[jafoinwf]

While enduring a mechanical delay, I experienced hostility and rudeness from a Comair representative. She was nasty to me when I tried to converse with her about the delayed situation. I asked for a manager or supervisor and she told me there was not one onsite and I was not going to be allowed to talk to one. I then inquired about the status our delayed flight. The response was with a waving finger and "I ain't talking to you no more." I stepped back to my seat to get my Skymiles card and I began to call the 800 number. Right after me, I saw and heard another customer approach the representative and also encounter rudeness. That female customer yelled at the representative that she "...was an awful person!". At this point, I loudly remarked that with the skillset she has she should be working at McDonalds. At this point, I was sitting down calling the 800 number and was approximately 10-15 feet away.

At that point, she called security even though I was never indicated any threat. I was only commenting on her poor customer service. When security did arrive, a Comair manager appeared as well (magically). At that time, I advised him of his employees rudeness and unwillingness to do her job. That manager was told by no less than 5 other persons that the representative was rude to them as well.

I was quickly placed on an AA flight even though the Comair representative had previously told everyone that nothing was available from any airline. Security quickly left when they realized there was no reason for them being called. When that AA flight took off, there were 15 (I counted) seats empty but there were persons from my original Delta flight still waiting in the airport. That was 5.5 hours after the original flight was due to take off.

I have to say that I am vastly impressed with the US airlines safety record. But the customer service is awful. Mechanical delays are usually not avoidable but representative's poor attitudes are. I was firm but cordial with both the manager and the gate representative. Her reaction was inexcusable and her attempt to intimidate me with police was as if we are in a police state. I actually was the calm one in the conversation.

So, the questions that need to be answered here are:

1.) Is is Delta or Comair's SOP to call security as an escalation process for poor customer service?

2.) Why is it not Delta/Comair SOP to rebook with confirmed seats on other flights both on Delta and with other airlines in event of a mechanical delay? Many other passengers commented to me and to the supervisor that it should have not taken this debacle to get a seat on another airline.

3.) When will Delta step forward and accept the passenger bill of rights? As it is, Delta is allowed by law to detain and treat paying customer pretty much any poor way the local representative is in the mood for.

[Silent Bob]

We can always assume that if security is called to handle a situation, there is way more to the story than what appears and since the agent isn't on this site to defend what happened, we have to take your side, though I would do so with a grain of salt. I've seen my fellow passengers erupt in a fit of rage, once saw a business class passenger catch a temper tantrum like a little child because a flight was delayed longer than he expected. In the end he was taken away in cuffs. Yea I've gotten my share of upset over delays and cancellations but I never take my anger out on the agent, what did they do?

so to help answer your questions 1) its whomever was operating the flight that calls security, since it was comair, delta will take no responsibilty. 2) Delta is usually quite good at rebooking even on other airlines, can't imagine why they wouldn't rebook you confirmed on another airline. Maybe its due to the security issue that they never got around to it? I dunno. 3) when will any airline step forward and accept the apssenger bill of rights? THAT is the question.

[ChrisH]

Silent Bob is correct. Agents do not call security, unless they really feel threatened. There must be more to the story. NEVER make rude/crude remarks to an agent, at an airport, because in this post 9/11 world, airports really provide no rights, and you will risk being arrested. I've seen it happen to plenty of perfectly good people, who simply lose their cool in a situation, and now have a mark on their record. Not worth it!

By the way .... you do realize that the agent is not to blame for the delay, so why take your anger out on him/her. That solves nothing, and doesn't suddenly make the situation/delay better. Trust me, when I say that the agent wants the flight, and you, gone ASAP, just like you want to go. I dreaded anytime I had to work the gate, and there was a delay. I have no control over it, but passengers sure do seem to think us agents control everything.

[jafoinwf]

Why does there HAVE to be more to the story? Because I dared to comment on a gate attendants poor customer service skills? Because we are conditioned that if security is called, then there HAS to be a bad guy involved and Delta wouldn't dare be using security to cover up being awfully rude? Note that the airport contact indicates there was no problem found when security was called. Please see below.

Mr. Blanchard:

Our officer was called by airline personnel and responded. Upon the
officer's arrival he could see there was no security issue, told the
airline person that and left. Your issue is with Delta and the customer
service you received and I will ask the local Delta manager to respond.
In addition, you may want to contact Delta, as your fellow passenger
did, to express your displeasure.

Your email does not indicate you were treated poorly by our Airport
officer, is that correct? What if next time there truly is a threat, but
the officer would choose not to respond? The officers have a duty to
check out each call.

I am truly sorry you had a negative customer service experience. I know
air travel can be very frustrating; I wish you safe and trouble-free
travel in the future.

Thank you again for notifying us of this incident.

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

If the airlines had to face the same penalties the owners of faulty burglar alarm systems face, then these types of police calls would drop sharply.

Many cities will allow the owners of burglar alarms to have a certain number of "false" calls, over a given period of time, without charge. Once the "free" allowance has been used, additional "false" calls subject the owner to a service charge for each call.

Airport police departments could assign airlines a number of "free" security calls based on, say, 5% of the total number of passengers the given airline boarded in the past six months. "False," or bogus, calls exceeding the "free" allowance would be charged, to the airline, at $500 a call.

Mr. Blanchard's case is a prime example of how US-based airlines are using airport police departments as customer service staff. With Spirit Air being the first US-based airline to dismantle its customer service department, it will be interesting to see how many bogus calls the Fort Lauderdale Airport police—Spirit Air’s home base—will tolerate before Spirit starts having to pay costs to the police.

[ChrisH]

The reason that that idea would not work, is because the airport police officer are often times good friends with all of the agents around the airport, or, at least, they were at the airport I worked at. They were often times bored, and were glad when we called, as it gave them something to do, other than walking around, or sitting at a security point.

Also, there would really be no way that the police could prove that the agent did not feel threatened, when s/he called the police. They may have found that the person was not a threat that needed to immediately removed, but it still doesn't mean the agent didn't feel threatened by the person, in some way.

As to the original poster. Just keep in mind that customer service agents have no control over delays, etc. Give them a break, and realize that, post 9/11, it is better to keep one's mouth shut, in an airport, than risk being arrested.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy Slept Here

If the airlines had to face the same penalties the owners of faulty burglar alarm systems face, then these types of police calls would drop sharply.

Many cities will allow the owners of burglar alarms to have a certain number of "false" calls, over a given period of time, without charge. Once the "free" allowance has been used, additional "false" calls subject the owner to a service charge for each call.

Airport police departments could assign airlines a number of "free" security calls based on, say, 5% of the total number of passengers the given airline boarded in the past six months. "False," or bogus, calls exceeding the "free" allowance would be charged, to the airline, at $500 a call.

Mr. Blanchard's case is a prime example of how US-based airlines are using airport police departments as customer service staff. With Spirit Air being the first US-based airline to dismantle its customer service department, it will be interesting to see how many bogus calls the Fort Lauderdale Airport police—Spirit Air’s home base—will tolerate before Spirit starts having to pay costs to the police.