Effective Leaders are Specific – a BRIEF case study reminder

From yesterday, an email exchange that took a bit too long:

Them:

Dear Group Traveler,
Thank you for booking your Group with Southwest Airlines. The attached Travel Agreement contains your itinerary, instructions on how to complete your Group reservation, and Group policies….

Me:

If in the next week, I wanted to add 6 seats at this fare, would it be possible?

Them:

You may just give our folks at Group Reservations a call at 1-800-433-5368.
Thanks!

Me:

You’re right — but email works better for me right now.  Can you please check to see how many more seats on this itinerary are available at this fare?
Thanks much!

Them:

Hello,

Group reservations can only be quoted, booked or changed by calling Group Reservations at 1-800-433-5368.
We do not have access to fares and availability here in the accounting office.
Thanks 🙂

——–

Had I known from the return address or the document that the reservation info was coming from the accounting office sooner, we’d have all saved some time and inbox real estate.

I know it was brief, and small, and without hostility (I got a smiley from a corporate accounting office!) but how many of these examples pile up in a day or a week?

Doesn’t specific communication both solve, and anticipate, problems?

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