March 31, 2013
Mr. Richard H. Anderson
Chief Executive Officer
Delta Airlines
1030 Delta Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30354
Dear Mr. Anderson:
I would like to call to your attention an extraordinary display of grace under pressure recently exhibited by your Delta team members at Chicago’s O’Hare, and share with you a few other enjoyable experiences with your airline throughout the month of March.
Tuesday, March 12, ORD.
On this day, two of your flights, DL1085 and DL1094, both destined for Atlanta, experienced mechanical problems. After a five-hour delay, DL1085, my flight, departed Chicago.
(In Atlanta, I had a connecting flight to Pensacola Regional Airport, where I then picked up a rental car, and drove eighty miles north to Atmore, Alabama. A job interview awaited me the following day.)
For those that travel frequently, particularly we business travelers, March 12 was nothing more than a ‘Bad Airplane Day.’ But many of your customers waiting at Gate E12 that day exhibited poor manners, including rudeness, condescending attitudes and raised voices, as they chastised your hardworking gate agents. (I wanted to shout, “It’s a bad airplane day, people. It’s not life or death.”)
Frankly, I was embarrassed for my fellow travelers. They behaved like insolent children, despite that fact they’d eventually arrive safely at their destination later that very day.
Eddie Smith, the Delta gate supervisor at E12, with a phone pressed between his ear and shoulder, exhibited a Zen-like demeanor as he expertly coordinated equipment (“Are we replacing 1085 with 1094? Do I have an airplane?”), while appeasing irate customers. He was masterful. I shared my thoughts with Eddie, and he just smiled. This is his job; Eddie brings order to what customers perceive as chaos, he soothes unnecessary roughness, solving complex challenges, all while customers berate him. I am in awe.
I, for one, had a productive and pleasurable day at O’Hare waiting for this flight situation to get sorted out. There’s a nook at Gate E11, right next to a Starbucks, which appears to be the only cafe in Chicago without a long line of people waiting to order their coffee. This particular spot faces a window, an electrical outlet is just to the left of my seat, and there is a wall behind me to shield off the cacophony of hurried travelers. Bliss. I worked on my laptop as Delta e-alerts occasionally hit my in-box and my iPhone. I even booked flights and a hotel for an upcoming Spring Break vacation with my son.
I was switched from DL1085 to DL1094, then back to DL1085.
Your team at both ORD’s E12 and E14 performed beautifully, but I did not note all of their names (a crew member aboard DL1085 gave me Eddie’s name later.) I would greatly appreciate it if someone could extend my thanks to the team working flights DL1085 (Gate E12) and DL1094 (E14) on March 12. If I could send them wine and roses, I would.
Eventually, DL1085‘s wheels went up at 4:40pm. On board our DC 9 - not a rebranded MD-whatever- I chatted with Flight Attendant Ruthy, a 33-year Delta veteran. (I did not note Ruthy’s last name.) She gave me a brief history of your airline, beginning with Delta’s crop-duster birth in Monroe, Louisiana and that, until recently, your board meetings were still held in this small town. Ruthy also mentioned that the desk you sit behind at Delta’s Atlanta headquarters once belonged to your airline’s founder, Mr. C. E. Woolman.
I made my connecting flight to Pensacola that evening. And after a long drive north to Atmore, Alabama, I arrived at my hotel in plenty of time for a relaxing dinner and a good night’s sleep. I began my job interview the next morning refreshed.
Sunday, March 17, RSW to CVG.
When I completed my interviews in Atmore, I decided to drive along the gulf coast, all the way down to Naples, where my sister lives. I then flew home to Chicago from Ft. Myers (via Cincinnati) that Sunday.
After landing in CVG, I headed for the door and stopped to thank Captain D. C. Pollack for a nice flight. I did have a few questions (“What are ‘load balance numbers?’) so he invited me to sit in the cockpit while the remaining passengers offloaded. We chatted for about ten minutes. With my iPhone, the Captain took my picture sitting in his First Officer’s seat, a photo that really impressed my eight year-old son, Jackson.
Tuesday, March 26, ORD to MEM.
On this day, my son and I headed to LA for his Spring Break holiday. Affordable flight options were limited over this period, so we had to connect in Memphis on DL4745
After settling into our seats, Flight Attendant Carma Sisk (31545) came over and told Jackson that the Captain needed to see him. Jackson at first looked a bit startled, but then eagerly climbed out of his seat. By this time, all passengers had boarded, and everyone watched as Jackson marched to the cockpit. Captain Leo Mukalay (26429) introduced himself, and then invited Jackson to sit in the pilot’s seat. He then offered Jackson his hat, and asked him to take the mic. He instructed Jackson on what to say, and over the intercom, he announced “This is your captain, Jackson, we are ready for take off!” I can only imagine what was going through my eight-year old’s head, but I was shedding tears of joy. First Officer Ben Kraus (42646) was helpful and informative as well.
What an incredible experience for my son, and a great way to start our vacation. This flight crew was one of the friendliest I have ever had the pleasure to meet.
Your competition (you have none).
It would be dishonest if I now swore life-long allegiance to Delta Airlines. Like all frequent fliers, I am loyal when I can be.
But allow me to bash your competition here. After hitting a million miles with one of your three main competitors in 2012, I now do my best to avoid that airline. Unlike their Delta counterparts, their flight attendants are indifferent and, frankly, often irritable. I’ve experienced this first-hand many, many times.These unfortunate experiences have become more common in the past year, and I suspect that a pending merger with a second-tier carrier is driving this change of attitude. The declining service quality is most startling when one connects to an international code-share partner, whose customer service delivery is generally unmatched when compared to most US domestic carriers. I believe the pending marriage of these two airlines will spawn a serious cultural mismatch, continuing an erosion of customer experience quality.
Conclusion.
You have an incredible team delivering a superb customer service experience. Eddie Smith at ORD, Captain D.C. Pollack, Flight Attendant Ruthy (aboard DL1085 on March 12) and especially the team aboard DL4745 on March 26, all contributed to wonderful travel memories.
Thank you again for enabling and nurturing what must be a great working environment for these folks, and I wish them all the best of luck with their careers at Delta. Because of the efforts of you and your executive team, I’m certain that they, like me, will stay with Delta for a very long time.
With Warm Regards,
Michael
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