Airlines Learn to Fly on a Wing and an Apology

Jeff Bailey:

Airlines are getting serious about saying they’re sorry.

After a spate of nightmarish service disruptions, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and others are sending out more apologies, hoping to head off customer complaints and quell talk of new consumer-protection regulations from Congress.

But no airline accepts blame quite like Southwest Airlines, which employs Fred Taylor Jr. in a job that could be called chief apology officer.

His formal title is senior manager of proactive customer communications. But Mr. Taylor — 37, rail thin and mildly compulsive, by his own admission — spends his 12-hour work days finding out how Southwest disappointed its customers and then firing off homespun letters of apology.

Fascinating look at Southwest Airlines' culture. I hope they fly into Madison soon. Posted by James Zellmer at March 18, 2007 9:28 PM | Subscribe to this site via RSS:
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