CHARM SCHOOL

[SKY HIGH]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704775604576120080627254652.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

And so after a particularly bad year last year in customer service, Delta Air Lines is sending 11,000 agents back to school

Delta finished with the highest rate of customer complaints filed with the Department of Transportation in the first nine months of last year.

(blame it on the employees)

 

[Spock]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704775604576120080627254652.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

And so after a particularly bad year last year in customer service, Delta Air Lines is sending 11,000 agents back to school

Delta finished with the highest rate of customer complaints filed with the Department of Transportation in the first nine months of last year.

(blame it on the employees)

No,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, this can't be true???? 😱

 

[metopower]

No,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, this can't be true???? 😱

Wow...An Airline that is trying to do something about the problem. Let the critics begin.

 

[Kev3188]

I would hope that for as much $$$ is being invested in Service From the Heart that it'd more than just a "feel good" program. No AW agent I've talked to has gotten anything substantive out of it yet. We (DL) need to get past all the "happy talk" and get back to the business of, well, business...

Also, just an observation, but what's the deal with having an open bar after each class? WTH?

 

[metopower]

I would hope that for as much $$$ is being invested in Service From the Heart that it'd more than just a "feel good" program. No AW agent I've talked to has gotten anything substantive out of it yet. We (DL) need to get past all the "happy talk" and get back to the business of, well, business...

Also, just an observation, but what's the deal with having an open bar after each class? WTH?

Kev...that is an easy question to answer.. From being at those meetings and being involved with those meetings I can tell you that much more honest and valuable info was gained AFTER the meeting. We would say that we should get ride of the meeting and just head to the bar. Or as I would say alcohol loosen the lips and honesty comes out. The meeting is for info to flow one way and the informal after event is for info to flow the other way. It is just how the culture works here I don t know how it worked at NW. Hope That answered your question.

 

[xUT]

Just blame it on the union... DOH! 😛 😛 😛
B) xUT
(But I do like the 'Open Bar')...

 

[Kev3188]

It is just how the culture works here I don t know how it worked at NW.

No one ever needed "liquid courage" to speak up about what they felt was wrong, and what solution(s) they may have had in mind...

 

[metopower]

No one ever needed "liquid courage" to speak up about what they felt was wrong, and what solution(s) they may have had in mind...

I bet they didn t. And I bet they didn t have the oppertunity to interact in an informal setting either. Let the critics begin again.

 

[xUT]

I bet they didn t. And I bet they didn t have the oppertunity to interact in an informal setting either. Let the critics begin again.

I bet my pet monkey to your horses a$$ that if Delta depends on drunk employee input as a viable resource, that they will be in deep doo doo. Invest in Delta bail bonds or rehab...

 

[metopower]

I bet my pet monkey to your horses a$$ that if Delta depends on drunk employee input as a viable resource, that they will be in deep doo doo. Invest in Delta bail bonds or rehab...

Haven't seen any Delta employees at those meeting that were drunk. But then I don't own a pet monkey either.

 

[Kev3188]

I bet they didn t. And I bet they didn t have the oppertunity to interact in an informal setting either. Let the critics begin again.

We always had plenty of time to interact during the course of any given class. DL is a business, not a happy hour get-together. If/when I go to training, I expect to learn something, or at least have some tangible takeaways from my time spent there. I have zero interest in clinking glasses with managers or trainers in the interest of fostering some sort of bonhomie...

Still doesn't answer why DL feels it's okay to ply people with booze, and more importantly why people (in your estimation) need the same in order to be more honest...

 

[smartypants]

Delta is not using this as a way to get info from employees, Delta understands that it is easier to improve peoples attitudes by creating an environment of low stress instead of just classroom instruction. Now I already know that some will say that this is just the coolaide. All I can say is that Delta has treated me well and I like the party atmosphere instead of dreary, boring, forced classes. Dont be paranoid. they are not out to get you.

