Monday, June 4, 2012

Customer Service


One of my good friends is a Boeing instructor. She just sent me this message concerning a really screwed up way to run a business.


Delta Air Lines lost her bag... Expensive ticket... and the baggage manager argued with her over reimbursement of a $9 parking ticket.


All she wanted was $9 for her parking.


The manager said she could not pay her for parking, because they didn't have a process to do that. But they were willing to send her bags to Canada.... Doesn't make sense to me.


"My ticket was nearly $8,000.00 US issued through Boeing travel.  My routing home was Baku Paris Amsterdam Seattle.  Both my connections were greater than 2 hours. 


I spent 3 hours there waiting for the bag after it was not expedited properly as the tag was clearly labeled. The bags did not get transferred to the Amsterdam flight in Paris. 


If they were not able to get my bag to me Saturday afternoon they would have had to expedite it to me via a Kenmore air charter to the Princess Louisa Inlet, where I was headed. The charter would have cost them from 3,000 to $5,000.00.  Kind of short sighted of the manager not to realize that I was asking very little to make the situation outcome work best for both of our benefit.


This is the photo of the baggage customer service rep, Aurich, who tried to help with my lost bag and reimbursement for my 9 dollar parking fee. She gave me 10 dollars to cover the parking when her manager Georgina Murphy was not helpful or willing to figure out how to reimburse me for parking. 


 Aurich also gave me a meal voucher while I waited.  


It was clear to me Aurich was more qualified then either of the two supervisors acting as managers both  from a customer and employee stand point.  I hope they consider Aurich for promotion in they near future as I observed her as the most effective employee in the baggage office during my encounter over two days. "  K.S.

I'm thinking that Delta should give huge kudos to Aurich for doing the right thing. And... maybe create a procedure for management to think outside the box a little. I know the Boeing instructors get to choose what airlines they travel on, and these aren't cheap tickets. 


Message from me: 

Airlines, it is time to do a little sucking up to your customers. Not fight them for parking after they've been inconvenienced because you lost their bags. I'm just sayin.... 

What is wrong with this picture?

7 comments:

  1. amen... Thanks Darby for Posting this.. and Good Job thats customer service to the lady who finally helped.. Bad Bad Bad service.. when will people learn good customer service does not have policy or a process.... Situations are not always routine and call for extraordinary measures.. Many times I realize that if 10 passengers a week had a 10 dollar problem its not easy to pull out of ones own pocket 100 bucks a week. Could happen.. But if it does there should be no questions asked and those managers should have some leeway and reimbursement.. Customer service is crucial when airlines are charging so much.. Customers already feel overcharged... Give Back A Little...
    ..

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    1. Darin, I couldn't have said it any better. Customer service is essential. A $10 problem... for a high value customer, who works for a billion dollar company and they don't know how to deal with it. Sounds like training is needed.

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  2. Where's the quality assurance? That shouldn't end at flight ops. In reality, it's core should be focused at the departments directly involved with the customer. The supervisor is supposed to be better than the regular employee but often times it's backwards.

    I've seen luggage coming out of an airplane that is supposed to be going the completely opposite way, or us forgetting 1 bag to put it on the flight. That alone makes me feel horrible. Sometimes makes me wanna leave a "sorry" note lol

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    1. Oh, I think I would definitely leave a sorry note. Where is quality assurance? That's a great question.

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  3. Thanks for the heads up on this. I know we get many travel dollars from Boeing, and all it takes is one person to destroy the reputation, and lose customers. Please Boeing Flight Instructors ... give us another chance when you travel the world. But it also takes one person to do the right thing. Here is to Aurich, a great employee making the difference.

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    1. My pleasure. And for you sending it on to the right people. Hopefully all will be solve and everyone will be happy.

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  4. It's really bad when an airline treats an aircraft client like rotten ship on many levels. Even a simple instructor. Airlines do need to rethink their treatment of manufacturing reps and instructors as they are the ones helping them deliver their product less alone the training for it. Aurich, please stay the great employee you are because if your airline doesn't reward you, God will...

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