Southwest is Horrible

[captainkidd]

OK, so, for our July trip, our fare for 5 of us went down a total of $700.00. So, I have a $700 credit. We decided to go down in September to Universal for the weekend. The total of the flight is $1,547 for the 5 of us. So, total with credits should be $847 right? Nope. I couldn't do it online, so I called and have been talking with them for over an hour trying to get this resolved. They're telling me they can't apply the credit even though it's the exact same 5 people flying. Makes absolutely no sense at all. They're telling me they'll have to book separate one way reservations for each person, and even then, it's still coming up more than it should.

This is ridiculous. An hour I've been on the phone with them. Simple solution - Get a supervisor on the phone, turn my credits into a gift card, and let me use that.

 

[captainkidd]

Twitter: @southwestair still on hold, been over an hour. $700 in the air. #help @consumerist

Someone I think that's more effective than posting here that you've been on hold for over an hour.

Sorry - Don't use twitter.

I have a question for you - Why do you care?

 

[DisneyJoe]

Sorry - Don't use twitter.

FYI - I've had issues with Comcast taken care of lightning fast when using Twitter vs spending hours on the phone, explaining and re-explaining my issues.

In one instance, a cable/internet line had been cut - after 5 phone calls I felt fortunate to get an appointment that was 5 days away to get it repaired - between 7am and 6pm!!! A few tweets and emails over 30 minutes and someone was at my home within 3 hours - same day - and the line was fixed.

Looks like @SouthwestAir is their twitter account, and they supposedly are doing a good job with Twitter responses and customer support, according to a few google searches I just did.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

FYI - I've had issues with Comcast taken care of lightning fast when using Twitter vs spending hours on the phone, explaining and re-explaining my issues.

In one instance, a cable/internet line had been cut - after 5 phone calls I felt fortunate to get an appointment that was 5 days away to get it repaired - between 7am and 6pm!!! A few tweets and emails over 30 minutes and someone was at my home within 3 hours - same day - and the line was fixed.

Looks like @SouthwestAir is their twitter account, and they supposedly are doing a good job with Twitter responses and customer support, according to a few google searches I just did.

And this is the problem I have with all this social media BS. I do not FB, tweet, or anything else. I have a cell phone, a computer, a home address, and a telephone. Call me. Email me. Send me a letter. Come on over and have some homemade goodies and let's chit-chat. Everything is so impersonal now and if you don't spend your life staying on top of what's the latest-n-greatest you're just outta luck. For shame.

But thanks for the info. Next time I have a problem with a company I'll call one of my neices or nephews and have them "handle" it for me. :lol:

 

[bmarkelon]

Sorry - Don't use twitter.

I have a question for you - Why do you care?

Exactly....I am sorry to hear that you have had a bad run with Southwest. But I never understand why people take the time to slam other peoples posts on these boards. Just turn around and walk out of the thread and put the energy more positively somewhere else!
What would Thumper's mother think?!
Better luck with your next go-to airline, I hear great things about Jetblue but I am still a Southwest gal for now!

 

[DisneyJoe]

But thanks for the info. Next time I have a problem with a company I'll call one of my neices or nephews and have them "handle" it for me. :lol:

It's a double-edge sword for these companies. Before they monitored and responded on Twitter, people would be spreading many complaints about their service.

Now they actively monitor, and handle the complaints quickly - so that the complaint ends up turning into a positive experience for the client - and the client ends up tweeting something (hopefully) good about the company for their quick response - if not, they continue to tweet their complaints.

It's no difference than captainkidd coming on here to air his complaints about SouthWest - except that SouthWest isn't monitoring wdwmagic.

The energy he spent posting the complaints here would have gotten him a quick response and probably more positive response on Twitter.

BTW, whenever I have dealt with @ComcastCares and team, they have always routed my issues to a highly qualified guest services person who was able to fix the issue with minimal fuss. Don't get me started on how bad the phone people are.

 

[joel_maxwell]

This.

I needed something to do while listening to the same 5 Southwest commercials over and over again.

Sign up for a twitter account and post it there. Remain on the phone wasting your time since customer support is probably farmed out to some 3rd party who really doesnt care, and see which one gets resolved faster. Make a bet with yourself for $700 to see who resolves it faster and you have a win win.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

It's a double-edge sword for these companies. Before they monitored and responded on Twitter, people would be spreading many complaints about their service.

Now they actively monitor, and handle the complaints quickly - so that the complaint ends up turning into a positive experience for the client - and the client ends up tweeting something (hopefully) good about the company for their quick response - if not, they continue to tweet their complaints.

It's no difference than captainkidd coming on here to air his complaints about SouthWest - except that SouthWest isn't monitoring wdwmagic.

The energy he spent posting the complaints here would have gotten him a quick response and probably more positive response on Twitter.

