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Southwest Airlines: A Case Study in Great Customer Service
The airline giant's reputation for exceptional customer service and employee happiness is crucial to its ongoing success.
Table of Contents
Southwest Airlines serves over 126 million passengers each year, provides service to 121 airports across 11 countries and has maintained its nearly 72,000-employee roster with no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. In addition to its commercial and financial success, Southwest Airlines is known for its excellent customer service. Southwest has built an impeccable reputation by putting customers first and ensuring its employees are content and financially secure.
This model of exceptional customer service can be extrapolated to fit the needs of almost any industry if you employ strategies that work for your business. We’ll explain why Southwest is so successful as a company and a customer service provider to help other businesses understand and implement its tenets.
Southwest treats its employees well
Great customer service starts with happy employees. Southwest treats its employees well by backing individual employees’ decisions and providing everyone with quality employee benefits . For example, the company offers a 401(k) plan and matches contributions dollar-for-dollar up to 9.3 percent of the employee’s eligible earnings. It also offers a profit-sharing plan, an employee stock purchase plan, health and well-being rewards, as well as quality medical, vision and dental coverage.
In addition to benefits, Southwest also encourages professional development through in-person and online classes, mentorship programs, and even a Career Mobility Center that supports internal career advancement through advisement sessions and interview prep resources. The company also prioritizes community outreach, encouraging and incentivizing employees to give back to causes that matter to them.
Southwest makes excellent customer service its mission
According to a mission statement on Southwest’s website, “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.”
Southwest outperforms competitors in customer service
In its last survey of the airline industry from 2018, the Temkin Group compared nine U.S. airlines on the quality of their customer experience – the sum of all a customer’s experiences and interactions with a brand. The strategy of focusing on customer experience is built around the needs of the individual customer over the lifetime of the customer-brand relationship.
The Temkin Group’s survey ranked each airline on the criteria of functionality (how well experiences meet customer needs), accessibility (how easy it is for customers to do what they want to do) and emotion (how customers feel about the experience).
Southwest Airlines earned the highest score every year the Temkin Experience Ratings were published from 2011 to 2018, except for 2015. In the most recent rankings, the company received the highest score in the airline industry, 76 percent – 10 percentage points higher than the industry average score of 66 percent.
Over the years, Southwest Airlines has maintained high ratings among customers, even amid a global pandemic and overall declines in passenger satisfaction. According to the 2023 J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study , Southwest ranked highest in customer satisfaction for a second consecutive year for the economy and basic economy segment.
How Southwest Airlines emphasizes the customer experience
Southwest Airlines takes the following crucial steps to prioritize the customer experience:
- Southwest offers multiple avenues for customer support. Customer experience is no longer just an in-person interaction or a phone call. It’s now online, in live chat and more. In addition to multiple phone numbers for different customer service issues, Southwest offers live chat (via mobile app), email and a self-help resource center, allowing multiple touch points and opportunities to delight customers .
- Southwest adapts to meet customers’ evolving expectations. The airline invested over $2 billion to improve the customer experience. From improved real-time travel communications to bag tracking to bolstered self-service options, Southwest proactively meets passenger needs to make traveling more convenient and comfortable.
- Southwest empowers employees. Southwest takes care of its employees, which, in turn, helps employees take care of its customers. Providing robust financial and wellness benefits and ongoing career development allows Southwest’s team to perform at its best and effectively support its customers.
How to provide excellent customer service
All businesses should strive to achieve Southwest’s exceptional customer service. However, many of its specific strategies are tailored to the airline industry and may not work for your organization. Here are a few additional methods any business can implement to give its customers the service they deserve.
1. Be responsive to issues.
Nothing is more frustrating than being put on hold for over an hour, especially if you’ve already paid for a product or service. Remember that your customer relationships don’t end after money has been exchanged. These relationships are long-term commitments that must be cultivated over time.
If you don’t have the time to answer calls all day, consider staffing your business with more agents or outsourcing customer service calls. Ensure all customer service reps and outsourced service agents use one of the best CRM software platforms to ensure consistency and informed help. You can also streamline your communication channels and preferences to accommodate as many customer inquiries as possible. For example, it’s easy to set up a chat feature or an FAQ page on your website to avoid being overwhelmed by calls.
