The latest news in the world of customer experience and customer loyalty.
Southwest Pushes Boarding Fees to $50 But Fights Back Against Baggage Fees
What’s the price of convenience and semi-comfort? For Southwest Airlines, the answer is now $50. One way. The Dallas-based airline just bumped up its early boarding fee, according to an article in the Dallas Business Journal. Well known for its first-come, first-seated boarding policy, Southwest began offering its passengers the option to move to the front of the line—for a fee—in 2013. The fee was $30 or $40, depending on the flight. It also offers a $15 “early bird” check-in option as another way to improve their boarding position. Pretty much everyone else gets stuck in the middle seats in the back of the plane. To its credit, the airline has pushed back on investor pressure to add baggage fees, claiming that its customers hate fees. Customer loyalty, it seems, will result in return passenger and greater profits than squeezing every nickel and dime out of them on each flight.
Ford’s North American President Forced Out Due to “Inappropriate Behavior”
Ford Motor Co. stalled on Thursday as company officials ousted North American President Raj Nair due to “inappropriate behavior,” according to National Public Radio. No details were provided and Nair, 53, exited the company immediately. Ford announced that Kumar Galhotra will succeed Nair. Galhotra, 52, is a 29-year veteran of the company, most recently leading the Lincoln brand and serving as Ford’s chief marketing officer. According to The Associated Press, the company began an investigation after a recent anonymous complaint about Nair was made to the company’s 24-hour hotline. Nair was named Ford’s executive vice president and head of North America on June 1, 2017. In 2016 we wrote about how Ford strengthened its value equation.
Amazon Prime Members Will Receive Free Shipping on Deals Site Woot!
Amazon Prime members demonstrate deep loyalty routinely. Now, here’s one more reason for them to stay loyal: They will now receive free shipping on Amazon’s daily deals site Woot!, according to TechCrunch. Amazon acquired Woot! in 2010 for $110 million. Woot! was a known entity eight years ago, but its status has taken off under Amazon as it has emerged from the one-deal-a-day format and now offers a variety of special deals, including various limited-time offers in categories such as computers, electronics, ad home and sporting goods. Here’s an article we wrote in 2015 about why the Amazon Prime premium loyalty program is so popular.