Mr. Chaimes, the following letter you wrote is the kind of support your employees can always use. Keep us this way of thinking and myabe we can learn to run an airline again.
Charlotte Buisness Journal 03 Nov 2003
OPINION
Letter to the Editor
Gitomer goes too far on US Airways complaints
A recent column by Jeffrey Gitomer ("Instead of hiding behind policy, firms need to focus on service," Oct. 24) , made reference to US Airways as a company that fails to deliver customer service. Unfortunately, Mr. Gitomer failed to provide both your publication and your readers with the entire story.
Mr. Gitomer's dissatisfaction with US Airways is well known and fully chronicled within our company. More than 30 complaint calls to our Consumer Affairs department have been documented since 2000, in addition to his frequent complaints to telephone reservation agents, airport customer service agents and flight attendants. Among the issues were that meal portions in First Class were too small, the CEO column in our in-flight magazine was irrelevant, the amount of miles needed for a frequent flyer award was too high, and his unhappiness with seat assignments. Yes, there were also a couple of justifiable complaints about delayed baggage deliveries and the like, but for the most part, his calls were not things the average passenger calls to complain about.
Mr. Gitomer was pegged as a chronic complainer who was never satisfied with our service. Yet he still continued to fly US Airways, and we continued to try to please him.
In response to his complaints, US Airways assigned our vice president of customer service to be his personal liaison, when it became apparent that our Consumer Affairs staff would never be able to satisfy his demands. Mr. Gitomer was -- and remains -- the only customer who was ever given this special privilege.
Mr. Gitomer then proposed to our vice president of customer service (now retired from the company) that we hire him as a customer service consultant. We declined.
So with all that as background, Mr. Gitomer's column appears in conjunction with his most recent threatening calls to continue to speak his mind in public forums until a senior executive returns his calls and takes some action about his complaints.
We will be the first to admit we are not perfect, and that in running a very complicated business, there are times when we fail to meet customer expectations. It is for that very reason that we formed a Consumer Advisory Board committee several years ago, made up of a broad cross-section of customers, to supplement and enhance our daily, weekly and monthly internal reviews. The Consumer Advisory Board meets several times a year -- most recently in September 2003 -- and provides senior executives with open and honest criticism, feedback and compliments about our efforts to deliver on our customer service obligations.
On the other hand, Mr. Gitomer's verbal abuse of our employees is legendary, and his tirades have left employees in tears. Yet for all his criticisms, he still flies US Airways.
US Airways has thousands of dedicated, professional and caring employees, and we get complimentary letters every day that recognize their efforts. We do not, however, condone any employee treating a customer with anything other than respect and courtesy, and we know there are times when customers feel that they were treated inappropriately. We regret that. But Mr. Gitomer's personal style and behavior tests the patience of even the most saintly of human beings.
Every day, we strive to please every passenger. We do not always succeed, but we clearly understand that our success depends on the support of our customers. There are some people, however, that we can never please despite our best efforts.
Mr. Gitomer is free to think whatever he wants about US Airways, and if he chooses to use venues like his Business Journal column to criticize us, I guess we can't stop that. But we hope that both the Business Journal editorial staff and your readers will see that for whatever reason, Mr. Gitomer's comments as a columnist might have a self-serving motivation. And our employees are tired of his belligerence that is demeaning and unwarranted.
Chris Chiames, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs US Airways Group Inc.
Charlotte Buisness Journal 03 Nov 2003
OPINION
Letter to the Editor
Gitomer goes too far on US Airways complaints
A recent column by Jeffrey Gitomer ("Instead of hiding behind policy, firms need to focus on service," Oct. 24) , made reference to US Airways as a company that fails to deliver customer service. Unfortunately, Mr. Gitomer failed to provide both your publication and your readers with the entire story.
Mr. Gitomer's dissatisfaction with US Airways is well known and fully chronicled within our company. More than 30 complaint calls to our Consumer Affairs department have been documented since 2000, in addition to his frequent complaints to telephone reservation agents, airport customer service agents and flight attendants. Among the issues were that meal portions in First Class were too small, the CEO column in our in-flight magazine was irrelevant, the amount of miles needed for a frequent flyer award was too high, and his unhappiness with seat assignments. Yes, there were also a couple of justifiable complaints about delayed baggage deliveries and the like, but for the most part, his calls were not things the average passenger calls to complain about.
Mr. Gitomer was pegged as a chronic complainer who was never satisfied with our service. Yet he still continued to fly US Airways, and we continued to try to please him.
In response to his complaints, US Airways assigned our vice president of customer service to be his personal liaison, when it became apparent that our Consumer Affairs staff would never be able to satisfy his demands. Mr. Gitomer was -- and remains -- the only customer who was ever given this special privilege.
Mr. Gitomer then proposed to our vice president of customer service (now retired from the company) that we hire him as a customer service consultant. We declined.
So with all that as background, Mr. Gitomer's column appears in conjunction with his most recent threatening calls to continue to speak his mind in public forums until a senior executive returns his calls and takes some action about his complaints.
We will be the first to admit we are not perfect, and that in running a very complicated business, there are times when we fail to meet customer expectations. It is for that very reason that we formed a Consumer Advisory Board committee several years ago, made up of a broad cross-section of customers, to supplement and enhance our daily, weekly and monthly internal reviews. The Consumer Advisory Board meets several times a year -- most recently in September 2003 -- and provides senior executives with open and honest criticism, feedback and compliments about our efforts to deliver on our customer service obligations.
On the other hand, Mr. Gitomer's verbal abuse of our employees is legendary, and his tirades have left employees in tears. Yet for all his criticisms, he still flies US Airways.
US Airways has thousands of dedicated, professional and caring employees, and we get complimentary letters every day that recognize their efforts. We do not, however, condone any employee treating a customer with anything other than respect and courtesy, and we know there are times when customers feel that they were treated inappropriately. We regret that. But Mr. Gitomer's personal style and behavior tests the patience of even the most saintly of human beings.
Every day, we strive to please every passenger. We do not always succeed, but we clearly understand that our success depends on the support of our customers. There are some people, however, that we can never please despite our best efforts.
Mr. Gitomer is free to think whatever he wants about US Airways, and if he chooses to use venues like his Business Journal column to criticize us, I guess we can't stop that. But we hope that both the Business Journal editorial staff and your readers will see that for whatever reason, Mr. Gitomer's comments as a columnist might have a self-serving motivation. And our employees are tired of his belligerence that is demeaning and unwarranted.
Chris Chiames, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs US Airways Group Inc.
