Recently, a Southwest Airlines flight from Orlando to Washington, D.C., was delayed. Passengers sat at the gate for an hour. Then two. Naturally, they grew frustrated.
But then a gate agent stepped in and started playing games with the waiting passengers. One game? A contest for the worst driver's license picture. Other games included a paper airplane contest.
The winners received Southwest gear and $25 vouchers.
But the prizes weren't the point.
One of the passengers said: "I was really irritated that the flight kept getting delayed because I was going for a quick weekend trip to D.C. to visit friends," "Once he started playing games, I was laughing and having a great time and didn't even mind that the flight was delayed."
When the flight boarded after a three-hour delay, passengers applauded the gate agents. It was a great example of how Southwest encourages their employees to have fun with customers. The gate agents couldn’t control the delay but they could control what he and the other gate agents do during the delay. So if you have a business, think about different ways you can have fun with your customers and make them feel special.
