Italy Epilogue

If you read the "Arrivederci Roma" post, you know I was peeved with the service we got from Delta Airlines on our way home.  You might also remember that I wrote an entertaining letter (at least it entertained me) to the Delta CEO, but never sent it.


But "never" was the wrong word.   "Not yet" sent would be a better choice.  On the basis of encouragement from a number of people, I sent the entire letter, dripping with sarcasm, off to the Delta people.  Why not?  Nothing to lose, eh?


I was pleased to see the following response:

Thank you for writing and allowing me the opportunity to further review your concerns regarding your experiences at John F. Kennedy.

Mr. Fredlund, as our customer, you are in the best position to point out areas that need attention. I understand your frustration when there was no one to meet you at the gate when your plane got in late and you missed your connecting flight to Rochester.

Your email makes it clear that we did not demonstrate the dependable, responsive service our customers have a right to expect. We fully realize that the true test of customer service excellence is how we perform when things go wrong. Feedback like you have provided will help us to improve our overall customer experience. Despite delays being inherently inconvenient, proper customer service can help ease the said inconvenience.

I am truly sorry in this instance you did not receive the service you expected and should have received. Feedback like yours will help us improve our overall customer experience. Be assured I will be sharing your comments with our Airport Customer Service leadership team for internal follow up.

In addition, I understand your concerns with the way your luggage was handled. Please know that we check bags to the airport of arrival. I understand the inconvenience you were caused when you had to move around with your bags after missing your connecting flight. Due to security and storage space limitations, checked baggage cannot be accepted in advance. Furthermore, I am disappointed to learn of the delays you experienced while checking in for your flight the following morning. Passengers are encouraged to use the scales in the check in area to weigh their bags before they get to the counter. I agree that rearranging luggage delays everyone and our staff should have asked the passenger to move and serve other passengers instead of holding up the line.

I know what you're thinking.  "Well, that's all very nice, but words are cheap."  But let me tell you...Mr. Shep Macintosh, Coordinator,  Corporate Customer Care, Delta Air Lines must actually mean what he says, because the next day, I received the following:

We have each been granted travel vouchers for $125.  Do you have any idea what this means?  That's right!  For an additional 4 dollars and 60 cents, we can all take a round trip back to JFK and relive our experience!


But seriously, Mr. Macintosh made a nice gesture that is appreciated.  And I, for one, will appreciate his gesture for as long as I live.  Why is that?  Because from this point on, I can say that I have actually been paid for writing, and my resume will proudly sport the title of, "Professional Author."