Just when I thought I'd seen everything, DELTA really takes the cake!

[Minniemouse07]

But this could have been resolved in a few minutes, once she got to the right person. DH had a stupid charge from Alaska Air b/c the employee wasn't being too bright that day (said he wasn't MVP, charged for his two bags...but she was looking at our son's ff account). Took care of it in two phone calls; first phone call gave him the number for the second phone call, and we had the refund a day after the charge hit our CC. Simple.

The kind of troubleshooting site you might use takes every situation, no matter how simple, and turns it into war. I remember dealing with customers who had read the "how to get your way" books, and they all did the same stuff. Peeved me, because I could do quite a lot for them, and would have been HAPPY to do it for them, and they didn't have to be rude to do it (this is when I was working for amazon). I ALWAYS made sure to tell them that they didn't have to start a conversation with such an adversarial tone, that they should start nice and stay nice (didn't quite put it like THAT). I always worried about their blood pressure, to be so stressed from the beginning, when most problems are simple and easy to take care of.

I'm a wee bit biased against books/sites like that, because they cause problems that probably didn't exist before, and pretty much guarantee that you're going to make a day worse for the rep that is dealing with you.

Although I haven't had to dispute anything w/ an airline or travel company...thank goodness... I do read Chris Elliot's blog and he is pretty clear when he reviews someone's issue, the steps they have taken and then any steps he takes on their behalf. Many of the disputes had the original person calling the general customer service number to get their issue resolved...and CE almost to a one, points out how much further the person would have gotten if they had emailed.

It isn't about raising a fuss but more about CYA to make sure that your request(s) have been documented and whatever responses you receive are in writing.

FWIW, CE always points out that any dispute should be short, concise and polite... nothing there to make a customer service person have a bad day!

 

[sayhello]

Although I haven't had to dispute anything w/ an airline or travel company...thank goodness... I do read Chris Elliot's blog and he is pretty clear when he reviews someone's issue, the steps they have taken and then any steps he takes on their behalf. Many of the disputes had the original person calling the general customer service number to get their issue resolved...and CE almost to a one, points out how much further the person would have gotten if they had emailed.

It isn't about raising a fuss but more about CYA to make sure that your request(s) have been documented and whatever responses you receive are in writing.

FWIW, CE always points out that any dispute should be short, concise and polite... nothing there to make a customer service person have a bad day!

Um, who's Chris Elliot?

Sayhello

 

[disneyholic family]

If you make a phone call its likely that you can get this resolved quickly rather than exchanging more emails. If that doesn't work then go ahead and do more in-writing.

I've always found Delta very reasonable when I call. I don't hesitate to fly them.

regarding calling Delta - in my experience it makes a difference who's at the other end of the phone....sometimes they're wonderful, sometimes they're beyond irritating....
i always ask who they are - former Delta or former NWA.....invariably, the really good ones are always former NWA people...

this is also very very very very very very very very very true of Detroit ground agents....in fact one of them, who checked me in for my flight in October - she was so good that i asked her what she was and before i even finished my sentence ("tell me, are you..."), she already said, "northwest"...

so when i told her how i sometimes hang up when i'm on the phone and call back to get someone from NWA, she said that they have to do the same thing...
that airport ground agents have some central number they have to call for problems....she said that within a few seconds of speaking with them, she immediately knows if she's talking to a former Delta or NWA person...
and if it's Delta, she hangs up and calls back.....and this was a delta airport ground agent who told me this...

bottom line, if you call Delta and find an idiot at the other end, don't assume that's the same answer you'll get each time....hang up and call again....your luck might be better the second (or third) time around....

 

[Kimberle]

I used to fly NW all the time. Their hub was in MN & I visited my family there several times a year. I always had good experiences with them. I was so sad when Delta gobbled them up.

I spoke w/ a very nice lady @ Travelocity. She could see no changes to our tickets, especially on their end. She had me fax everything over to her so they could work on it as well.

I'm pretty much done w/ Delta. I've asked them numerous times exactly what change was made. They tell me nothing. I find them condisending & agrogrant. I fly alot, I am not a "novice".

I've filed a dispute w/ my credit card company. Delta will have to prove to them what the change was and that they had my permission to charge my card. I highly doubt they will be able to do so as I believe the change was only made to increase the ticket price.

 

[lugnut33]

Kimberle, be sure to keep this thread updated, I'm so interested to see how it's resolved.

