[kate]

To whom it may concern:

I am writing you to inform you of the terrible customer service I was provided with by your company. On July 18 I flew into Atlanta GA from Newark NJ on United airways ( a company you partner with and I intend to hold fully accountable as well) on a delayed flight. My flight landed at 755 pm and pulled into the gate at 802 pm. I ran from D gate to E37 to try and make my flight. Upon running up to the gate, the ticketing agent was already shaking his head. I asked him if my flight into Meridian MS had left already. He told me they did. I glanced up at the monitor to look at the departure time, and noted that the plane DEPARTED at 805 pm......TEN MINUTES EARLY! I asked Mr. Steven Holiday if the time reflected was the boarding time or departing time (because I was shocked that the plane seemed to have left EARLY when it had CUSTOMERS using it as a connecting flight), and Mr. Holiday evaded my questions. I asked him several times to tell me what the statement "departed 805 pm" was supposed to be representing. He continued to say things like " ma'am, you missed your flight and that is it". He finally told me that the time reflected that "the plane did in fact leave early, but that it didn't matter anyway because my plane landed at 8:02 pm and Silver Airlines was not going to wait for me anyway".

At this point, I was so frustrated by Mr. Holiday's tone of voice and poor customer service that I was on the phone with someone in your reservations department (Tiffany, team lead) in order to try and find someone else to help me. Mr. Holiday continued to present a sarcastic, unsympathetic comments under his breath while I was describing the situation to the person on the phone. I asked him who the manager was and he told me that he was. I then asked him who he reported to, and he told me "It doesn't matter anyway because he isn't here right now". So, I asked Mr. Holiday what time he would be here. He told me his supervisor, Mr. Tim Goodrum would be in the following morning from 9 am to 5 pm. I told him I would be in at 9 am.

After spending the night in a hotel that United Airways paid for, I returned to speak with Mr. Goodrum on July 19 at 9 am sharp. Mr. Goodrum, although less sarcastic and slightly more empathetic than Mr. Holiday, did spend the time to talk to me in a polite tone. Despite his slightly more pleasant manner, he failed to acknowledge poor customer service on your company's behalf. Mr. Goodrum explained on your company's behalf, that the customer service (departing 15 minutes early) of the few other people on the flight was more important that the customer service provided to me (1 customer). After approximately a 30 minuted conversation of Manager pointing fingers and the conversation running in circles my plane was boarding (25 minutes early). My flight also departed 18 minutes early as the boarding process was quick because there were only 6 passengers on my flight. I will have you know that a few of the passengers applauded me. One gentleman even stood up from his seat and commented that he over heard the conversation and that they (the passengers) agreed with me.

Of note: flight attendant Joy on the flight from ATL to MEI was very nice. Although, she could not help any of the problems she continually asked if I was ok, apologized profusely on your company's behalf, and asked if there was anything she can do. She deserves accolades, at minimum.

Today is July 23, and AGAIN I find myself a victim of your poor customer service. I am writing this email to you in Meridian Airport awaiting a flight coming from Atlanta. There is a woman here who is waiting to pick up her husband that is on that incoming flight. She and her husband happen to employed by Jet Blue. I have been informed that your plane has now been delayed 3 hours due to first mechanical issues and second because your company lacked proper documentation for departure. I have now been re-booked on a connecting flight to LaGuardia Airport instead of Newark Airport just so that I can get home tonight. This is a serious inconvenience for me as a traveler. I pay higher prices on my airfare to fly out of Newark because of the convenience. My residence is in New Jersey and it is very difficult to travel in and out of the part of New York that LaGuardia is located in. And at this point, I am still not sure that I will make that connecting flight.

Of note: ticketing agent Richard Dean worked diligently for hours to try and accommodate me on a connecting flight. He was pleasant, empathetic, and also continually apologized on your company's behalf. He too deserves recognition.

Now, let me tell you a little about myself. I am a 31 year old intern at a national company, and I am currently pursuing my MBA in supply chain management with a minor in Industrial and Organizational Psychology Although not the airline business, my company too is in the business of customer service. I have recently been appointed the title of Operations Sales Support Analyst. My job is to work as a liaison between the sales and operations department, and to ensure good customer service to the people we serve on transportation's behalf. My current project that I am working on is improving our NPS (Net Promoter Score). I can assure that this email is the first of many to not only your company, but to any and all media that will shed light to consumers on my story. I will make it my personal goal to see that this story receives national attention. I find it disheartening with the amount of money consumers pay to fly for convenience, that this is the way they get treated for that price.

I sincerely hope that your company intends to at least attempt to make good on this significant inconvenience and blatent disrespect through customer service. Please to contact me in a timely fashion, as it not my desire to proceed with this. But, I will defend my right as a consumer to expect to get treated properly and to tget the service I paid for.

Sincerely,

[alwaysflyin]

You do know that flights close 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure in order to ensure not having a late departure right? If you parked at the gate at 8:02, that would have given you 3 minutes to deplane, and run between gates in order to make the flight. Not going to happen. As you said you were late because of United, not Silver. Were you expecting Silver to delay their flight and inconvenience the other passengers in order to accommodate you? Unfortunately delays on an inbound flight frequently cause missed connections. Looking at the math of your arrival time, and the scheduled departure time, it just wasn't going to work. Not sure what your complaint to Silver is....that they did not delay their flight due to the delayed United flight?