With so many options available to help your customers, there’s no excuse for leaving them in the dark when they have an issue.
2. Communicate beyond complaints.
Responding to problems swiftly is vital to maintaining a high level of customer service, but communicating with your audience shouldn’t stop there. Starting a weekly email newsletter or using X (formerly Twitter) as a customer support channel are great ways to stay in touch with your base.
A simple “thank you for thinking of us” when a customer tags your brand on social media can go a long way. It’s a simple, cost-free measure to set your business apart as one that truly cares about customer service.
3. Get to know your customers.
Customers love a personalized experience because it makes them feel heard. However, to ensure the personalized experience stays positive, you should understand the customer’s wants and needs. Maintaining this mindset will help ensure the customer trusts you and your company in the long run.
Almost every customer service representative has some kind of script they must stick to, but there are opportunities to veer off-book and personalize the experience. You could ask customers what they’ve been up to lately or why they chose your company, or just find a way to make them laugh. If you’re willing to go that extra mile, it can be the difference between keeping a customer and losing them.
4. Keep a positive attitude.
When trying to keep a positive attitude toward the customer, it can help to inhabit a service persona. How you speak to your customers can sometimes be more important than what you say. This approach allows you to connect with the customer on an emotional level. You’ll understand their explicit needs and better understand their overall attitude toward you and the company. If you focus on positive thinking and a positive attitude, customers will likely respond in kind.
Danielle Fallon-O’Leary contributed to this article.
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11 great customer service examples
Excellent customer service is essential for business. In fact, consumers are willing to spend 17 percent more with companies that deliver great customer service, according to American Express .
Unfortunately, it’s true that bad news travels faster than good news, especially in the age of social media. Most customer service stories online are about a bad customer service experience, and consequently, you don’t always hear about companies who are achieving customer satisfaction.
Keep scrolling to find customer service examples that will inspire, as well as tips for improving your customer experience.
What does excellent customer service look like?
The definition of “good” customer service is flexible, because it entirely depends on the level of expectation that customers have for your brand. This can be affected by variables such as your industry, product cost, brand reputation and more.
For example, if you’re flying in Economy, you don’t expect a 5* service with champagne and snacks - but if you were flying Business class, you’d be annoyed if those things weren’t provided for the higher cost of your seat.
What consumers expect from your customer service experience is the key factor in whether they perceive your brand to be great or terrible. Do they want to be able to resolve issues on multiple channels, or do they go to one channel for specific problems? Is your average response time more important to them, or is it how many self-service options you provide that matters? Is poor customer service the main reason why they might try a competitor?
Your support teams are your front line, shaping customer experience on a day-to-day basis. They can be proactively helpful in providing customer service that’s memorable, and turn a bad customer service experience around.
Investing in great service is worth your while. Don’t lose customers and brand loyalty by failing to meet and exceed expectations - grow your business’ revenue by ensuring that your excellent service keeps customers coming back.
Examples of good customer service experiences are more often than not the result of a kind, customer-centric service agents who are good at the following things:
Good customer service examples
- Responding quickly: A customer will appreciate fast response times when they want to ask a question or highlight a problem.
- Acting on customer feedback: When a customer support agent acts on the feedback they’ve received, it shows them that their opinion mattered.
- Showing empathy : Employees that try to understand a customer’s point of view make a customer feel valued, and can turn an angry customer into a happy one.
- Maintaining customer self-service options: Sometimes customers would prefer to find their own answer to problems rather than getting in touch with your customer service center. Having an up-to-date FAQ page or knowledge article base can be very helpful.
- Providing omnichannel support: Different communication channels can support customers that have busy schedules or want flexibility in how they connect with businesses. Your customer service teams need to be prepared to offer support through email, phone, live chat, and social media.
- Going the extra mile: When an employee is able to deliver excellent customer service beyond the customer’s expectations or adds a personal touch to the service experience, it can leave a positive impression and increase customer loyalty.
