Calling All Airlines: What NOT to Do 101

Courtesy of Delta Airlines. Hopefully, receiving complaints like mine (below) will make the airline more aware of its shoddy customer service/nonsense airline policies and force it to address its internal issues. Delta usually has the cheapest and most direct flights out of New York to places I frequent (Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago) so hopefully it will undergo some serious improvement so that one day I may consider utilizing its services again.

I write this complaint as an avid traveler and frequent flyer to let you know that I intend to NEVER fly Delta again. I have traveled around the world on a great number of airlines, both domestic and international, and I can say hands-down that Delta is the absolute worst. After the last few shining examples Delta has provided me of practices an airline should never engage in, I am left wondering why I didn’t swear off the airline after the first of these offenses. You can be sure that I will not be making that mistake again.

Cases in point:

October, 2009. I was scheduled to fly on a Delta flight to Costa Rica for a consulting project. After checking in online and arriving at Detroit airport more than one hour before my scheduled red-eye flight, I was told that I could not drop my checked bag at bag drop and proceed to security. The reason I was given was that the check-in staff were “already backed up” as a result of the recent Northwest-Delta merger and could not figure out how to use their own computer systems. As a result I was made to wait in the obscenely long line for check-in and by the time I arrived at the front desk to check my bag in I was told that I “cannot check-in with less than 30 minutes before the flight”. When I tried to reason with the staff and point out that I had already checked in online the day before and just needed to drop my bag, I was told that I would not be allowed to board my flight and that the next flight to Costa Rica was the following evening. Only after several hours of arguing with desk staff and customer service reps via telephone was I booked on an alternate flight to Costa Rica in order to arrive in time to start my consulting project. However, this was only after spending the entire day from dawn to dusk fighting my way onto a flight, a right that I had already paid for without all of the added stress and frustration, not to mention my time.

August, 2010. Shortly before flying back to New York from Costa Rica, I had a family emergency that called on me to change my return flight to arrive in Detroit rather than New York. I called customer service to change my flight and was told that there was no possible way to change my flight. I was willing and able to pay any change fee necessary to connect to a flight to Detroit rather than New York on my layover in Atlanta but was not allowed to make this change. This is the most absurd policy I have ever heard of as I would think that charging customers change fees would be a good source of income for the airline as well as an option that should without a doubt be offered to passengers. Without any other option, I booked a flight on an alternate airline from Atlanta to Detroit. Not only was I not refunded for this final leg of my journey that I was unable to take but I was actually told by Delta that I would need to pay $250 to cancel the last leg of the journey. I mean WHAT?! You have got to be kidding me. Additionally, Delta staff refused to let me take my own bags with me in Atlanta and as such the bags arrived in New York without me and had to be sent to Lansing, MI for airport pick-up at the airline’s expense. In the meantime I was without my clothes, toiletries, etc. If it is the intention of Delta to inconvenience its passengers as much as humanly possible, I would say Delta definitely delivered on this flight.

March, 2011. After vouching NEVER to fly Delta again, my mother had unknowingly booked me on a Delta flight for a routine trip home. Of course there were problems as with Delta there always are. I was booked on a 9am flight from New York to Detroit only to receive an email from Delta a few hours beforehand telling me that my flight had been cancelled. This cancellation was clearly not weather-related as the skies in both New York and Michigan were clear and when asked why the flight was cancelled at check-in, the gate and via customer service line I was still not given any answer. I would’ve expected to be given a flight credit or reimbursement at the very least but I was not offered either of these things. As a matter of fact, I was automatically rebooked for a flight with a stop in Washington DC that had me arriving in Detroit practically 4 hours after my scheduled arrival despite the fact that the airline had several direct flights available. After trying to reason with the staff at check-in, I was only able to secure a ticket for a 12:30pm flight from New York to Detroit which they told me was the soonest flight. To make a long story short it wasn’t as there was another flight leaving New York at 11am. To get on standby for this flight I was told I would have to pay a $50 fee despite the fact that the only reason I wanted to get on this flight was that my flight had been unjustifiably cancelled. NO STANDBY?! Are you serious? This is absolutely the most thoughtless policy I have ever heard of in my life. It is of no cost to Delta to put excess capacity to use and it is of extreme inconvenience in some cases to passengers to not have this option. Beyond all of my wildest expectations Delta has truly gone above and beyond to defy sense and logic.

This lack of customer service I have experienced time and time again is what will ultimately be the end of the company if it does not make some serious changes. As an MBA graduate, I can tell you that customer service is truly the differentiation point of the future and Delta will flounder if it cannot even meet, much less exceed, customer expectations. Why should any consumer put up with Delta’s bad behavior and senselessness when there are so many other similarly priced competitors who will treat those consumers with respect and show them some courtesy? I know one consumer who definitely won’t and I think Delta would be naïve to think that many others will not follow.

