Comments on Death of customer service: Delta Airlines

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Let me introduce myself...
a friend of one of the "walking dead Delta/Skywest Customer Service Agents" you very well could have made contact with.
Like my x co-workers, I too was trained On the Job at the customer service desk before enduring a delayed comprehensive training  by Delta. Skywest and Delta Customer Service Agents are one in the same and use two completely different computer systems which can only be accessed by certified individuals at specific terminals. It all can be very confusing not just for the passengers but also the personnel who are overworked, underpayed and obviously unappreciated by the general public.

Just so you can understand better I'll share a little about my journey as a Skwest/ Delta Airlines customer service agent. In short it took a year process for me to hire in as a trainee for $10 hr. With the promise of two two week training sessions I was put to work for what they called "on the job training". My hours were 4:30am to 10:30 with a three hour break so I could return from 1:30 to 6:30 to complete my shift. After a month I attended the first week of initial training in SLC afterwhich I returned to my base to continue OJT.

I was not assigned a mentor to shadow and only got help from senoirs when the chips were down. Customers have no clue what Customer Serivce Agents go through. I had passengers swear at me and chew me out because something totally our of my control had happened. It would be nice it the public could remember these Agents are people, too.

Here's some insight for you:
SFO onlly has ONE runway. Fog or no fog air clearance depends on  what the industry calls "weather"... in other words: "whether or not it is safe to take off or land". A busy airstrip or air highway can be too dangerous...just like when there is low visability, air controllers will only OK a landing or take off if it is safe.  Stranded passengers are alot better off on the ground than in the air or worse yet, dead.  

Customer service agents have to re-route delayed passengers and pull everykind of string one can imagine to accomondate those tryingt to make connections and get where they have to go. This takes time.

My guess is if you have come across an agent that didn't seem to care, it might actually be that they had their hands tied and couldn't do much more than they were.

About seating assignments. Read the fine print. The management can re-assign seats any time. All flights are over booked and some supervisors don't assign seats until everybody is checked in and at the gate. This way they can ballance the load (weight) distribution. I know, it makes more sence to those cargo guys than the paying customer, but it makes a difference in your safety.

My only recomendation is check in online and use the kiosk and carry on your own luggage (ship everything else) give yourself an extra two hours to get through security and RELAX  and enjoy the flight!

posted by QuailNest on October 18, 2009 at 3:45 PM | link to this | reply

You are having way too much fun with the airlines lately.
Your writing does help to make me angry standing alongside you.

posted by benzinha on March 24, 2009 at 12:01 PM | link to this | reply

Thanks all!
For the comments and reading my entry on Delta Airlines.

posted by Mihail on March 20, 2009 at 3:56 PM | link to this | reply

That's ridiculous!  I can't believe they actually asked you that!

posted by calia14 on March 17, 2009 at 12:45 AM | link to this | reply

Very frustrating indeed! I just cringe when employees give that attitude that they are being bothered! I think you make a good point about surviving the recession! sam

posted by sam444 on March 16, 2009 at 7:55 AM | link to this | reply