This is a case of a company doing customer service right. Sure, it was probably just a regular employee trying to make their day a little better, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome.
Star Wars fan Mike Shaeffer was travelling to the Star Wars exhibit at the Indiana State Museum and Southwest Airlines had some mechanical failures that resulted in Mike missing a connection. He contacted them about the problem in an effort to get his Reward Points back for the flight. In that email, he told them:
The reason I was flying to Indy was so I could visit a Star Wars exhibit at the Indiana State Museum. However, because I missed my flight, the museum was closed by the time I landed. I couldn’t stay an extra day because I was headed to San Francisco the next morning (Rancho Obi-Wan trip).
To which Southwest Airlines representatives sent him the following, amazing, letter:
They hit all the right notes for a Star Wars fan:
Our ongoing comprehensive maintenance program, designed to the same exacting standards by which Han Solo maintained the Millenium Falcon, helps keep our aircraft in excellent condition. However, even though we do not require our fleet to make the Kessel Run, unexpected mechanical problems sometimes arise despite our best efforts.
I mean, this is great customer service, and it means a lot, I’m sure, to Star Wars fans.
On the other hand, could this be a bit of a backhanded remark on the part of the employee? Han’s maintenance schedule for the Falcon was, “Whatever I can afford whenever I’m not on the run.” Is this customer service rep saying that Southwest Airllines’s fleet is held together with little more than spit, engine tape, and the best wishes of the pilot?
Either way, I enjoyed this letter immensly. I’d love to see more companies allow their customer service reps to cut loose like this if they’re able and when it’s appropriate.