Edited 5/13/2010 11:43 a.m.: I did receive another response this morning. It really said nothing new but I wanted to let you guys know and I will post about it later.
Did they write me back? Yes
Were they polite? Yes
Did they answer any of my questions? No
I’m not surprised by it, but I do give them credit for responding.
Here is the e-mail:
Dear Ms. Hammitt,
RE: Case Number 253237
Thank you for your e-mail regarding your past experiences and the
missing dog. On behalf of Delta Air Lines, I appreciate the opportunity
to respond to your concern.
Our goal is to surpass your expectations in each and every way. We
expect our employees to provide helpful, courteous service at all times.
I also recognize your disappointment when you did not receive the
customer service you expected from our agents in the past. When we fail
to do so, we will work even harder to make it right for you. We also
recognize that quality customer service is essential to the continued
success of our company. Your feedback is important to us, and I have
shared your comments with the responsible leadership team.
Further, your comments are well received regarding the missing dog Paco.
Please know the entire Delta Air Lines family is also deeply concerned
about the loss of this pet and we are making every effort to locate the
dog. We have personally apologized to the customer and offered
reimbursement of his expenses.
Ms. Hammitt, I want to thank you, again, for writing. We appreciate
your interest in our company.
Sincerely,
Marc M. Gonsalves
Coordinator, Customer Care
Delta Air Lines/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
They did give me a sincere apology for my past travel issues. Yes, they were little trivial things that didn’t really warrant a full fledged complaint. I learned long ago to pick your battles. As my letter to them stated, they were the little things that added up and led me to book another airline instead. I wasn’t disgusted with their product until now.
That was nice, but it really wasn’t what I was looking for. They do address the Paco situation and give me the canned
Please know the entire Delta Air Lines family is also deeply concerned
about the loss of this pet and we are making every effort to locate the
dog. We have personally apologized to the customer and offered
reimbursement of his expenses.
It is swell that they are deeply concerned, but they seem to think an apology and monetary compensation is the answer. I tend to disagree.
Here is my response:
While I appreciate your reporting my complaint, I am a little disappointed that you failed to answer any of my questions.
I also wanted to remind you that this isn’t about reimbursing his expenses. If you lost my suitcase, vouchers would be adequate. (and lets be honest here, you didn’t offer to reimburse his expenses (crate, leash etc) until after the consumerist blogged on it before it was just $200 and my memory fails me if that was in vouchers or not) Compensating me for my lost belongings would be totally appropriate. Money will not replace his dog or the emotional attachment he had with Paco. This is about knowing the truth. I guess I don’t understand if the dog “escaped” (in an airport, with cameras) why did you tell the owner he was fine? If that is the truth, why lie about it? Please know if you lost one of my birds, I would not be nearly as nice as Paco’s owner. I also would not be placated by compensation efforts. I would want to know what actually happened, and I wouldn’t rest until I found the truth. I get the whole not answering and questions is you PR/ marketing way of saving face, but it just makes this look even sketchier. Just come clean: What actually happened? Where is the crate?
This response will probably be nothing more than an annoyance to you, but someone has to stand up for what is right. I’m over being angry, but I am certainly disappointed with your company and how you have handled this whole situation. How can I trust a company when I can’t believe them?
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I do not expect the customer care rep to buckle and answer those questions. I understand they probably have a script that they are expected to follow with all Paco inquiries. I know my little e-mail won’t be putting pressure on anyone at the top of the company, but I had to say something.
Delta still doesn’t get that monetary compensation (or voucher compensation) isn’t appropriate for everything. Their story just doesn’t add up. If they had lost one of my birds, I would have insisted they fly me back and I would demand to talk to the staff involved (now they may never had agreed to that). I would have stopped at nothing until I knew the truth. I wouldn’t want their money, I would want my pet. If that was impossible, I would want the truth.
I still honestly believe Delta knows exactly what happened to Paco. It is just question of if they will come clean.
Maybe they will respond to me. Maybe they won’t, but all I can do is keep digging.
If you too would like to express your feelings about the mess surrounding Paco, please let Delta know via their website.
