As the airline industry struggles to regain altitude, Southwest Airlines fares better than most -- although the Dallas-based company and its 32,000 employees saw a 29% decrease
in passenger revenues during September. PR NEWS asked John Churchill, manager of employee communications, for an insider's perspective on the ongoing crisis:
PRN: What were employees' immediate questions in the aftermath of the
terrorist attacks?
Churchill: The most common question was, "What do I do? As a reservation
agent, as a ramp agent -- do I report to work?" We needed to tell people what
their roles were, and reassure them that they [each] still had a role.
PRN: Most of the airline industry has seen work force reductions, yet
Southwest hasn't instituted any layoffs. How are you communicating with employees
who may have fears about job security?
Churchill: Our employees realize this is an extraordinary time and that
promises can't necessarily be made. But our officers have reassured them that
our employees are Southwest Airlines. In hard times, that doesn't change. Our
emphasis is still on our people. [President] Colleen Barrett and [CEO] Jim Parker
jointly wrote a letter that we sent out that specifically addressed that. In
another letter, our CFO, Gary Kelly, made similar reassurances from a financial
standpoint. Our employees are also shareholders and are very aware of their
impact, financially, on the company.
PRN: Your workforce is largely transient. What major communications
channels have you used to reach traveling employees over the past month?
Churchill: Starting on day one, we began issuing a series of special
updates via email. Since only a small percentage of our employees actually have
computer workstations, the updates are also printed out and posted on bulletin
boards in bases, break rooms and airport lounges. The updates are in addition
to our daily newsletter. We also have a toll-free employee news line that's
recorded several times per day. In the first couple of weeks, it received so
many calls that our regular phone system was affected. Employees were calling
in to find out what they could do to help.
PRN: Southwest is known for its humor. Will you be tempering that aspect
of your PR strategy in the months ahead?
Churchill: We've had to consider that. Maybe our tone in the way we
cover company events will be more serious for a while. Halloween will be more
subdued this year. Previously we've always had decorations in airports, and
a system-wide contest for best decorated gates and best costumed flight crews.
This year, things will probably be much more low-key - - a big merry celebration
at airports right now wouldn't be appropriate. Certainly our advertising and
the public address announcements that flight attendants make on board have changed.
We need to be sensitive to what happened.
(Contact: John Churchill, 214/792-7699)