A less generalized amd more specific example of enhancing customer satisfaction and building loyalty is by offering discounts and coupons (depending on your industry and needs).
Why is delivering excellent customer service important?
There are several reasons why great customer service is important for your business. Below we list the most important ones.
Satisfied customers will spend more
According to Hubspot , 68 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from brands associated with excellent customer service. When you invest in delivering great customer service, you’re creating happy customers but also generating enough brand equity to charge a premium for your offering.
Your ROI will improve and profits will increase
Deloitte found that brands that were customer-centric were 60 percent more profitable when they were compared to companies that neglected to focus on customer experience. Your support team should be empowered to provide excellent customer service, not just for the customer’s benefit, but for your brand’s financial benefit as well.
Customers are more likely to forgive you
If you provide good customer service, you can convince customers to return, even if something didn’t go as they expected. Salesforce found that 78 percent of consumers will do business with a brand again after a mistake is made if the customer service is excellent.
Customer loyalty improves with great customer service
Microsoft says that a whopping 96 percent of customers believe customer service is vital when they’re choosing to be loyal to a brand. If you don’t provide customer service that meets expectations when dealing with an upset customer, you risk alienating them from returning to spend more. Quality service will help you to increase customer lifetime value.
A great customer experience means a higher chance of recommendations
Consumers who have a good customer service experience are more likely to recommend your brand to other people. Our own XM Institute found that consumers who rate a brand’s service as “good” are 38% more likely to recommend that company to others.
Real-life examples of great customer service
It's one thing to talk about what good customer service is in theory, and another to apply it to real-world companies. Below are eleven customer service examples from companies that go above and beyond, as well as the customer service tips we’ve taken from their stories.
- JetBlue - Thank frequent customers with small gestures
- Tesla - Meet your customers where they're at
- Adobe - Respond to customer service complaints before they happen
- Trader Joe's - Help those in time of need
- Coca-Cola - Get involved in social causes
- Zappos - Personally reply to every email
- Us! - Provide an exceptional event experience
- Sainsbury’s – Don't be afraid to change everything
- American Express – Give customers benefits that can be used globally
- Walmart - Invite customers into the company family
- The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company – Turn customer errors into service opportunities
1. JetBlue - Thank frequent customers with small gestures
Paul Brown was flying JetBlue airlines when he casually tweeted that he couldn’t grab his Starbucks coffee before boarding the plane because he was flying out of the smaller terminal at Boston’s Logan airport. Within seconds of seeing the tweet, JetBlue sprang to action and the airport customer service reps delivered a Starbucks venti mocha to his seat on the plane. Brown was elated and raved about JetBlue on Twitter.
Good customer service takeaway : This is definitely one of those great customer examples other companies can learn from. The main takeaway? Your customers don’t always need large gestures, but just want to know they’re appreciated. In fact, 68 percent of customers leave because they perceive you don’t appreciate them. I’m sure after knowing his request was heard, Mr. Brown feels appreciated and he’ll be a loyal customer for a long time. Keep your company at the top of your customer’s mind, with good customer care by doing small acts for more people, instead of a few large things for a lot of people. Believe it or not, it's the simple things that count and produce loyal and happy customers.
2. Tesla - Meet your customers where they’re at
Tesla literally meets customers where they’re at by going to the customer’s home and fixing issues on their car. It’s convenient for the customer because they don’t have to sit around a repair shop and it can be scheduled on their own time. This is an example of excellent customer service.
Flat tire on Sunday. Called Tesla, git a loaner tire within 40 minutes. Today they came to my house to replace the tire in 10 minutes. scheduled to come back to fix a small issue next week. What other car company does this? @elonmusk @TeslaModel3 @Tesla #mobileservice pic.twitter.com/GiNwOM3RJZ — Chris Kern (@cjk7216) October 31, 2018
3. Adobe - Respond to customer service complaints before they happen
When Adobe had an outage due to an issue with Amazon Web Services, they posted a tweet about it before they started getting customer complaints. The tweet contained a video of a puppy stampede as a distraction and lightened the mood. While there were some comments asking when the program would be running again, many replies focused on the adorable puppies.
