by Dr.
John
Hogan, CHE CHA CMHS
June 16, 2011
I just returned from a trip where I spent some time
with my best friend whom I had not seen in awhile and celebrated a
milestone
birthday with my daughter and her family.
As always, I look to read something of interest and am pleased to
recommend a somewhat unusual item. It is
unusual because it is actually an inflight magazine from a major US
airline but
one that is very interesting because it tells fascinating stories in
many ways.
We all have experienced some airline horror stories of
delayed flights, lost luggage,(what we feel are) excessive fees,
insensitive
responses from certain staff and questionable policies. While I
imagine the airline I am about to name has had some
unsatisfied customers over the years, this issue of SPIRIT magazine
shares some
remarkable and at times moving stories of customer service, of
exceptional
staff commitments to each other, their company, the flying public and
of the
corporate belief system.
This airline has won many “best in class” awards and as
significantly, has been profitable for 39 of its' 40 years, which are
both
major accomplishments. I first flew this
airline in the mid 1970s when I accepted a promotion to my first
department
head position at the Sheraton Houston Hotel.
In those days, the airline flew a limited schedule among three
Texas cities because of legal entanglements
and the pressure of larger competitors that did not want an upstart in
their
back yard. Things certainly have changed
in those 40 years.
If you are outside the USA or happen to be in locations
they do not service, I am speaking of course of Southwest
Airlines. I found their June 2011, 40th
Anniversary Special to be very enlightening and entertaining and wanted
to
share some observations on this issue. I
must add here that the airline did not ask for any PR, nor have they
compensated me for this unsolicited column.
I enjoy flying Southwest because of the attentiveness of their staff,
their fair and understandable pricing, and their inclinations to go a
bit
“beyond” some of their corporate policies when appropriate and if it is
in the
best interests of all parties.
Why is this
recommended reading? Following is a
partial list of what I found to be some
highlights:
- The welcome from
the CEO (in both English and Spanish, reflecting customer sensitivity)
tells a story. Many airline magazines have this feature, but Gary
Kelly is not bragging as some do about something irrelevant to
passengers but he is delivering a sincere message.
- Star of the Month –
this features “real” Southwest associates being highlighted for what
they do, how they do it a little differently and one can sense the
pride.
- Rapid Rewards Freedom
Stories – A segment that highlights paying customers, why they
use this particular airline and what they like about it. I wonder
if other airlines would have these kinds of stories every issue....
- We Owe It All to YOU
– a genuine one page thank you from Southwest founder Herb Kelleher to
the now millions of people who have come to use the service annually
- Reader Photos –
with Facebook and all the Social Media available, people do not need to
send their photos to an airline magazine, yet apparently people do
every month. Why is that? What does that say about this airline's
corporate culture?
- Amusing statistics
on numbers – trivia for everyone that makes one smile.
- Life Aps –
ten one-page mini lessons on a range of topics
- Business Shorts –
Five business related articles on Business Meals, trips, words, perks
and ideas,
- Beginning on page 80, there is a history of the airline, with some
little known details about the early years in particular that are
surprising and.(quite readable)
- A tongue in cheek conversation/interview
with founder Kelleher and current president Kelly.
- 40 ways to celebrate, including instructions on how to download 40 free iTunes
- Care Mail – while
I imagine these may be some of the best ever, this section includes
some remarkable and at time moving stories of customer service.
They are impressive because they all seem to come from the heart of the
associates of Southwest who were serving their guests – and they did
not need to get permission to do the right things.
- There are 40 Lessons,
such as:
- #1 - Keep the Idea simple enough to draw on a napkin
- #4- Raise more money than you need, and then double
it
- #7 -Target the under-served and overcharged
- #11 -Lack of money makes you frugal
- #13- Promote from Within
- #20- Simplicity has value
- # 26 -Take your business, not yourself seriously
- #35 -It's about Customer Service, not "scalability"
- #39 -Never rest on your laurels or you will get a thorn in
your, um, butt
The magazine has other features: city highlights on
Nashville and Chicago and an entire section on the airline's newest
city
served, Charleston SC. The staples of
every magazine are represented as well.
I recognize that this airline has its share of
challenges, of mistakes and of missed opportunities as do we all, yet
over the
years I have personally seen moments of excellence.
My challenge to hotel owners, managers, innkeepers and
other hospitality businesses is this:
Go back to those 13 points above. How would you answer the
following ten
questions?
- How do you welcome your guests? At the desk? In a message
in the room?
- How do you recognize your "Stars"? In what ways? Where? Do
they have pride?
- How do you recognize your regular, repeat guests?
- How do you say "thank you" today? Or ever?
- Do you look for guest or staff input?
- Is your hotel an interesting place to stay?
- Do you make travel easier on guests or do they have
reason to complain about you?
- Do you look for ways to improve the guest experience at
your hotel each month?
- What does your " Care Mail" reveal?
- Are there lessons learned at your hospitality business that
can be shared?
Hospitality Tips of the Week™
“Always
respect the three parts of every successful hospitality business.
Make your decisions with the needs of the
owner, associate and guest/customer in mind.”
Hotel
Common Sense™ - Philosophy #1 John
Hogan
KEYS TO
SUCCESS is the
umbrella title for my 2011 programs, hospitality services and columns.
This
year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers
and
professionals including both my "HOW
TO" articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS™, Lessons from the Field™,
Hotel Common Sense™ , THE P-A-R
PRINCIPLE™ and Principles for Success.
|
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remember
– we all need a regular dose of common sense.
John
Hogan is
a successful hospitality executive, educator,
author and consultant
and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many
hospitality industry events. He is
Co-Founder of a consortium (
www.HospitalityEducators.com)
of successful corporate and
academic professionals delivering focused and affordable counsel in
solving
specific challenges facing hospitality today.
www.HospitalityEducators.com
is a membership site offering a wide range of
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individual
hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration,
deliver
service excellence and increase their profitability. Individuals
wishing to
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