Michelle Buckley

Go-getter
DISC Type : d

Managing Director, Customer CARE at Southwest Airlines

Dallas, Texas, United States

Overview

As Managing Director of Customer Care at Southwest Airlines, Michelle Buckley leads contact center teams to deliver world-class hospitality. She has an MBA and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, focusing on process improvement and customer experience. Colleagues describe her as knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and professional, with a talent for engaging teams to drive results.

Michelle is a frequent speaker at customer experience conferences, sharing insights on managing disruption and fostering resilience within the aviation industry. She is passionate about uniting professionals around shared goals and has an interest in the strategies of leading brands like The Coca-Cola Company and JPMorgan Chase.

Unique fact: Michelle led the cross-functional project to customize and launch a new reservation system for the successful merger of Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways.

Personality Overview

Direct & Candid

Fast-Paced

Vision Oriented

They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles.  They care equally about the product and its potential impact. They don’t always try to control the conversation but neither do they like yielding it fully.

Topics They Care About

Customer Experience
Her entire career at Southwest Airlines has been dedicated to enhancing customer service, satisfaction, and retention across all contact channels.
Airline Disruption Management
Frequently speaks at industry events about Southwest's customer-centric approach to managing operational disruptions and building resilience, a key topic in recent years.
Process Improvement
Holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification and emphasizes using these methodologies to consistently elevate service standards and operational efficiency.

Media Appearances

Southwest Airlines Announces Executive Leadership Changes. Featured in PR Newswire

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Work History

7-2022
Managing Director, Customer CARE at Southwest Airlines
1-2020 - 7-2022
Senior Director Of Operations, Customer Relations / Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines
8-2017 - 1-2020
Director, Operations, Customer Relations & Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines
8-2014 - 8-2017
Director, Business Support, Customer Relations & Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines
3-2012 - 8-2014
Sr. Business Consultant - Project Portfolio at Southwest Airlines

Education

2019 - 2021
Master of Business Administration - MBA from University of Arizona
1999 - 2001
Bachelor of Science - BS from Wake Forest University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 23 Location : Dallas, Texas, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Managing Director, Customer CARE at Southwest Airlines
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Insights For Selling To Michelle

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Be crisp while making the pitch
  • Ask them questions confidently while doing discovery, don’t be apologetic
  • Tell them that you are there to help them create visible impact within their organization

DONT's

  • Avoid long winding pitches, stay objective
  • Don’t expect them to change their mind quickly if they say no once
  • Refrain from asking too many questions

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Michelle is

  • Belief in the product plays an important role, followed by objective proof and testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Michelle

  • They may hesitate slightly, but if they are not convinced, they will say no.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Michelle move?

  • Their decision making speed is somewhere in the middle.
  • Can Michelle take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks only after they have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages.

You And Michelle

Personality Compatibility


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