Hi all, some Adobe services are down due to the AWS outage: https://t.co/U2qtybaT8J Here's a puppy stampede to take your mind off of it. ? pic.twitter.com/Glv6Anavje — Adobe Customer Care (@AdobeCare) February 28, 2017
4. Trader Joe's - Help those in time of need
An 89-year-old man was stuck in his house during a snowstorm and his granddaughter was worried he wouldn’t have enough food. She called around to several grocery stores and asked if they would deliver, to no avail. Finally, Trader Joe’s said they normally don’t deliver, but they would help. She read off a big list to the store and they delivered the entire order and more within 30 minutes, free of charge.
5. Coca-Cola - Get involved in social causes
Since 1984, Coke has given back more than $1 billion through the Coca-Cola Foundation. What’s great is they give back at the local level and not just to large organizations. For instance, Coke in Ireland initiated the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund , which gives €100K annually to local charities that empower young people, foster sustainability, and encourage diversity and inclusion.
6. Zappos - Personally reply to every email
Zappos responds to every email it receives, even if it’s addressed to the CEO. In this case, a woman sent a request to Tony Hsieh and even though he was unavailable, his representative sent a humorous and engaging email back.
7. Us! - Provide an exceptional event experience
During many conferences that we attend, we send our “Qualtrics Dream Team” to fulfill customers' needs and wishes to make the event a truly exceptional experience. From food and drinks, to swag, to even vacations and massages, our team tries to fulfill as many requests as possible. They also collect customer feedback and make changes for a better event experience, such as room temperature and providing phone chargers.
Not a legal comment, but every other company listed here has some example of a customer thanking them for good customer service. I think our example would be stronger if we had something like that.
Curious to know how we run the Dream Team using our own software, or why we bring it to events like #CXOLeadersSummit ? Stop by our booth and we'll share all the secrets! Our team is here till 4pm AEST. pic.twitter.com/pEjfd2Jl8K — Qualtrics (@Qualtrics) August 8, 2018
8. Sainsbury’s – Don't be afraid to change everything
When Sainsbury’s, a UK supermarket chain, received a letter from three-and-a-half-year-old Lily Robinson, they ended up rebranding one of their products entirely. Lily thought their "tiger bread" didn’t resemble a tiger’s stripes at all – it looked more like the pattern on a giraffe. Sainsbury’s responded that the little girl was right and made new labels to share Lily's insight with other customers.
9. American Express – Give customers benefits that can be used globally
American Express maintains their position as a top-tier credit card company by offering its customers plenty of extra benefits: complimentary travel flight credit, insurance, and access to airline lounges to name a few. Combine these worldwide benefits with American Express's 24/7 support line and its global partners network and you have a company that truly connects with you wherever you are.
10. Walmart - Invite customers into the company family
Walmart has a reputation for being focused on providing value to everyday families. They live out their family focus through the way they treat their employees. When one of their associates turned 101 years old, they shared the news on Facebook and invited customers to participate in the celebration.
11. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company – Turn customer errors into service opportunities
Ritz-Carlton employees are allowed up to $2,000 to fix any guest problem, no questions asked. One example was told by customer John DiJulius, who left his charger behind at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. He received a next-day air package with his charger and a note saying ‘Mr. DiJulius, I wanted to make sure we got this to you right away. I am sure you need it, and, just in case, I sent you an extra charger for your laptop.’
How to provide great customer service
The best way to provide a good customer service experience is to gather feedback, set metrics and take action on your overall customer experience (CX) .
Why not check out our free survey template to collect feedback for customer service and contact centers? You can download it here.
With Qualtrics, you can track key metrics with a customer service benchmark report to help you to understand how your service is improving over time. Track interactions and feedback across the customer journey and customer service experience, and set action into motion to gain customer trust and loyalty.
Best customer service practices: Improving agent effectiveness
Diana Kaemingk
Diana Kaemingk is a contributor to the Qualtrics blog.
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