Question

what makes service employees a core part of the airlines product? How does employee empowerment

Questions Answer these questions in your journal: 1. What makes service employees a core part of the airline's product? 2. How does employee "empowerment" help Southwest minimize role conflict? 3. What do service employees do to tangibly demonstrate the company's "brand"?

Answer 1

1. Service employees in an industry such as airline industry are core part of the product because an airline ticket is not just to get from point A to B. It also involves interacting with employees such as onboarding managers, check-in desk operaters, airhostess and even pilots. The surety of a good experience depends on how these employees interact with the people and that will determine how people like the product. Otherwise every airline can get people from point A to point B.

The product is both travel and the experience of it, and the experience part depends on the service employees and hence they are a core part of the product.

2. Employee empowerment means that the employee is able to think of a solution or act upon a situation directly, without any supervision being required. They are allowed to do so. Employee empowerment, especailly in industries such as airlines can result in less conflicts because these industries often have situations where one person is in control of the situation and needs to handle it as soon as possible and has the best tools and knowledge to resolve that. An empowered employee will take that call and there will be no issues and conflicts about whose call it was and whether he/she took the right decision as its on them. For example, a pilot can and must take decisions on his own in an emergency. There should be no conflict as to who is in charge and who can take the decision. An empowered pilot will take the decision, to the best of his/her ability and there will be no conflict.

3. There are many things service employees do to tangibly demonstrate the brand. These include-

• The quality of service- The quality of service being provided to the travelers is an integral part of any airline brand. The service employees are those who provide the service and hence actually create the brand.
• Look and feel- The way service employees look (from dress code to the grooming etc) is also a part of the brand of the airline. The employees, in the way they dress and handle themselves, results in brand being created.
• Creating experiences- Quality of service is one thing, but many times service employees are able to create unforgettable experiences for the travellers. These might be good or bad experiences. For example, there are some service employees who play with kids, engage in general chit chat and more. These are good experiences and contribute to a positive image of brand.