Teresa Laraba on Customer Service

[sheaser]

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]Teresa Laraba is our Senior Vice President Customer Services. On this episode of Red Belly Radio, find out how she spends her days and what keeps her up at night. Part of this show is a recording of a Customer call after his flight was delayed. But he wasn’t calling to complain, he was calling to thank.

It seems our Customer Relations people were on top of things (as usual) and reached out to all of the passengers on that flight to apologize. The Proactive Customer Service Communications Team does this exact thing every day! Oftentimes, it is something very simple keeps people happy.

[spineda]

That was a great listen Mr. Steve Heaser! I enjoyed hearing the message left by the grateful customer. That was a perfect example of the immeasurable impact that proactive customer service can have on the flying public. Ms. Teresa Laraba, you touched on this in your interview with Clayton Reid for Brands That Travel. You mentioned that your pet peeve when you travel is that when employees do not offer assistance to customers, but instead wait to be asked for help. I can relate this to my current work experience in a hospital environment where failure to anticipate the needs of customers can oftentimes lead to serious medical events. To help with this, we are trained to always keep our customers informed and involved. Without a doubt, Southwest Airlines employees are communicating effectively with customers and it shows. Kudos to the SWA Team! Salvador Pineda Prospective SWA Employee

[John_Bingham]

I have a complaint and I don't want to wait 45 days to have it resolved (as stated in the automated response I received after fiing on-line)...is the somebody specific I can talk to?

[Mike_McPeck]

Dear Ms. Laraba: A little over a week ago my wife and I had the unfortunate experience of flying Southwest Airlines to Chicago's Midway Airport. On our flight to Chicago the flight was listed at two different gates (yes the same flight same time). They finally changed it after confusing the passengers. My wife and I were unable to sit together, whoever thought up the open seating program should have been fired. On our return flight the flight was overbooked and again I was unable to sit with my wife. When they handed out the drinks some hot liquid was on the napkin and it spilled onto my fingers, I took the singed napkin to the flight attendant and requested some ice in a cup for my finger which had started to hurt. The attitude was less than friendly. I have never complained before regarding travel as I accept most incidents as part of the traveling experience, however this was beyond the pale of even common courtesy. Cheap flights and a bag of peanuts do not make for a great airline. I will never fly Southwest again and I will urge friends, family, and others to do the same. Mike McPeck Former Southwest Customer