The Lighter Side by Suzanne David
Winter 2009

"It's the Southwest girls!"

Formerly the manager of Southwest Airline’s once-popular Meetings Program (SWAMP),
Suzanne now serves as the Goddess of Customer Service for MPG*.
alandsuz@verizon.net

AFTER A HARD DAY at the ASAE trade show in Chicago my colleague, Kristy, and I decided to go to the bar at the Chicago Hilton before going to our rooms.  After one or two or ten drinks (a number somewhere in that range) we decided it was time to get to our rooms and rest up for dinner (and more booze).  I got off of the elevator first and headed off to my room. 

For some strange reason my key didn’t work.  I was very upset that I would have to go all of the way back down to the lobby for a new key (I also really needed to go to the bathroom).  As the elevator opened on my floor there was Kristy.  She had had the same problem with her key.  So we started down to the lobby for two new keys. 

As the elevator proceeded to go down Kristy screamed out, “Oh, my God, that was my floor we just passed.”  When I looked up, I also saw my real floor pass.  By this time we were both in hysterics and had fallen on the floor of the elevator laughing.

All of a sudden the elevator doors opened up on the lobby floor and a group of meeting planners that we had been schmoozing (also known in the industry as B.S.ing) during the tradeshow were coming into the elevator.  Jumping up and thinking we were safe because we didn’t have on our nametags, we heard, “Look everybody, it’s the Southwest Girls!” 

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something red, white and blue and realized that Kristy and I still had our inflatable airplanes on our heads (Southwest preferred that we not use the term blow-up).  

We never did make it to dinner that night.

The next morning I was glad to find my nametag on the night stand.  At least I knew who I was - I just wasn’t sure where I was.

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