Holy Travis Christ! -- Another customer bites the dust

[EyeInTheSky]

This column is scary. If this is really how the guys in Tempe treat the company's best customers then they have no business buying Delta Air Lines.

Later,
Eye
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[Article deleted by request of topic starter- Mods]

"The writer Joe Brancatelli wanted his article removed from US Aviation. If you wish to read the article in its entirety please Google Joe's name.

 

[Charlie_Tuna]

This column is scary. If this is really how the guys in Tempe treat the company's best customers then they have no business buying Delta Air Lines.

Later,
Eye
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(One Customer) LOST By Joe Brancatelli


Faced with an airline that is prepared to let him walk away, Goldener will do just that. He called United and Delta and both carriers offered him immediate elite frequent flyer status if he switches to one of them in 2007.

I've told him that I think Delta and its SkyTeam partner Air France will probably work fine. He'll be able to fly from Philadelphia to Paris nonstop on Air France in business class and get a bed every time. The Air France flights will earn Delta SkyMiles and will count toward his Delta elite-level status, too. The Hawaii flights will be an easy connection over Delta's Salt Lake City hub; that's probably better than connecting over a United Airlines hub, which is what Goldener did when he was flying US Airways. Delta's West Coast flights require a connection over Salt Lake City, too. That's not as good as flying nonstop with US Airways.

I find this incomprehensible.

How in the world could Joe Brancatelli recommend John Goldener switch to Delta Airlines when USAirways clearly doesn't want John Goldener's business? :unsure:

EyeInTheSky that is scary ... nice catch

Speaking of catch.. Eye hope you posted this in Delta forum.

 

[longing4piedmont]

This column is scary. If this is really how the guys in Tempe treat the company's best customers then they have no business buying Delta Air Lines.

Later,
Eye

Eye, for sometime many customers have been posting here that this is the way Tempe feels. I have a couple examples that I have never posted here and I didn't contact Joe over. Let's just say this attitude is what caused me to leave a long time ago.

This culture runs deep in Tempe and all the way to the top.

 

[Dog Wonder]

I called Christ myself and he confirmed what Goldener told me about their conversation. And he added another fillip: Christ suggested that Goldener should appreciate that he'd been called by the vice president of marketing of an airline. "I know a lot of Chairman's Preferred members would consider that a tangible benefit," Christ said.

What about Christ's decision not to ask Goldener what it would take to keep his business? "I can't believe he didn't ask," Pushkin said. "It's beyond comprehension. Every marketer knows the cost of retaining a customer is cheaper than replacing him."

"I sat down this morning and tried to put my feelings aside and tried to make the case for staying with US Airways," Goldener said. "But this guy [Christ] was so arrogant that I have to switch carriers." #

Marketing has always been where idiot relatives and neighbors of big shots have been given jobs.

They should take Travis Christ's phone privileges away.

 

[jimcfs]

Marketing has always been where idiot relatives and neighbors of big shots have been given jobs.

They should take Travis Christ's phone privileges away.

This sounds more like harassment of the customer than any attempt at retention. If Tempe were most other corporations, Christ would be terminated or at least demoted, especially given the negative press this now has generated. But Tempe isn't like most others, are they?

 

[gizmo_sc]

IS THIS THE SAME PERSON.. BET SO....

http://www.forbes.com/business/global/2004/0510/074.html

 

[AtlanticBeach]

Several things about this thread are impressive.

1. The hubris displayed by Travis Christ equals, if not exceeds, that of prior US Airways executives. It was hard to believe that someone could make a worse presentation than Stephen Wolf and others.

2. As the cyclical downturn in airline travel occurs (yes, it is beginning), US Airways will regret the loss of loyal customers as passengers who make decisions solely on the basis of cost begin to drive down RASM that has been carefully and appropriately increased during the past year.

3. US Airways realizes that they do not have sufficient management with good customer skills. The best way to compensate for this failure is to reduce competition and create an oligopoly in the airline business. At least US Airways recognizes and has implemented the most effective strategy by the offer to purchase Delta. We'll save the discussion of why a decrease in seats from Delta will not reduce overall domestic capacity for another thread.

4. While Goldener may not be angel, it is remarkable that excop48 on behalf of Tempe, can do opposition research and blame the victim exactly two hours after the original post.

 

[Charlie_Tuna]

Several things about this thread are impressive.

4. While Goldener may not be angel, it is remarkable that excop48 on behalf of Tempe, can do opposition research and blame the victim exactly two hours after the original post.

