![]() And at the same time, it was ineffective in communicating with its customers, undermining the airline customer experience. Because of this, Southwest was unable to relocate airline staff and equipment to where it was needed. The improvements that have been made have been inadequate and far from comprehensive. In essence, Southwest continues to operate off 1990’s software with outdated legacy systems. But Southwest has neglected such technology updates despite both Southwest Union and pilot unions pleading for updates. In fact, most believe the problems posed by such a structure could have been easily overcome with the right technology. The point-to-point approach to flight scheduling was not the only issue with the Southwest Airlines crisis. Department of Transportation Failure to Invest in Customer Experience ![]() The Department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan.” – U.S. “USDOT is concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service. Nothing says “bad customer experience” like cancelling all flights. This played a large role in the Southwest Airlines crisis reversing their normally positive airline customer experience. But when weather affects one of these “points,” there are limited solutions to address cancellations. In normal times, this is quite convenient for customers, allowing shorter flight times and transfers. Instead of operating on a hub-and-spoke structure like other airlines, Southwest prefers point-to-point strategies. The reason? One of the biggest reasons relates to a feature that often makes Southwest appealing to many customers. But other airlines with a strong presence in these locations recovered much faster than Southwest. Both Chicago Midway and Denver International Airport took major hits as storms passed through. Not to make excuses, but the winter storms did impact two of Southwest’s most travelled airports the worst. It’s clear customer satisfaction for Southwest is at an all-time low. Best-made holiday plans rapidly deteriorated along with their faith in Southwest. As far as airline customer experience goes, the Southwest Airlines crisis presented the worst for many. Thousands also had their luggage dispersed in airports abroad, many with gifts and some with medications. As a result of Southwest’s situation, nearly a million passengers were left stranded at the airport. In fact, the next closest airline, which was SkyWest, had only 77 cancellations. But in terms of Southwest Airlines, it led the list with roughly 2,500 flights shut down. In this regard, all airlines were affected, and many had to cancel flights. The date was 12/22/22, the Wednesday before Christmas, when winter weather reared its ugly head. They’re usually pretty good at responding to crises.” – Richard Aboulafia, Airlines Analyst A Christmas to Forget for Many “ got the best reputation for customer service and management agility. ( Read this Bold story for a breakdown of the top ten funniest brands, and how they make humor work for them.) But the failure to ensure the customer satisfaction is ultimately what has many Southwest loyalists considering other options. Weather may have been the root cause of this recent catastrophe. But based on the current Southwest Airlines crisis, it appears the company forgot what earned them such accolades. Point-to-point flights and faster turnarounds appealed to customers as did the airlines endearing sense of humor. ![]() Southwest enjoyed incredible loyalty among its clientele, and much of this had to do with airline customer experience. In fact, as far as airlines go, they were among the most beloved when it came to their passengers. As the Southwest Airlines crisis showed, prioritizing customer experience is essential for good business.Ī few years ago, it would have been difficult to believe Southwest Airlines would be the target of customer ire. And it appears that this is what is happening with the Southwest Airlines crisis. But all it takes is one horrific encounter with an airline, and suddenly, the account’s balance becomes negative. For every good experience, airlines earn a bit of credit into their credibility account. Ultimately, what it boils down to is the airline customer experience. Certainly, there may be some general trends in terms of which airlines fall into one category or the other. Speak to any of them, and each will have one they love and at least one they hate. When it comes to specific airlines, travelers tend to have very particular opinions.
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