The poor Delta reps have a terrible job. Their company has customer-hating policies and the reps have to deal with it. Here’s my most recent online “chat” with one. No attempt to defend the customer-hating policies at all.
Welcome!
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Please wait while we contact the next available agent…
You are now speaking with Malcolm!
Malcolm: Hi! My name is Malcolm. How may I help you?
joel : Hi Malcom
joel : i don’t understand the Skymiles program
joel : can you help? What’s the goal of Skymiles?
joel : are you still there?
Malcolm: Hi Joel! Please see the following page to check out all the cool benefits to being a SkyMiles member.
Malcolm has sent you a web page.
Please click on the following link to view it: SkyMiles
�joel : OK, yah, i’ve been there
joel : i was poking around while you were typing
joel : great, i have a lot of miles
joel : 140,000
joel : looks like i can do some cool stuff
joel : indeed, i just bought an expensive tickets… two, actually.
joel : man, it’s going to be nice… i want to use my miles to upgrade
joel : can you help me?
Malcolm: Please have a look on the following application to book Award Ticket Reservations, to check the miles requirement and availability of SkyMiles award seats on delta.com as per your convenience.
Malcolm has sent you a web page.
Please click on the following link to view it: Award Ticket
joel : one sec…
Malcolm: May I have your confirmation number?
joel : sure, that would be great
joel : because the website doesn’t seem to be working
joel : it’s <confirmation number redacted>
joel : $1900 per ticket (!)
joel : two tickets
joel : lots of miles to upgrade…
joel : but i’ve been a good customer
joel : so i’ve got ’em
Malcolm: I am sorry Joel; your ticket is not eligible for upgrades using miles, as you have booked your tickets in K and T class in coach. Generally, fares booked in Y, B or M class in coach; can be upgraded using our SkyMiles mileage upgrade awards.
joel : so $1900 is not enough to spend on a ticket
joel : just for the privilige to spend more, via miles?
joel : for a customer who has 140,000 miles?
joel : hmmm, i don’t really understand
joel : doesn’t feel like a “cool benefit”
joel : feels like i’ve been duped, if i understand you correctly
joel : does that sound about right?
joel : or am i misunderstanding something?
Malcolm: Joel, all classes are not upgradeable using miles. Only tickets booked in Y, B or M class can be upgraded using miles.
joel : i think i understand. even though i’ve been a histoically good customer (enough to accumulate 140,000 miles), i’m not actually entitled to use any of my “thank you” from Delta unless i spend much much more
joel : c’,mon, malcom. Doesn’t feel quite like i’m loved by Delta, does it?
Malcolm: Can I help you with anything else today?
joel : please
joel : do employees there understand that the stock value of Delta puts the company value at under $3B while Southwest airlines is valued by the stock market at nearly $12B (four times as much)? Do they think, maybe, it’s because of policies like these?
joel : that the PAYING CUSTOMERS dispise the company?
joel : i’m curious if they’re aware of that
joel : and if they may want to reconsider the policy
joel : we’ll call them “customer-hating policies”
joel : i think you have a tough job
joel : defending terrible policies
joel : it’s actually an impossible job
joel : a thankless one
Malcolm: I�m sorry Joel, but I need to end this chat. Please get back to us with any further questions.
joel : ok
joel : goodnight
Malcolm left the chat.
Your chat has ended.��
I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I enjoyed participating in it. The difference between great companies and terrible ones is particularly pronounced in the airline industry, I think, and I take some joy in illustrating why people should NOT fly Delta and let the cruel arm of capitalism claim this poorly-run company.
Have a great weekend.
