Have you ever flown on Southwest and enjoyed their policy for 
boarding? Southwest assigns a number to each person boarding A1 through C whatever. They then call passengers by groups A1-A30, A31-A61, B1-B30, and so on. There are no assigned seats so you line up by boarding number and then take whatever seat that you want when you get on the plane.
It never fails that I see people with a higher numbered boarding pass trying to board early and then wander around with a confused look on their faces when the ticket taker tells them to wait for their group to board. Others say that they are with so and so and want to sit next to them so they ask to board with the one with the earlier boarding number.
Personally I do not mind the procedure because I have flown enough that I get priority seating (the only perk on Southwest for flying a lot). Usually I get the exit row so I can use my laptop though I have had people try to save the exit row seats, which is against the policy, forcing me either to take another seat or just take the seat and invoke the ‘no saving seats’ policy. Not a great choice for me as the consumer.
Who is the policy aimed at helping, customers or gate agents? Does this policy maximize revenue for Southwest and if so at what cost? Do they lose customers due to the unique boarding procedure? I have heard businesspeople complain about it.
Challenge any of your customer facing policies and if they maximize your revenue then at least explain in a customer oriented way WHY it is a good policy for them.
Topics: Sales