[jimworcs]

Breaking News.... we interrupt this programme to bring you news that Kate's flight was late and she missed her connection. This important event needs national attention. Our Aviation Correspondent reports...

Kate, who is an Operations Support Analyst, reports that some of the employees were nice to her and others were less nice to her. The situation worsened considerably when it later transpired that another one of her flights was late. The Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into the appalling events with a view to shutting the airline down. Kate meanwhile is seeking damages of $10million.

More on this breaking story later...

[kate]

Clearly neither of you work in the customer service industry. Nor do you work for company's that rely on their NPS scores (as airlines and many other customer service industries do)....or you just dont care how your customer service reflects your company. Regardless of the above, consumers pay for the convenience of flying. No company should ever put more value on one customers service over anothers. I have been on flights before where a connecting flight was awaiting/anticipating their customers, and passengers were asked to stay seated so that connecting passengers can disembark. It is those companies who go above and beyond for one single consumer (especially when it comes to a matter of minutes) that get the recognition that allows them to succeed as leading companies. I dont expect Silver to take the blame for United, but I do (AT LEAST) expect them to be empathetic to their passengers situations. The correct response would have been something along the lines of "Im sorry that this happened to you, how can we help make it better for you?" ....not "well your plane landed at 802 and we werent waiting for you anyway"

I dont tell my customers, "there was traffic on the George Washington bridge and that is why your truck is late, so take it up with the GW Bridge" ...instead I say im sorry were unable to accomodate you, how can we make up for it...or how can we help make it better.

This is about customer service and consumers getting the SERVICES they pay for. Airlines charge astronomical amounts for the convenience of flying, the least they could do is provide good customer service. Your ignorant responses make you both sound as though you work for Silver Airways. If that is the case, I wish you well finding new employment when the company goes under. If this is the way they treat their customers, then that is surely bound to happen.

[alwaysflyin]

A whole lot of talking to avoid simple facts.... Silver operated their flight safely and on time. United got you there late, but did provide for your accommodations. You should be praising United's customer service, while complaining about United's lack of on time performance. Sounds like a typical "all about me" complaint. It is sounds like your wanted silver to delay all the other passengers, and disrupt those passengers plans, in order to accommodate your late arrival.

[jimworcs]

Ok Kate, I am thinking you don't get it...so perhaps if we spell it out for you loud and clear..

First, the departure time posted is not necessarily the time the aircraft will leave the gate, which is why you have to be at the gate 30 minutes before your departure. It was not Silver's fault you were not at the gate in time, nor was it your fault. The guilty party was United and they addressed that by paying for your accommodations overnight. Silver then accommodated you by flying you the following day at no additional charge.

You were asking Silver to inconvenience all the people on the flight, to accommodate you. Some airlines will try to do this, especially if it is the last flight of the day, but there are a whole load of other circumstances which could effect this decision. For example, if they have a take off slot and missing it would create a long delay.

The undercurrent in your initial complaint was that you were obnoxious and demanding when you realised they had not waited for you. Hopefully over time you come to realise, you are not that special, despite what your daddy has told you.

You are full of your own self importance and think that if you bandy about NPS scores people will think that you have extra credibility and kudos. You don't.. you sound like an immature princess. In any event, the NPS is system is not even generally accepted to be a valid metric... try the NPS on Spirit or Ryanair for example. They are widely loathed by their customers..but the customers keep coming back... what does your NPS have to say about that?

[kate]

What I think is that you are obnoxious, and your partner on this thread as well. Is this not a site to complain on poor airline service?

Ill have you know that I was not obnoxious. I was very polite, EVEN when I was being told by a "MANAGER" that "your plane landed at 8:02 and we weren't waiting for you anyway".....like I said, a correct response would have been along the lines of "we are sorry you were inconvenienced, how can we help". Not the head shaking, neck bobbing, finger snapping response that I got from a MANAGER!!

And to confirm your thought...yes, I do think I deserve the customer service that SHOULD be associated with high priced airfare! These are my hard earned dollars that I am spending as a consumer. My thoughts on this situation are not here for your debate. I could not care less what you or others who share your opinion think of my situation. If you want to waste your money, fly away on Silver Airways. That is certainly your choice.

My father, who has been absent in my life since I was a child to discomfirm your suspiscion, never handed me anything. I worked hard to get where I am in life and I certainly do not need to prove myself to the people like you.

I WAS the last flight out, and you are right...the SIX other people on the plane would have been slightly inconvenienced by possibly 10 minutes or so. But Im quite sure that if they were on the receiving end of "good customer service" they would agree with me. AND Sprint retains their customers through competitive pricing and good reception. Your comment is irrelevant.

Again, I am not here to debate with you or the other. I posted my experience and it is there for others to decide if that is the type of company they want to invest their money in. I don't need your stamp of approval. Your display of defense leads me to feel as though you work for Silver. Good luck with whatever your endeavors are, try to avoid the customer service field though.

[The_Judge]

Jim.....you've been outed. I KNEW you were an airline employee all along. You lying dog. lol

[jimworcs]

I also apparently have a partner on this website that I don't know about!! Gilles will be furious.