BTW, whenever I have dealt with @ComcastCares and team, they have always routed my issues to a highly qualified guest services person who was able to fix the issue with minimal fuss. Don't get me started on how bad the phone people are.

Oh I hear ya. Just so aggravating to me. I think it's just me becoming an old fuddy-duddy, tho. I'm good with that. :animwink:

Lemme guess. You got someone with an extremely thick Indian accent who's name was "Bob"? :lol:

 

[Kev1417]

i work in customer service. Most of the time you will get better service the nicer you are. try to stay calm and pleasent and you will eventually get what you are looking for. sometimes our hands are tied and can only do what company regulations allow us to do. however, no one wants to go out of their way to help someone who is yelling and swearing at them.

just a future note to everyone who calls somewhere for service. :wave:

 

[DisneyJoe]

Lemme guess. You got someone with an extremely thick Indian accent who's name was "Bob"? :lol:

Nope - not at all - plenty of reps with no accent at all - all very understandable - once I got to them! Initially the set of phone menus are extreme. Once you figure out how to avoid the menus, they have trouble finding my account. One actually said "are you SURE that is your address? are you certain that is your zip code and phone number?" Turns out THEY were looking in the wrong database. Once they find your account, they ask you to describe your problem. I don't know how the fact that my neighbors had a sprinkler system put in and my line got cut was so hard to understand, or that my internet and my 3 tv's had no signal at all - then they were suggesting that I go to EACH AND EVERY TV, as well as the Cable modem - and reset each - WHY would I do that if NONE of them has a signal - and I saw big holes in my yard near the cable line?

Then they go to transfer you to someone who can schedule an appointment - and the call gets dropped - and you need to go thru the whole thing again. Then they finally schedule a visit for a cut line that has completely stopped my internet and tv service - and the earliest they could schedule someone was 5 days away, within a 10 hour timeframe???

I tweeted my frustration, got a reply, direct messages, exchanged emails that gave them enough info to find my account, and they had someone scheduled to visit my house between 7 and 10 that night - and they showed up at 7:15 and had the problem fixed by 7:59 and we didn't miss our prime time shows.

 

[mkt]

Sorry - Don't use twitter.

You should, if only to complain Companies tend to reply much more quickly when the complaint is on a public forum that they read.

I have a question for you - Why do you care?

Boredom.

 

[captainkidd]

Boredom.

HA - Fair enough.

 

[marcriss]

I'm not sure if this is the reason for your problem, but SW changed their credit policy this year. Now credits can only be used by the person the original ticket was booked for.

Every year we'd book our tickets ASAP. Then if the price dropped my dad would use our credits to by tickets for himself (he flies frequently) and give us the money. It was a great way to save and make sure we got the flights we wanted. This year we're not going to be able to do that. And because flights are so expensive we will probably lose the credits because we wind up only flying once a year. It sucks.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Airtran is and will always be my favorite!

 

[marcriss]

Airtran was just bought by Southwest...

 

[Disneydreamer23]

really>?>?>?> What changes will there be then

 

[Zummi Gummi]

really>?>?>?> What changes will there be then

This FAQ explains it pretty well...

Southwest acquires Air Tran FAQ

 

[Disney05]

I love Southwest. The only time I had an issue was about two months ago. I was trying to book online but there must have been an issue with the web site. I called them to book it for me. It came up with a different price. They said they can't give me the web prices. I called back the next morning and a very nice women said no problem and hooked me up. Sometimes it pays to just talk to another customer service rep.

 

[mkt]

really>?>?>?> What changes will there be then

Really.

As of now, nothing.

Eventually, Airtran will cease to be, and most of Southwest's business model will be in place. Southwest will gain Airtran's ETOPS Boeing 737 fleet (certified to fly over water), its 717 fleet (the part of Southwest's business model that's changing, going from a single aircraft type to multiple aircraft types), its Atlanta Hub, and its (tiny) international network.

My thought... they did this for the Atlanta hub and to quickly expand their fleet. Everything else is icing on the cake, or fat to be cut away.

 

[thewhitequeen]

One of the reasons we love JetBlue and pay the inflated prices. They are just so easy to deal with and their online booking is easy peasy.

 

[captainkidd]

One of the reasons we love JetBlue and pay the inflated prices. They are just so easy to deal with and their online booking is easy peasy.

SW always used to be. The excuse that the credit is tied to the name not the reservation is bullocks in this case. It's the exact same 5 people flying.

I still like SW for the no baggage fees and the no change fees, but the past couple of times I've flown them, there have just been too many issues. Delays, credit problems, rude customer service.

Our flight home last week was delayed 4 hours because "our" plane was delayed in Baltimore. I just don't buy that the nations largest airline can't get another plane to one of it's busiest airports to avoid a 4 hour delay.