Southwest Paper

It seems de rigueur now for every company to have a mission statement, a necessity similar to issuing an annual report. As an early adopter—we wrote our current version in January 1988—I guess we’re partly to blame for the trend. But we feel that our own Mission Statement is a vital communications piece because it succinctly describes our goals as a Company.

Did you read the Mission Statement to the left? You’ll notice that neither part says anything about flying airplanes, making a profit, or even making a return to Shareholders. These omissions were deliberate. It seems redundant to tell you that as an airline we fly aircraft, and you already know that every Company is in business to earn a profit and provide return to its financial backers. Instead, we use our Mission Statement to explain how we will accomplish these business goals.

Southwest Airlines is, first and foremost, a Customer Service organization. We simply use aircraft to deliver this product. After all, our 737s are similar to and apply the same laws of physics as everyone else’s aircraft. It’s really our Employees, who serve you in the course of your travels, and you, our fantastic Customers, who make Southwest Airlines unique. With that in mind, our goal of serving you with a “sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit” is not just what comes naturally to our Employees. It’s also the pledge we’re committed to honoring each and every day.

Of course, our Customer Service package is totally dependent upon those Employees. Without Employees—and without the right Employees—we would have at best poor Customer Service, and