Southwest Ranks Top 10 In Keeping It Simple - Huffington Post

Southwest Airlines is one of the top 10 simplest US companies, according to an index Tuesday yesterday by Siegel+Gale, a brand strategy firm in New York.

Of the advantages, says Howard Belk, co-CEO and chief creative officer of Siegel+Gale, “consumers would pay more for simplicity… brands are leaving significant money on the table because of complexity.” Southwest climbed 6 spots from last year, now ranking at #9 out of 125 U.S. companies.

Following Southwest, JetBlue is the next airline on the list at #44. Bigger airlines like US Airways, America, United placed in the bottom 20; and Delta fell 17 spots to the bottom 10, ranking at #166 for poor customer service and extra hidden fees.

Siegel+Gate provides a 10-question quiz to assess a company’s simplicity, mostly emphasizing customer experience, but we can think of a several reasons Southwest tops the simplest list:

• First 2 checked bags fly free


• Employees go the extra mile to help you find lost items


• They sympathize with your grief and go above and beyond to make sure you're taken care of


• They let you change your tickets free of charge...if you have the right kind of ticket


• Flight attendants announce sing and rap your safety instructions

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