Major Airlines Will Fail

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While I agree that the airlines are hideous as far as communication goes, sometimes it's NOT the airlines' fault. A lot of this guy's comments sound EXACTLY like a passenger who is blowing it out of proportion.

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It is totally the airline's fault. The failure to train customer contact people in how to effectively deal with unhappy customers is a major failing of the industry. The first airline that does it will get the best customer satisfaction ratings in the industry. And it will make all the employee's lives easier. Still waiting for it to happen.
 
I fly almost every week and I you certainly can tell those who fly regularly and those who don't. We've all got horror stories, and some shining moments, but the point is that in a company that has thousands of employees your bound to run across a couple of jerks, and on the flip side your going to see customers that acts that way as well. I would contend that those who do fly regularly understand that things happen and that they will get resolved without getting all worked up. There are exceptions in both cases but by in large I think that most (frequent and non-frequent) paxs respond to:

1.) Being treated with respect.
2.) Having the airline folks be able to empathize with them when things do go wrong.
3.) Not having an attitude.

We've all seen the people trying to get something for nothing and it won't stop, but I think that most reasonable people will come away with a positive response in dealing with a person who exihibits those three traits.

Just my delusional opinion...
 
My point was sometimes you DO everything you can, and the customer is still not satisfied. I agree that there needs to be a serious shake up in training as far as customer contact goes. However, you do have passengers that will be unhappy and complain NO MATTER WHAT. Some people have in there mind what they want, and they will settle for nothing less. If they don't get it, suddently other things pop up that may or may not have happened. I don't doubt that this guy's flight was cancelled nor that his baggage was mishandled. The airline dropped the ball on that one. What I DO doubt is that they did nothing to rectify the situation or offer something in the way of compensation. None of that is mentioned in the guy's article. Were ALL of the airline's employees "barely audible" or was this guy distracted because he was going on vacation and maybe not listening as well as he could've been?
 
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He's a consultant!

Those than can, do. Those that can't, consult! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

(mad props to the consultants that aren't part of the evil empire)

I oughta write him, include some snack mix and a USAir travel voucher for $500 then wait for the glowing press release about the re-emergence of USAir.

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Ack! I am a consultant. I'm not part of the evil empire though, so I guess I'm ok. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Actually I just told my current client that I am getting out of the consulting business for the wildly lucrative flight instruction business!

G
 
Problem is, most of the complainers come up there with an attitude -- your airline screwed me and I'm going to rant at you so fix things for me.

Go up to ANYONE like that and you will get the absolute minimum that they can give you without getting in trouble.

Want someone to hook you up? Treat them politely, don't scream and shout at them, and see what happens.
 
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Problem is, most of the complainers come up there with an attitude -- your airline screwed me and I'm going to rant at you so fix things for me.

Go up to ANYONE like that and you will get the absolute minimum that they can give you without getting in trouble.

Want someone to hook you up? Treat them politely, don't scream and shout at them, and see what happens.

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NOW you're talking...
 
Mad props to you, PhilosopherPilot!

This is a little off-topic, but hey, it's my website. I went to this pizza joint in PHX with Kristie once and she and I ordered two sandwiches. Over by the soda machine, there were a stack of magazines to thumb thru as you're waiting for your order to be completed.

So one of the business magazines had a feature where the magazine sends consultants over to a small business to find ways to maximize profit and increase profits.

The case study was a small wine/bread/cheese shop. The owner had a zeal for wine, loved making artisan-type breads and had all of his cheese purchased locally from small organic farms in the area he was familiar with. Definitely a 'labour of love' business where he got to purvey three items which the article stated he had a passionate zeal for.

What was the result of the case study? Outsource the bread-making to a commercial producer, order cheese in bulk from a supplier a few hundred miles away to save on cost-of-goods sold, and veer away from some of the exotic wine selections and focus on the white zin/merlot/chardonnay varietals because he'll have a faster turn over.

The consultants, in the article, were falling over themselves in self-praise for helping 'right' a small business.

I don't know, and seriously doubt, the owner took the suggestions.
 
I completely agree.

It's gotten more more than a few first class upgrades that way. Ususally the jack@ss with the attitude leaves even more pissed than he started becase he soon realizes that he really has no control over the situation all while not realizing that he's now given the rep a reason to do just the minimum.
 
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I completely agree.

It's gotten more more than a few first class upgrades that way. Ususally the jack@ss with the attitude leaves even more pissed than he started becase he soon realizes that he really has no control over the situation all while not realizing that he's now given the rep a reason to do just the minimum.