Eye of the Tiger

Graduating from business school this past year was one of the proudest moments of my life. After two of the hardest years of schooling and several personal difficulties of my life, I was receiving my MBA and I knew that I had earned every bit of that degree. Despite the state of our current economy, I didn't worry for myself or my classmates. I mean c'mon, we're MBA grads now! Companies will be lining up to hire us and we'll all receive several offers which we can choose from. We are, for all practical matters, taken care of, right?

Wrong. While an MBA is recognized almost across the board as an extremely valuable degree, the fact remains that some companies either cannot or will not pay a premium for even the most experienced or educated employees at this moment in time. As my mother is so fond of saying, "you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip". Given the high rate of unemployment across the country, employers find themselves in a position of power in a market where supply far outpaces current demand. The market is flooded with so many qualified candidates for each available job that companies are often able to "bargain shop" for employees that are overqualified and underpaid for the positions they are offering.

What does this mean for MBAs? Not a lot of good unfortunately. Unfortunately for MBA grads, our kind have taken some of the hardest hits in this economy. According to several HR managers myself and my classmates have been in contact with, MBAs will often be passed over for their less educated counterparts because it is assumed that an MBA candidate will demand a higher salary that many employers are not willing to pay right now. Thus many MBAs are finding themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place where they may be ruled out for jobs they are deemed to be overqualified for solely due to the MBA or likewise ruled out for jobs that require an MBA but also several years of work experience, an opportunity cost of spending 2 years of one's life earning a degree in lieu of continuing to gain work experience.

February marks the 6-month anniversary of my job search. While it is sometimes hard to hold my head high and continue the search, I know the right opportunity will come along eventually. This may be a particularly harsh environment to look for a job with an MBA but that said, it just takes time and a lot of hard work which I've already conditioned myself for. Until that time, I have drawn together a group of yet to be employed NYU MBA grads and Thunderbird grads to share our experiences, good and bad, and support one another while we all go through this together.

As I told another grad, think of the job search like a good movie. How great would any story be if everything always came easy to the hero/heroine and there were no obstacles to overcome to achieve the ultimate goal? If this were Rocky, this time would be the part where Rocky is pulling a truck up an f-ing hill. It is the worst struggle of your life until you get to the top of the hill and then you've got it made. Eye of the Tiger. ;)

Reality Bites

Happy belated Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you all ate and drank way more than you should've and bonus points if you had the opportunity to enjoy some flowers (whether you received them as a gift from yourself or someone else) on the day of love :)

I have something weighing on my mind in consideration of this blog. Up until now I have tried to be overwhelmingly positive in my blog posts given the nature of my New Year's resolution. In fact I have sometimes neglected writing new posts in light of the fact that what I had to say didn't fit that description. I would love to tell you all that everything in every area of my life is going swimmingly and that I never have anything but a positive outlook. However, let's be honest with ourselves: that is not real life. While I do believe it is important to maintain a positive attitude, I don't believe that it would break my New Year's resolution to share the challenges and frustrations that I encounter along the way, do you? So with that out of the way let's get real.

I spent my Valentine's Day working at both Ann Taylor (day) and Outback Steakhouse (night). Suffice to say it was a long day but I can honestly say that I did not mind working this day. Valentine's Day has always been a day laden with guilt and pressure in my mind so having plans to work let me avoid that altogether. After a very busy shift at Outback, I then joined some of my co-worker's at a favorite local bar for some late-night drinks and socializing. It was so much fun that I didn't end up stumbling home until 2am and I went to bed a little buzzed with money in my pocket. By all counts, a good Valentine's Day this year.

Hope everyone had a great V-Day!

TGIF

Happy Friday!!

All of the interviews of the following week coupled with several late night training shifts at the Outback have got this girl exhausted! I'm normally such an early riser that I have to make a conscious effort to sleep in past 8am. However, today I leisurely rolled out of bed at 10:30 and enjoyed two delicious cups of hazelnut coffee and my favorite wheat toast while I caught up on current events.

At 12:30 I trekked down to NYC's infamous Chinatown neighborhood to meet 2 new friends for lunch at Nha Trang, a very delicious and authentic Vietnamese restaurant for a hot bowl of Pho. Having met these 2 awesome NYU MBA grads at a party the following week, we had agreed to meet up for a weekly socializing/strategizing session per week to aid us all in our job searches. We exchanged interview stories and job leads which was certainly helpful but beyond it all, I think I enjoyed their company just as much. Having the support and friendship of others in the same situation is so fantastically comforting.

As a side note, congratulations to my friend Rhonda in Florida! Today she was able to quit a job she hates and accept an offer for another position she is sure will be a better fit. All across the country, things are on the upswing :)

When it Rains it Pours

I've been slacking in my blog duties in the last few weeks BUT for very good reason! Just as I predicted, January was indeed the month to give my job search an effective jump start. After the heartbreak of a lost contract with Bulgari in November and a last-minute opportunity missed at Gilt Group in December, I was so happy to welcome in a New Year of job possibilities.

