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Competition Brings Out the Best

jlamb1
Adventurer C

At Southwest Airlines, we just completed an Employee survey.  Like most surveys, this one only takes a few minutes and provides a valuable platform to solicit real time opinions across our system.  In Dallas, a friend of mine in Finance thought it would be FUN to get a little competition going between our Departments.  We made a bet on which Department would have the greatest participation in the survey, and the smack talking began.  All was going well, participation in the survey was well ahead of past years, and I began to relax. Then one Monday morning I opened my office door to find my office had been ‘wrapped’ with toilet paper.  (see picture below)  

This was very creative for a bunch of accounting nerds. They solicited security to invade my office after hours and launched their attack with precision.  The effect was impressive but the “damage” was temporary, as it was cleaned up in just a few minutes.  With three daughters, the large oak tree in front of our house would occasionally get wrapped by the neighborhood boys.  Upon one such occasion, I was able to interrupt the tree wrapping and commandeer one of the assailant’s bicycles.  I locked up the prisoner (bike) in my garage and waited for the guilty party to surface.  It took several days before mom demanded that her son locate his missing bike. The “prisoner” exchange was very pleasant but needless to say, word soon spread around the neighborhood and the wrappings slowed down.

Although I wasn’t able to capture any Finance assets left behind during the raid, we do have a year’s supply of toilet paper…the good double-ply kind!  Thanks, Finance.

7 Comments
Mark18
Explorer C
This reminds me of a stunt I saw a few years ago. A work mate was on vacation. We used saran wrap to seal off the entry to his cubicle, and then filled his cubicle to the top with plastic packing peanuts (in assorted colors) It took him most of the day when he returned to the office to clean up.
Anonymous3116
Explorer C
I personally cannot stand Southwest and have made it a point not to fly them. I used to fly Burbank to El Paso, Texas, and have found the staff to be obnoxous and annoying. Rather than sue, I just don't give them my business HOWEVER - I did have to book. I have a service dog, and reservations would not book me unless I told them why I have a service dog. At that point, I just hung up and flew another airline. No problems with their competition !
cgantt
Explorer C
Anonymous, Because Southwest Airlines doesn’t currently accept pets, when speaking with a Customer intending to travel with an animal, our Employees are trained to ask the Customer some factfinding questions to determine if the animal is a pet, an assistance animal, or an emotional support animal. As you may be aware, accessibility in airline travel is covered by the Air Carrier Access Act, 49 U.S.C. 1374(c) and the regulations implementing the Act issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) as 14 CFR Part 382, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel. You may review the DOT’s Guidance Concerning Service Animals in Air Transportation here: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/20030509.pdf. Please note that while our Employees cannot ask a Customer to divulge the nature of his/her disability, they can request that a Customer advise us what assistance an animal provides in order to obtain credible verbal assurance that the animal is a trained assistance animal. If the Customer intends to travel with an emotional support animal, our Reservations Sales Agents will advise the Customer of the specific documentation requirements for emotional support animals. Southwest Airlines is a very good airline, with an excellent performance record; friendly, capable Employees; and a strong commitment to Customer Service. You are, of course, entitled to find alternate means of transportation if you wish, but we hope that you will not make the decision to go elsewhere as we truly value and appreciate your business.
blusk
Aviator C
Jeff, your post brought back memories of high school and the feeling of embarrassment I felt when several buddies and I bought a big giant pack of toilet paper at K-Mart on a Friday night. I think everyone in the world knew what we were about. Brian
Linda18
Explorer C
Anonymous, I have flown Southwest for the past two years with my service dog and yes they do ask what service the dog is for. I think it is important that they ask. I always travel with papers to support myself and the dog because I do not have a visible disability and because of that I'm often asked more personal questions about the dog by passengers not Southwest. I just want the ability to fly from one place to the next as needed. I do have one complaint that once onboard the attendants are often mixed in their directions about my seating choices. Some say I have to sit at the bulkhead and nowhere else. Others have required that the dog be completely under the front seat even though I am at a window and not blocking the aisle of other passengers. The SW web site states that the dog be on the floor in front or next to you. The FAA states that a trained service dog remain at the owners feet. SW needs to make their attendants aware of the companies requirements. I am deaf and it is kinda hard to push my hearing dog under the seat when her job is to remain next to me.
pberg
Frequent Flyer B
Dear Linda – I’m so sorry that you have received mixed information from our Flight Attendants regarding where you and your service dog should sit onboard our aircraft. Our Flight Attendant Manual states that: A Customer traveling with an assistance or emotional support animal may sit anywhere, with the following conditions. The animal… • may not obstruct an aisle, access to an aisle, or an emergency exit • may not occupy a seat • may be placed against the fuselage wall • should remain with its owner throughout the flight • if small enough, may be held in the Customer’s lap for all phases of flight The FAA Policy states that: A service animal may be placed at the feet of a person with a disability at any bulkhead seat or in any other seat as long as when the animal is seated/placed/curled up on the floor, no part of the animal extends into the main aisle(s) of the aircraft, the service animal is not at an emergency exit seat and the service animal does not extend into the foot space of another passenger seated nearby who does not wish to share foot space with the service animal. Based on the information above, I believe you can sit anywhere you’d like, as long as your service dog doesn’t block the aisles. Paula Berg Southwest Airlines
Todd3
Explorer C
First I would like to say that I've flown SWA many many times on Business and Pleasure. It's my favorite airline, for a few reasons. But, I have had a few issues in the past, but SWA has taken care of those issues remarkably well and I've always been impressed with their service. Soon, I will be getting a Service Dog and know that the first time I fly with my dog will be TOUGH......or maybe not. I just really hope that SWA takes care of me and my dog when it's our time to fly. Thou, I have checked and some airlines have made arraignments for NEW Service Dogs that will be flying with their owners the chance to actually walk around the airport, board a plane and get adjusted to being on an airplane. Most service dogs are not trained to know what an airplane is until they are partnered with their handler. So, I hope that SWA has something that would allow for that. The last thing I would want is for my dog to freak out in flight. It is tough since Most if not all of SWA planes are 737's and don't really have much room for YOU and YOUR DOG except up in Rows 1&2 to be at your feet. OR the one emergency aisle that only has 2 seats in it. I don't want anyone to treat me as special, I'm normal.....but soon when I have my service dog, everyone will know and I don't have a problem with that. I'd like to educate people to why we have service dogs and what they can do for us. So, SWA....Please make my first flight with my dog, the best flight ever! Thanks! Todd