons:
1. Hire attitude - train skill: Which means they hire people with good attitude then work on their skills 2. Immerse everyone in the culture immediately: This means they pair up new employees with the long time employees: This way all knowledge is passed on as quickly as possible 3. Keep them learning: Southwest Airlines offers programs to allow employees to continue learning. 4. People give as good as they get: Southwest also works hard at team building exercises to make employees feel like a family 5. Find the kid in everyone: Let the employees have as much fun as possible but keep everything balanced which makes it a tough project (Miller, K). Southwest is known for its flight attendants' and pilots' kooky in-flight announcements and playful attitudes. Even the CEO has a sense of humor; his Halloween costume choices are based on customer responses to his blog, and he has dressed as a rock star, a pirate and a woman with a beehive hairdo (Calvert, Organizational Business Culture-). 6. Do more with less: Southwest Airlines uses only one type of plane, the 737 this limits not only parts needed but also training required since mechanics only have to work on one type of plain 7. Love them in tough times: Employees will receive not only organizational but also personal help in hard times which keeps loyalty up. 8. Do what is right: Educated leadership to admit mistakes then move on to fixing them.