 

[andymattmom]

Just a thing we all need to remember when dealing with issues like this. Be courteous and nice to the person on the other end of the phone or email. Be clear, specific in details and courteous. Tell them exactly what happened, ask them to explain why you were charged more, ask for documentation or record of changes,etc. It will probably do more harm than good to call, take an attitude, treat them like THEY did something wrong (when it was obviously someone else at the place), threaten legal action or credit card dispute. Most CC tell you to try and resolve the problem on your own before making a dispute.

We had issues with Delta last summer ... but we are flying them again this year. I sent off an email and nicely explained my issues. In the end I ended up with $500 in vouchers that I never expected. They canceled our flight the night before but didn't sent an email to the email they were supposed to. We arrived at airport that AM for our flight....it was canceled due to not enough down time for flight crew which is understandable. The agent said we had gotten an email. I was so mad....but remained nice and said we didn't and they got us on a flight out of another airport. In my email I did say how nice agent was and explained if everyone had been notified there would not have been lots of other passengers in line waiting to check in for this flight. I said I understood why flight canceled...weather is beyond their control. I stated how I had to pay for a one way car rental to get to other airport.

OP just be polite (I am not saying you haven't)....kindness goes a long way. Just explain the situation and what you expect. Don't threaten to contact a news person, etc.

Good luck...it is frustrating and we all have issues with airlines, etc. I don't think there is one good airline. We had issues with Delta coming and going but nothing major like yours. For every bad you hear there are also many good. Hope things work out and this will be resolved soon!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

OP, how are they telling you nothing? I don't understand. You say "what changes did I make?" and they say....? I'm going crazy for your situation, because I just don't understand how they are saying nothing.

Although I haven't had to dispute anything w/ an airline or travel company...thank goodness... I do read Chris Elliot's blog and he is pretty clear when he reviews someone's issue, the steps they have taken and then any steps he takes on their behalf. Many of the disputes had the original person calling the general customer service number to get their issue resolved...and CE almost to a one, points out how much further the person would have gotten if they had emailed.

It isn't about raising a fuss but more about CYA to make sure that your request(s) have been documented and whatever responses you receive are in writing.

FWIW, CE always points out that any dispute should be short, concise and polite... nothing there to make a customer service person have a bad day!

I've seen CE get resolutions that were entirely undeserved; I even wrote him once about a photopass thing (don't know why he got involved, but he did) where he got people a refund when they had made all the mistakes, and we had a pleasant back and forth email string for a couple days.

Most of the situations he gets involved in are absolutely beyond any normal issue. It's the worst of the worst. And in retrospect, yes, many of those cases should have involved things in writing. But you don't know that you're going to get there at the beginning. It's like my stepmom...she is a NICU nurse now, and sees the worst of the worst, and therefore thinks that EVERYTHING involving newborns is fraught with danger. She has entirely forgotten that she had 3 kids pretty much without the help or interference of doctors, the last one was nearly had in the car (she and my father put them into huge amounts of danger speeding to the hospital), and nothing bad happened. She is now seeing things through her worst-case filter. Same with most of CE's things.

I will tell you that most people I've encountered who use those sites/books cannot control themselves, and get EVIL on the phone. I once had a woman using the "script" who suddenly went off script (as I was trying to explain to her the series of events that led to her perceived problem and let her know what I could and could not do) and put her 5 year old on the phone, so that I could tell him why his birthday present was going to be late. She was lucky I did not tell him the truth, that she only remembered to order 2 days before his birthday. And the next day when the UPS site updated to show that there was an ice storm in her area, and therefore the drivers were sent home which is why she hadn't gotten the delivery that day, I was certain to send her that info as well. My coworkers would not have been so kind. This was back in '99. I still remember it. People get downright mean on the phone, and can and will ruin the day of CS reps. No matter what they are supposed to do.

Um, who's Chris Elliot?

Sayhello

Troubleshooter for travelers who encounter weird situations. Column in papers and on MSNBC.com.

 

[Kimberle]

Travelocity fixed my problem. I'm getting my $261 back on my card. Great customer service!

I'm still going to write Delta a letter, with complete documentation. I just have to figure out who is the best person to contact.

 

[safetymom]

Chris Elliott is awesome!! He lives here in Orlando.

 

[dehlers]

Wow! thats crazy.
Good luck w/ the refund. I always love it when they redirect flights and they offer you extended layovers or you can CA for free. When I book a nonstop- its because I want a nonstop.