The age of the internet is wonderful isn't it and what is wrong with trying to determine the character of someone?

Did anybody research Joe Brancatelli or Travis Christ?

Where did he/she blame the victim anyway?

Dis anybody email the story to Joe Brancatelli to see if indeed it is the same person?

 

[AtlanticBeach]

The age of the internet is wonderful isn't it?

Where did he/she blame the victim anyway?

The implication/ demonstration that Goldener is unethical in other aspects of his life is used to cause the reader to place less credence in the argument regarding the subject at hand. It is a technique that is widely used in politics and when utilized in spousal arguments can doom a marriage or other relationship.

 

[Charlie_Tuna]

The implication/ demonstration that Goldener is unethical in other aspects of his life is used to cause the reader to place less credence in the argument regarding the subject at hand. It is a technique that is widely used in politics and when utilized in spousal arguments can doom a marriage or other relationship.

It certainly puts Goldener in a different light doesn't it?

 

[AtlanticBeach]

It certainly puts Goldener in a different light doesn't it?

Absolutely. But it does not indicate by extension, that any of his complaints regarding US Airways are invalid.

 

[Charlie_Tuna]

Absolutely. But it does not indicate by extension, that any of his complaints regarding US Airways are invalid.

Objection denied. Evidence to remain on US Aviation board pending verification

Your Objection is duly noted.

 

[Art at ISP]

The story as posted by EX COP is irrelevent to the topic at hand.

The guy PAYS top dollar for inferior service, is told to pay MORE for less, and makes the appropriate decision. This could be ANY premium customer.

Unfortunately for US there is no justifiable defense for Mr. Christ's actions here. The customer pays the bills...period. A person responsible for marketing in any industry should WANT to talk to his best customers OFTEN to find out if they're happy, and if not, why.

You can't charge more for an inferior product--that removes value from the equation. Looking at the Row 1 situation, it's not even really an upgrade. The service is exactly the same as offered in the rest of the Envoy cabin, the seat just reclines more. I have heard it is actually more uncomfortable for sitting and eating etc.

Now IF it was true F service, one might even think the $300 premium a bargain, but it is not the case.

This story brings out a number of other points as well, but the one that strikes me most is that they continue to ignore the fact that the East customer is DIFFERENT from the West customer. It had been acknowledged to me that they do not know the east customer and that they need to--but as we can see this has not happened as yet.

So let's assume that the customer in the story spends around $50K a year with US. He has been walked away. Now for every one who goes public, there are hundreds if not thousands who don't. So if we assume there are 500 like this guy, there's $25 million in revenue out the door. That could be the difference between profit and loss in a quarter!

If they want to become a "low cost" economy carrier as was quoted in the story, so be it. But then they cannot justify charging legacy prices, and they will lose their core customers who contribute a significant part of the revenue. Yields will plummet.

It makes ya wonder..........

 

[Charlie_Tuna]

is told to pay MORE for less, and makes the appropriate decision. This could be ANY premium customer.

Make the decision..case closed

Unfortunately for US there is no justifiable defense for Mr. Christ's actions here.

How do you know. How do you know he (Christ) wasn't a puppet? How do you know that USAirways didn't find out about Mr Goldener's unethical behavior(assuming he is one and the same) and made a moral decision.

This story brings out a number of other points as well,

Yes like Mr Goldener getting upset over these things

1. US Airways cut its twice-daily Paris flights back to one
2. slashing the size of its business class
3. stopped giving Chairman's Preferred flyers upgrades to the coveted first row.
4. started this: Chairman's Preferred flyers must now pay a $300 premium each way above the business-class fare.
5. a six-hour departure delay(mechanical? weather? ATC?)
6. was told he would not receive a refund on his business-class ticket because he accepted a coach seat on a different flight
7. Three separate mechanical snafus led to an hours-long delay, the captain declaring the plane unflyable and, finally, cancellation of the flight (I guess Mr Goldener felt lucky that day and would rather haven take his chances)

Then blaming Mr Christ's arrogant attitude and lack of offering him something for nothing for his decision to leave? Was that really the reason?


If they want to become a "low cost" economy carrier as was quoted in the story, so be it.

They can and will as they see fit

But then they cannot justify charging legacy prices,

They can and will as they see fit

Something about this story stinks.. besides the obvious

 

[Art at ISP]

Sorry Charlie,

With all due respect you are way off base.

I stand by my comments.