In order to weather the storm that is the post-MBA job search during the 'Great Recession', I applied for a serving job at my local Outback Steakhouse and was hired on the spot. Honestly I almost started crying when they broke the good news, haha. Serving can be hard work, no doubt, but for the most part I find it to be pretty fun. It also doesn't hurt that the tips are great and the people who work at the restaurant are awesome. Clearly not a career type job but something I can do in the meantime to make some money, feel productive and have a little fun.

Little did I know at the time, the Outback gig was just the calm before the storm. In the week following my Outback hire, I started receiving a flood of calls and emails about resumes that I had submitted a month or more ago. In the last few weeks I've had 1 phone interview, 2 informal interviews and 4 in-person interviews. If that's not something to love about life I'm not sure what is :)

I Got it From My Mama

"You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart." ~Carole King

In line with my 2011 New Year's resolution, I think it's fitting that my first post of the year go out to none other than my Mom, Lynnette (Becker) Betterly.

When my Mom was in her late 20s, she had been planning to start Nursing school for several years. She applied, was accepted and was about to begin taking classes only to find that she had become pregnant with my oldest sister. My Mom chose her family over her own career ambitions and she sacrificed her own interests and career in order to stay home and raise my sister, brother and I and it has made all the difference in our lives. In addition, throughout all of those years she never gave up her dream of becoming a nurse. She graduated from Nursing school in 2004.

I know few people who are as positive or determined as she is. She is always the first person to see the 'silver lining' in a cloudy sky and she doesn't let negative situations or people bring her down. She always lets the people she loves know that she does and she will do everything in her power to help almost anyone, even those who don't necessarily deserve it. Given the choice to emanate anyone it would most definitely be her.

Love you mom, always.

New Year, New Blog!

For Aunt Noreen, who has always encouraged me to start a blog. I'm about 2 years late in my follow-up but later is better than never, right? Love you :)

With 2010 coming to a close, I really cannot believe the year I've had. My year has certainly been filled with blessings as well as curses and it is most accurate to say that I have had my share of life-changing experiences.

It's hard to believe that at this time last year I had just been in the worst trauma of my life and had only been out of the hospital for a few days. The trauma of the actual car accident itself as well as the permanent injuries I have sustained have really changed my life and it has not been easy to adjust to those changes. That said, I have tried to keep moving forward and pushing my limits with a positive attitude. No amount of negativity is going to change the past so there's no reason to dwell on it if I can help it. Sometimes it is a struggle to think or talk about the accident even now but I think I have come a long way in a year and I'm proud of my progress. I thank my friends and family endlessly who have stood by and supported me in moments of strength as well as weakness.

On a happier note, the grand finale tour of my MBA took me to Argentina in July and August to complete an intensive Spanish language program. I had such an amazing time studying, shopping and living in Buenos Aires and I would recommend it to anyone. I made some really amazing friends within the Thunderbird group that I took classes with and I am so thankful that I had that opportunity to meet and get to know them. I could go into the shenanigans that went down in Buenos Aires on "Friendship Day" but perhaps you had to be there to understand. After completing a very successful Spanish class, I traveled around the beautiful countryside of Argentina as well as Chile for another week before returning home to the United States.

Finally an MBA, I moved to New York City at the end of August. For the first 2 weeks I stayed with a very gracious friend and former roommate in Brooklyn while looking for a temporary job and apartment. I soon found an apartment sublet on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and began a contract job in program management in mid-September. Not long after, I was paired up with 2 fellow apartment seekers and after what seems like an ETERNITY (but was actually more like 3 weeks) we found and signed a lease for the apartment where we currently reside in East Midtown. Our apartment is PERFECT! Haha, well *almost* perfect. Our landlord is a little clueless but he means well. We're choosing our battles with him and I'm convinced we'll eventually get everything we're asking for in time.

Finding an apartment, although seemingly time-consuming and stressful, was incredibly easy in comparison to my post-MBA job search. Despite the economic situation we find ourselves in as well as the plight of several friends who graduated before me I think it didn't really become real to me until I had graduated and found myself in the job seeker position. I am very fortunate to have worked as a contractor on and off during this time although some of those contracts have proved to be just as frustrating and stressful as a permanent job. Despite the advanced degree, looking for a job in a down economy in 4th Quarter I probably should've expected to be in stalemate for awhile but hindsight is 20/20. Much to my surprise, several leads have come up even in the last few weeks so I am looking forward to exploring those and more in 2011. Stay tuned.

In summation, this year has been full of ups and downs. I consider myself lucky to have survived the accident and the aftermath of it and I am thankful for another year of life. That said, I am very much looking forward to the fresh, new start that a new year will bring. Happy New Year everyone!! :)