When a commercial pilot is getting ready to fly, she doesn’t just strap in, scan the controls and pull out onto the runway.
She goes through comprehensive checklists — because focusing on every detail limits the number of factors which can go awry. Pre-flight routines don’t protect jets from every problem, but they do help put the crew in the best position to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.
Southwest Airlines had, until this month, an exceptionally strong reputation for treating staff and customers with respect and humor.
But after cancelling 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours and leaving passengers stranded around the country for several days — not to mention telling them they may not see luggage for a month — the airline’s reputation is in a tailspin.
Candor advises organizations to prepare in advance for a crisis. Southwest has weathered many storms, so the company clearly understands the value of looking over the horizon for problems. But the brand is now struggling in very turbulent times. As it stands in the last few days of 2022, it appears the carrier missed a few crucial steps:
1) Clear communication from the company left the gate late.
Maybe executives were on holiday, or maybe they were trying to fix internal systemic failures to understand what was really happening. Regardless, Southwest committed one of the cardinal crisis sins: They let others control the narrative. Rather than clear statements from the top, customers on TikTok and anonymous employees on Reddit were sharing more details than the company. Remaining in a holding pattern deepened the problems.
2) Employees were in the dark as much as customers and the general public.
Those who wear your company’s uniform must be given as much information as possible to help the entire company correct course during a crisis. When customer-facing workers can only throw up their hands in frustration, it gives the impression nobody is in charge.
3) The biggest rule in crisis response: Do. Not. Lie.
Maybe Southwest didn’t intentionally spread falsehoods; but when it initially blamed the weather for operation issues — despite every other airline managing the frigid temps — it looked like an evasive maneuver. More than anything, it will take the company years to recover from that perception.
Southwest’s quirks – like unassigned seats and funny safety announcements – helped it build a loyal base. But a poorly handled crisis can cost any brand in the long term, and recovery can take many years. Will Southwest be able to pull out of its nosedive and regain customers’ love? That’s up in the air.
Adam Brooks
Adam has worked on several aspects of media and professional communications in print, in broadcast and online. Before serving as managing editor of Oklahoma’s largest business publication, he spent a decade writing and editing news and features. Adam is a walking Associated Press Stylebook and Candor’s editor supreme.