 

[metopower]

We always had plenty of time to interact during the course of any given class. DL is a business, not a happy hour get-together. If/when I go to training, I expect to learn something, or at least have some tangible takeaways from my time spent there. I have zero interest in clinking glasses with managers or trainers in the interest of fostering some sort of bonhomie...

Still doesn't answer why DL feels it's okay to ply people with booze, and more importantly why people (in your estimation) need the same in order to be more honest...

kev ....I give! You don't get it because you haven't been there. You get two drink coupons so look out and it is just an informal atmosphere to speak freely. In my 34yrs (ten at WAL and twenty four at DAL) I get it. Talking to someone after or during a training class is not the same. Give it a chance and see...

 

[WorldTraveler]

A couple of points....

Companies reguarly have to focus on customer service training... it doesn't happen automatically w/ any company. Airlines like B6, Virgin, or WN that have strong customer service cultures regularly train their employees to keep their customer service culture strong.

It is not at all uncommon to have to engage in customer service training following a merger.... there are clear culture differences between the way DL and NW operate not to speak of differences in procedures.

I'm not sure that alcohol has anything to do w/ prying info out of people as much as providing an environment for more relaxed conversation. The reality is that alcohol does help people mix - and that is not necessarily bad. When you bring people from all walks of life, a few things to help people break down barriers isn't necessarily a bad thing. Alcohol is not the only way to do that but it is probably the fastest and cheapest way to do it. After work drinks are part of the American business process for many executives so extending that to fronline employees might help break down barriers between frontline people and leadership. It is doubtful that anyone is going to be stupid enough to get drunk in a training session esp. given that the social hour is pretty short.

The reality is that DL has probably been very careful to not impose its customer service values post-merger because the representation issues are not resolved. Given the process is likely coming to a close, DL will push customer service standardization. It is also not just PMNW people that DL needs to train but there has clearly been a lack of focus on standards on the PMDL side as well as DL has tried to avoid doing anything that might shift the vote..... holding people to job standards is threatening to alot of people and they might believe (rightly or wrongly) that a union can help protect them.

The biggest theme in the WSJ article and other customer service training throughout business is the necessity of being honest with customers, esp. around setting customer expectations, and then apologizing when you as a company have failed. Airlines do a very poor job of communicating to customers as well as setting expectations. There is much in the airline experience that is related to weather and air traffic control that is largely out of the airlines' control. OTOH, most airlines do a pretty decent job when things are normal - flights are on-time, a passenger is doing something fairly standardized. Airlines don't do a very good job when the operation hits the fan and based on on-time stats, 25% or so of passengers are regularly traveling outside of the "norm" because of delays. DL is saying that they won't apologize for requiring customers to pay for services which are part of the "ala carte" approach to pricing but they are starting to make exceptions to refunds when IROPS occur. that is smart - but few people know how to apply those exceptions. DL also is trying hard to communicate the nature of problems in a timely fashion; customers can accept ATC delays but they need to know how they are affected and be treated w/ respect when something goes wrong. I flew alot in the US during January and saw alot of customers with worried faces because of delays but that blew up when things were handled somewhat efficiently - and apologies were issues where appropriate.

Most people are reasonable but they want to be treated w/ respect... that includes employees and passengers. I personally snapped back at a few TSA employees whose SOP was to shout orders to passengers with no reasonable respect for them as humans. Those employees snapped back to a more human mode pretty quickly - so there is a give and take in the whole process. Passengers and employees have to communicate honestly but employees of the company have to take the lead in producing a postiive experience for passengers.

If DL succeeds in reopening a dialogue of positive customer-company relations, then "charm school" will likely succeed.

 

[RDU Jetblast]

Gosh! I am surprised at the concerns of liqour being served! You would be shocked to learn that the new hip thing with cutting edge companies (or companies that want to appear to be cutting edge) is to have pubs on th premises with at least one day per week that has an open bar.

And no coupons!