Bad PR: My Letters to Delta

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Recently, I had a horrible experience flying Delta from Baltimore to Lansing (with a changeover in Detroit).  I

outlined my complaints in a letter to their customer service department.  What follows is my original letter, their response, and my reply to them.  As a PR pro, I consider this a FAIL.  I’ll let you see why below.

Look at the elements in my letter that are NOT addressed in their response.
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1) My Original Letter

COMMENT DETAILS:

Email about Past/Future travel: Past
Nature of Comment: Complaint Concern
Email Pertaining to: Flight_Delay_Cancellation
Email about Other topic:

Comments:

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Mike Schaffer and I was involved in the Baltimore-to-Detroit fiasco on Saturday.  The original flight was set to take off at 7:30am, but was  delayed due to a mechanical error.  Parts had to be flown in for the repairs. At that point, the completely full plane of passengers had to be rebooked on other flights.  Personally, I spent SEVEN hours at BWI, spoke to four counter agents (most of whom didn’t appear to care about the situation) and called the “helpful” customer service line countless times, with mixed results.

At one point, the customer service person on the phone, after spending 10 minutes with me about my dissatisfaction with the entire experience, actually tried to get me to sign up for the American Express card!  I couldn’t believe it.

I was also given a $7 meal voucher, that the main restaurant in the concourse would not accept, because they claim that “Delta doesn’t pay their bills.”

This was a frustrating, infuriating experience, which cost me nearly 1/3 of my hard-earned vacation time.  And the only compensation I received was a voucher I could not redeem.

To make matters worse, when I got to Detroit, I had to wait THREE hours for the next flight to Lansing, bringing my total travel time to 14 hours, when it should have been just 4.

I have no interest in SkyMiles or Delta credit.  Your airline cost me precious time with loved ones that I will not be able to get back.  My experience was horrid and I do not wish to fly with you again.

My only request is a full refund of my Baltimore-to-Lansing flights on 8/14, which I feel is fair compensation for a horrible day of travel because of your inability to provide alternative flight arrangements and lack of customer service.

Sincerely,
- Michael Schaffer
Would you like a reply to your e-mail?:yes  [NOTE FROM MIKE - I HAD TO CHECK A BOX TO ENSURE I GOT A RESPONSE!]

2) Delta’s Response:

Dear Mr. Schaffer:

RE: Case Number [REDACTED]

Thank you for writing about your flight experience on August 14.  On
behalf of Delta Air Lines, I would like to extend our sincere apology
for your delayed arrival into Lansing, as well as for the unsatisfactory
customer service you encountered from our team at Baltimore.

I clearly understand the frustration you experienced and acknowledge
your shortened vacation time when Flight 2137 was cancelled for
mechanical reasons.  Feedback like you have provided will help us to
improve our overall customer experience.  Be assured your comments will
be shared with our Airport Customer Service leadership team at Baltimore
for internal follow up.

Since your airfare was used, albeit with a delayed arrival on August 14,
a refund of your airfare would not be due.  However, as a gesture of
goodwill, I have reserved an Electronic Transportation Credit Voucher
(eTCV) in the amount of $100.00 for you.  Please note the voucher number
and associated Terms and Conditions are shown below.  Please keep the
voucher number since it is required for redemption.  I understand you
may not be traveling with us in the upcoming year.  As such, it is
important to mention that the voucher is fully transferable to a friend
or family member.

I want to thank you, again, for taking the time to write.  Your future
business is important to us, and I hope you will reconsider your views
of Delta Air Lines and choose us for your future air travel needs.

Sincerely,

Kathy Johnston
Coordinator, Customer Care
Delta Air Lines/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

3) My Reply:

Dear Ms. Johnston,

Thank you for your response.

While I do appreciate the “gesture” of a $100 travel voucher, I do not find that to be a suitable remedy for the situation.

To say that a refund is not due because I actually got form “Point A” to “Point B” certainly protects your company from going bankrupt, I would assume, but is horrible customer relations.  The experience I had, from losing a full day of vacation to a food voucher I couldn’t use in your own terminal at BWI (the Wendy’s in Detroit’s airport was kind enough to accept it…8 hours after it was first handed to me), is certainly worth a refund of my Saturday flights.

If you disagree, then it is apparent that you do not, as you said, “clearly understand the frustration.”

Another frustration is that when I originally submitted my letter, I was told a response may take up to 30 days.  I am a businessman, and when a customer is dissatisfied, I prefer to handle the matter that day, or as soon as humanly possible.  For your benefit, I sincerely hope that most instances are reviewed more promptly than that.

I will commend your @DeltaAssist Twitter community manager who was most helpful in many ways, including moving my message from the bottom of the 30-day list.

I do hope you or your supervisors will reconsider my reasonable request for the full refund for Saturday’s flight and I may reconsider flying Delta again in the future.

Best,
Mike Schaffer