Quote:
Originally Posted by CJohnson
Basically AA responded with an email that said "There is never an excuse for rudeness! We apologize" They didn't even allow me to respond to the email. This woman was not just rude. She was intimidating and threatening. AA downplayed a terrible situation that shook up many people on that plane. I have never experienced anything like it. I was certain that AA would take the situation seriously. I overestimated them.
Additionally, I have low expectations for the food on flights. I did not feel the need to receive an apology for the bad food. I almost felt as if she missed the whole point of my letter.
November 21, 2008 Dear Ms. Johnson:
Thank you for contacting American Airlines Customer Relations. I am pleased to respond to your letter.
There is no question that the quality of food served on board our aircraft can either contribute to -- or detract from -- your overall enjoyment of a flight. I am sorry the meal we offered did not meet your expectations. Your disappointment is a cause of concern, and we appreciate your letting us know.
Accordingly, we have sent a copy of your criticism to the Managing Director of Food and Beverage Service so that your perceptions may be reviewed with the local caterer. We are always eager to improve our meal service and appreciate your input.
Nevertheless, there is simply no excuse for rudeness! Our customers should always experience polite service from our employees regardless of the circumstances. Your comments about the lack of courtesy you experienced are of great concern to us. Please accept our sincere apology that we didn't live up to our usual high standards of customer service.
When hiring employees who will serve our customers, we work hard to look for those applicants who demonstrate a warm and friendly attitude. Our training programs emphasize to all our employees, new and experienced alike, the importance of an individualized, caring approach even in the face of the unique difficulties that only an airline can experience. I'm at a loss to explain exactly why you weren't treated with courtesy.
We have forwarded a copy of your comments to our Vice President of Onboard Service for review. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to improve our service.
Ms. Johnson, it is clear from your comments that we both share a belief in the importance of quality service. We want travel on American to be pleasant and trouble free and appreciate being told when it is not. I hope this one experience does not cause you to lose confidence in us. We value you as a customer and are eager to demonstrate our ability to provide the level of service you expect from American.
We welcome all customer feedback. The next time you feel something deserves our attention, please email us via AA.com at www.aa.com/customerrelations. We'll receive your comments without delay and get back to you as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
R. G. Socha
Customer Relations
American Airlines
This is an "outgoing only" email address. If you 'reply' to this message by simply selecting the reply button, we will not receive your additional comments.
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How could you think the point of your letter was missed when it was forwarded to the V.P. of Onboard Services? Just because it wasn't the first issue addressed in the letter, my interpretation is that they indeed took your complaint seriously. They probably just formatted their reply to you in the order of events in your letter. First there was the bug in your breakfast which then led to the poor customer service issues. I think your letter was very clear that you felt the flight attendant was not only discourteous but confrontational and intimidating.
As for the apology, what else did you expect or want? You wrote in to advise them of an issue, they stated an apology, thanked you for bringing it to their attention, and assured you that it wasn't the norm. Did you expect flowers, perhaps, or a big fat check? I'm not trying to downplay the matter or in any way condone the behavior of the flight attendant but what more can be done at this point? If you could have relied to this e-mail what would you have said that already hasn't?
If you feel you are due some kind if "pain and suffering" compensation I recommend you retain an attorney. You have the contact information of your witnesses, etc., however I believe any competent and ethical lawyer wouldn't take your case.