A recent article in USA Today by Charisse Jones referenced a new index that ranked Southwest Airlines as the easiest travel company to do business with. “The perception that Southwest offers fair prices that don’t dramatically spike because of a host of extra fees being tacked on is key to customers feeling the airline is easy to deal with, says Brian Rafferty, director of global research for Siegel + Gale. ‘Transparency is one thing Southwest is doing well,’ he says, ‘and people also . . .feel they have very good service and they care about the customer.'” The formula is amazingly simple–be open and honest with your customers, give them excellent service and show them that you care–yet, it can transform any ordinary business into an industry leader.