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Reps who do just the minimum never need a reason. It comes naturally.
 
Put yourself in their shoes for a second. Who are you going to hook up? A guy who treats you nicely, doesn't blame you for something that's not your fault?

Or a guy who's screaming at you, saying, how could you screw me like this, I'm important, do you know who I am?

Human nature being what it is, who is going to get the "all the rest of our flights are full, sorry, sir?" And who is going to get the CSR checking the other airlines flights to see what he can do for you?
 
Sure they exist, but I wouldn't even attempt to categorize all of them as the "do as little as possible ones". If you are of the opinon that all of them are going to act like that, you demeanor changes and they pick up on it even before you've completed your first sentance. I've seen a gate agent go from extremely pleasant to bastard in one customer, and unfortunately I was the next one in line. I empathized with her and she/he went back to being extremely helpful. If the next guy had assumed that they were all "minimalists" they would have never reverted but stayed in that crappy mood.

Whenever there's an issue while I'm traveling I just keep the golden rule in the back of my mind. And no, I'm no boyscout... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I don't know this guy but the Motley Fool is a great website and has excellent financial forums. People who have borrowed 50K to make 19k annually should definitely stroll over there and learn their definition of "Foolish" behaviors.

The consultant had other things to say that people don't seem to want to hear. The message reminds me of a quote from somewhere.... "The definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior over and over expecting different results". The airlines do need to make some changes otherwise we all lose, pax and crews.
 
Well, if we're really going to throw stones, lets throw some stones!

Motley Fool is an 'ok' website and probably lost me more money for following their financial advice than anything else.

Additionally, where was the solid, factual information during dot.com mania, I-P-O'licious fiesta and later during the Enron debacle? They're just another CNBC. Dig thru some gussied up financial reports, put a little spin on it and sell it like they've done massive research.

Granted, the airlines have problems, and historically ALWAYS HAVE. But for some yahoo, I mean, "Motely Fool" to throw stones at an industry when he represents one that is certainly not unsullied, the author can kiss my ass.

I'm certainly not going to write about the horrible lines I endured at Taco Bell when in my industry, long lines and mercurial progress are sadly SOP.

Got a problem with USAir? Write USAir a letter, work it out. But to use the media as your personal bully pulpit because he had a rotten day is counterproductive.

Now if he did some deeper investigation to determine why things happened the way they did and elucidated operational problems that would be journalism. But the article comes off as a very elitist, smug article written by a person who watched the situation crumble around him as he scribbled away on a steno pad without taking any initiative to better his personal situation.
 
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Motley Fool is an 'ok' website and probably lost me more money for following their financial advice than anything else.

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Big ol' ditto on that. Foolish my a$$.

MF
 
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People who have borrowed 50K to make 19k annually should definitely stroll over there and learn their definition of "Foolish" behaviors.

The consultant had other things to say that people don't seem to want to hear. The message reminds me of a quote from somewhere.... "The definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior over and over expecting different results". The airlines do need to make some changes otherwise we all lose, pax and crews.

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Amen to that! By the way, the general public does not give a crap about what we say in here, about how stupid or idotic their articles are. The general public is what is going to keep the airlines in business, not airline pilots, so no matter how stupid those people may be, we better do more to make them happy and CHANGE THEIR PERCEPTION than tell them that they are just idiotic. No one's view matters except the public. One day an airline will come along and learn that, and they will be making all the money then.
 
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No one's view matters except the public. One day an airline will come along and learn that, and they will be making all the money then.

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Oh, Southwest came along thirty years ago.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Nonetheless, we're a bunch of pilots so we're going to look at the situation from our perspective.

If I ventured over to FlyerTalk, if one of us had the cajones to say, "Hey guys, look at this from the flight attendants perspective", they'd have a field day with that one.

Or telling a bunch of Brand Davidians to 'look at it from Janet Reno's perspective!" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Not that there are any... err, MANY wackoes around here, but I'd love for the author to drop by and give us the unedited version -- albeit after he contacts USair and Mesa about the situation.
 
I understand what you are saying Doug, but when it comes to saving airline jobs, the really important thing is the public's perspective. What else is there to it?
 
Im In the process of writing an article to the DOT. I was doing my normal drive to cities 3 hours apart on Interstates. To my shock! there was interstate closures in both directions of travel! No one told me! I had to take an alternate means to get there and added 2 hours to my trip. How horrible! I think ill write the governor or ban interstate travel all together. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bandit.gif
 
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