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Southwest Airlines Adds 'Virtual Hold' Capability to Improve Customer Service

The Problem:

In the highly competitive world of airline travel, keeping customers happy can go a long way toward earning loyalty and building repeat business. One area that perhaps offers the greatest customer impact is in the airline’s contact center operation where unexpected or uncontrollable variances may cause long hold times for customers.
Solution:

In its search to minimize hold time for customers, Southwest discovered virtual queuing from Virtual Hold Technology. The solution enables callers to literally hang up on hold time while the software keeps their place in line and calls them back when it’s their turn.
Result:

On the first day of implementation in April 2009, Southwest saw immediate results with reduced physical queue times – and on the social networking website, Twitter. With more callers taking advantage of the callback option, average speed of answer improved by 47 percent. In addition, Southwest has saved 25 million toll minutes, or the equivalent of over 47 years of hold time taken out of the call center.

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