"It's bag after bag, customer after customer, many in a hurry to get to their destination for the holidays. It's a lot," says a former Southwest customer-service representative.George Rose/Getty Images A former customer-service representative for Southwest Airlines shared why they left. They say the lead-up to the holidays brings too many customers for few staffers. Dealing with the chaos raised their blood pressure and hurt their back. In a statement to Insider, Southwest said its full-time employee count surpassed prepandemic totals.