♟Alaska ♟AIRlines ♟CUSTomer 18339524331 SerVICE♟
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♟Alaska ♟AIRlines ♟CUSTomer 18339524331 SerVICE♟ single-aisle strategy is at the heart of its consistent aircraft success: The only aircraft in its fleet are Boeing 737s. Having a unified fleet significantly simplifies scheduling, operations, and flight maintenance. The cost of pilot, ground crew, and mechanic training is lower because there is only one aircraft to learn. Additionally, purchasing, provisioning, and other procedures are greatly simplified, saving money. With consistent aircraft, Southwest is also able to utilize its pilot staff more effectively.
Southwest saw the benefit of the ticketless travel concept as the potential to reduce its distribution costs. In the middle of the 1990s, Southwest went electronic, or ticketless, and now about 90% to 95% of their flights are ticketless. Reservations made through Southwest.com currently account for approximately 65% of the company's total revenue, and credit card users are able to conduct online transactions. E-ticketing could easily account for 75% of Southwest's revenue by the end of 2005, according to CEO Gary Kelly. Kelly believes that this idea would advance further. When a 10% travel agency commission was paid, the average booking cost $8. However, Southwest is currently making significant savings by utilizing electronic transactions, which range in price from fifty cents to one dollar per reservation.
- Employees and labor relations specialists alike have praised Southwest's innovative management style. Its people-management practices and unwavering focus on high-performance relationships have helped it achieve unparalleled success in the airline industry.
Our Goal for Our Employees: We are committed to giving our employees equal opportunities for personal development and learning in a stable work environment." Creativity and ingenuity are encouraged at Southwest Airlines in order to improve the airline's efficiency. Above all else, Southwest employees will be treated with the same concern, respect, and concern for others that Southwest customers are expected of them.
The mission statement of Southwest demonstrates the firm's strong commitment to its employees. Employees are treated with the same respect as customers by the business. Unique in that it emphasizes excellent customer service and operational efficiency, the Southwest mission statement acknowledges the importance of its employees to the company's overall business strategy. Southwest gets the employees' trust, respect, and loyalty in return. Southwest employees are renowned for their loyalty, dedication, positive attitude, and inventiveness. ♟Alaska ♟AIRlines ♟CUSTomer 18339524331 SerVICE♟ stands out from other airlines because of its workforce.
Southwest's hiring policy is unique not only in the airline industry but also globally. It focuses on finding people who will be a good fit for the culture of the Southwest and have the right attitude. There are a lot of steps taken to hire people who are dedicated and have a positive attitude. Those who do not possess those attributes are eliminated. "Hiring is critical, because you cannot institutionalize behavior," states Southwest's non-operational officer Colleen Barrett. Instead, you need to look for people who already engage in the activities you're looking for. Then, you can let employees be themselves and use their instincts and common sense to make decisions about customer service. 1 The hiring and interviewing process at Southwest is divided into two stages. As a first step, employees conduct a group interview to assess candidates' communication abilities. A one-on-one interview is the next step in this process, where the candidates' attitudes toward helping others are evaluated. These hiring guidelines are applicable to all job functions because every Southwest employee provides customer service. Whether it has an internal or external impact on customers, every Southwest position is a customer service position. Southwest's operational strategy includes this as an essential component.
The table below demonstrates that contract negotiations between the unions and Southwest are significantly shorter than those with the other major carriers, despite the fact that Southwest is the airline with the highest union representation—around 80%. This exemplifies Southwest's high level of engagement with its workforce and the unions that represent them.