Hi Sunny
I enjoyed your comments about your first days at Southwest Airlines! It brought to mind my experience with my First and Last days working for the Company!
I had applied to be a flight attendant for 4 consecutive years...and never was hired! Finally, in March of 1981, I dropped off another application at the General Office. I decided to go over to the airport and just look around, and watch the planes take off! I stopped at the bathroom...and Joy Bardo was washing her hands. She had an ID on, so I got brave and asked her to share with me, how to get hired by Southwest Airlines. Joy turned out to be the Station Manager's secretary! Joy took me across the hall. I met Jack Mercer, the Station Manager, and two weeks later at 27 years old, I found myself in Hot Pants and Boots on the Dallas Ticket Counter!!
How can I explain that feeling you get every time you drive into Love Field....you know, that feeling of excitement and anticipation, that working for Southwest Airlines, you are a part of something important and magnificent, something so much bigger than yourself! You are are part of a family that has been given the gift to serve the flying public...and make getting to any event, business or pleasure a possibility!
Back to what I was saying before......I spent the next 18 1/2 years working in the Dallas Station. The first 3 years as a Customer Service Agent. I will never forget the Air Traffic Controller Strike. W e pretty much stayed at our gates the entire shift. One day Camille Keith came to give me a break. You never knew who would come to relieve you! That day started a great friendship!
I remember the first time I met Herb. I was working the San Antonio gate, and the phone rang, and I heard, "This is Herb, show me on the jump seat." ..CLICK...the phone went dead! Thinking someone was playing a joke on me, I ran down the jetway. To my surprise, there was Herb, and he gave me a BIG KISS, and waved as the plane pushed back! This was only the first of many Herb Kisses! If you work for Southwest Airlines, you know that Herb knows your name, and kisses everybody!
The next 15 years, I served at a Customer Service Supervisor. If someone asked me to describe what my job responsibilities were...I wonder, should I mention walking Seeing Eye Dogs in the Rose Garden at Love Field (Yes, there is a rose garden!), spending Christmas Eve in the airport (until 6AM) with an Unaccompanied Minor that no one picked up, or digging through a trash dumpster to find tickets to Hong Kong that a Customer had accidently thrown away, or the last flight to Houston on a Saturday night, that we held for an hour and a half for a heart transplant patient. The entire planeload of passengers agreed to wait for this young lady to make the flight. It was the Right thing to do.
Taking care of both Internal and External Customers was what I did every day at Southwest Airlines. As an Employee of Southwest Airlines, you are ALWAYS supported. You lead with your heart, and all is well.
I almost forgot to mention that I found my husband 20 years ago at Southwest Airlines. Mike is now the Assistant Station Manager in Dallas!
I will never forget my last day at Southwest Ailines. I had decided to retire, since our son was ill at the time (He is fine now!) Mike, my husband was getting promoted to Assistant Station Manager, and since you cannot work for your spouse, we decided that the time was right for me to retire.
That final day came! Someone at Headquarters had sent over a New Hire from Internal Audit. And guess who he was assigned to!!! So I spent my last day at Southwest Airlines with this New Hire! I was given the gift that day to see everything through his eyes, new and exciting! As I drove out of the airport that last day, I must share that I truely wished that I could change places with this young man,and be the New Hire, just embarking on the Wonderful, Incredible Journey called Southwest Airlines!
Sincerely,
Karen Sand
Emp 3941/DAL
PS
I am only 52 years young...(my grandmother lived to be 104 years old!) So if I am really lucky, I can have a second career at Southwest Airlines during the second half of my life...You just never know what is going to happen!
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