Please join me in welcoming southwestgabe (and the rest of the team!) aboard!
Jun 29, 2011, 7:37 pm
#1
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,036
Please join me in welcoming southwestgabe (and the rest of the team!) aboard!
According to his FT profile page, brand new member (just joined today!) southwestgabe is:
I'm liking the sound of that! ^
In the space of three posts on his first day here, southwestgabe has offered to solve Customer Service issues for five FT members. :-:
How's that for making a splash?!
For a photo and a bit more info about southwestgabe, visit his bio page on blogsouthwest.com.
Good move by SWA bringing someone from customer relations here to FT, ^ and early indications are that they found the right man for the job! ^^
here to answer questions/concerns regarding Southwest Airlines Customer Relations
In the space of three posts on his first day here, southwestgabe has offered to solve Customer Service issues for five FT members. :-:
How's that for making a splash?!
For a photo and a bit more info about southwestgabe, visit his bio page on blogsouthwest.com.
Good move by SWA bringing someone from customer relations here to FT, ^ and early indications are that they found the right man for the job! ^^
Last edited by ftnoob; Jun 29, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Jun 30, 2011, 1:05 pm
#6
Company Representative - Southwest Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: SWA Customer Relations
Posts: 48
Thanks for the welcome! I look forward to helping out on Customer Relations/Rapid Rewards related issues as I know it can be difficult getting through on the phone...
(As a side note, I noticed I've reached my limit of private messages I can send within a 24hr period so if I haven't responded yet, I will as soon as I can!)
(As a side note, I noticed I've reached my limit of private messages I can send within a 24hr period so if I haven't responded yet, I will as soon as I can!)
Jun 30, 2011, 1:52 pm
#7
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,746
(And thanks to ftnoob who drew my attention here.)
Jun 30, 2011, 5:40 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: WN peon (was A+), IHG Plat Hilton HHonors Gold DL SkyPesos PM (still a peon) US Chmn, Hawaiian Haole
Posts: 1,166
Can you help?
Thanks for the welcome! I look forward to helping out on Customer Relations/Rapid Rewards related issues as I know it can be difficult getting through on the phone...
(As a side note, I noticed I've reached my limit of private messages I can send within a 24hr period so if I haven't responded yet, I will as soon as I can!)
(As a side note, I noticed I've reached my limit of private messages I can send within a 24hr period so if I haven't responded yet, I will as soon as I can!)
Thanks, and welcome!
Jun 30, 2011, 7:43 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: BHM
Programs: WN A-List, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 213
Jul 1, 2011, 12:12 am
#13
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,036
I guess I'm going to have to change the title on this thread!
This is fantastic news for all the diehards on FT! It's cool, I guess, that SWA has been on the cutting edge with the facebook and twitter social media phenomenon, but it has left all the dinosaurs here on FT feeling pretty neglected.
I have to wonder, however, whether SWA considered taking an approach like Marriott does. Rather than have a bunch of official reps, MR uses a shared FT handle, Marriott Concierge. Several different employees can log in with that handle to post official company responses. That seems to have advantages for both the company and FT members. For example FT members can PM a single address instead of four or five. And four or five company employees should (in theory, at least) avoid duplicating each others' efforts to respond to a query and/or avoid an exchange of messages among themselves asking questions like "Did you/will you take care of FT007's issue?" Also, as turnover occurs either in the customer relations department or on the team assigned to FT, nobody needs to unlearn old contact info or learn new contact info.
My recollection is that the various employees who post using the MC handle "sign" their posts with their first names, thus allowing both FTers and the team members to know who wrote what.
I think at least one or two other companies here on FT use a similar approach, but I rarely venture beyond the friendly confines of the 501,
so I'm not 100% sure on that point.
Unfortunately, AFAIK, the FT software is not exactly awesome for tracking submitted issue status, but the PM status icons (e.g.,
and 
and the ability to move PMs into folders should be of some use. And of course for public posts it is easy to determine whether an answer has been posted via the shared handle, and much more time consuming to determine whether any of four or five handles have replied (unless the handles all adhere to a pattern like SWA fName).
Looks like many of you have met SWAGabe, and he has four other colleagues from Customer Relations who will be mingling with you.
...you probably will be hearing from the other folks on this new team, SWARob, SWAVerity, SWAWhitney, and their Leader, SWACatherine. They may come up with different handles, so don't hold me to those specific screen names.
...you probably will be hearing from the other folks on this new team, SWARob, SWAVerity, SWAWhitney, and their Leader, SWACatherine. They may come up with different handles, so don't hold me to those specific screen names.
I have to wonder, however, whether SWA considered taking an approach like Marriott does. Rather than have a bunch of official reps, MR uses a shared FT handle, Marriott Concierge. Several different employees can log in with that handle to post official company responses. That seems to have advantages for both the company and FT members. For example FT members can PM a single address instead of four or five. And four or five company employees should (in theory, at least) avoid duplicating each others' efforts to respond to a query and/or avoid an exchange of messages among themselves asking questions like "Did you/will you take care of FT007's issue?" Also, as turnover occurs either in the customer relations department or on the team assigned to FT, nobody needs to unlearn old contact info or learn new contact info.
My recollection is that the various employees who post using the MC handle "sign" their posts with their first names, thus allowing both FTers and the team members to know who wrote what.
I think at least one or two other companies here on FT use a similar approach, but I rarely venture beyond the friendly confines of the 501,
so I'm not 100% sure on that point.
Unfortunately, AFAIK, the FT software is not exactly awesome for tracking submitted issue status, but the PM status icons (e.g.,
and and the ability to move PMs into folders should be of some use. And of course for public posts it is easy to determine whether an answer has been posted via the shared handle, and much more time consuming to determine whether any of four or five handles have replied (unless the handles all adhere to a pattern like SWA fName).
