What's the book corporate America doesn't want you to read? Find out now -- or you could get scammed.

“American Airlines certainly went up several notches today”

February 3, 2008

Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I figured that a primer on writing an effective love letter might come in handy, especially for all the guys out there. If you’re sending one to your airline, you can’t do any better than Barry Graham, whose nice-gram to American Airlines got him a personal response from Gerard Arpey.

Here’s what he wrote:

Subject: Please thank these American Airline heroes

I flew to Dallas today and very stupidly left some things on the plane, including my PDA.

One of your employees, whose name I did not catch, but I have her cell phone number (included in e-mail if you want someone important to call her to say thank you on my behalf), called my cell phone to tell me I had left the items, and then took them to the gate agent who. When I did not come by for a while, she took them to the terminal lost and found.

I didn’t realize that I had lost them until I got to my car. I had seen the call but had been on an important call at work and since I did not recognize the number, I let it go to voicemail. So I went back to the terminal and two very helpful employees returned everything.

American certainly went up several notches today in my estimation. Thank you.

Barry Graham

Barry, you probably had them at “heroes.” But describing how the employees went out of their way to help you and giving the company a way to ID them — even if you can’t — made this an effective note.

This Valentine’s Day, why not send your favorite airline a love letter? Come one, you can think of something nice to say — can’t you?

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

Tagged as: ,

7 comments

  • Christopher

    I have to say I’ve been impressed with AA’s level of service. Now admittedly I’m used to flying Delta, but my last few flights on American have been well above par. I find myself not knowing how to deal with a flight attendant who is actually nice!

  • Chicky

    Kudos to Mr. Graham for taking the time to contact American to tell them something good about their employees. In a business where they hear mostly complaints, I know it must have made someone’s day to actually hear something good.

    Do we need to complain when they screw something up? Sure. However, it’s also a morale booster to to let the business know when their employees go above and beyond the call to help someone.

    A big gold star for those folks at American who helped Mr. Graham retrieve his belongings.

  • John

    Can we now send love letters to United for the $25 per 2nd bag rule?

  • David

    Isnt it strange that we feel the need to get excited about airline employees who actually do the job they should do? I mean, what else would we have expected the employee to do? Steal the things, or disregard them? I agree though,it is strange to see them acting in a way it should be only normal to expect them to act.

  • S.

    While I wish I could write a love letter to American, but my recent travel experience will not allow it. I was traveling from Las Vegas back east a few days ago. Sunday night, one of my 2 flights were canceled so I stayed in Las Vegas another night. I tried again Monday morning only to get delayed for 3 hours, arrive in O’hare and find out that my connection was canceled. I was now required to spend the night in Chicago as the next flight out did not leave until the morning. What did AA offer me for the convenience of being stuck in O’hare? Either enjoy the cots or pay a “discount” rate of $64 to stay in a nearby hotel. Shouldn’t the hotel have been free? To make matters worse, the next morning I was booked on my flight, got in line to board only to be ushered to a ticket counter along with 20 other people saying that the plane had “weight issues” and we would not be able to board. Myself and others (who were stuck in Chicago longer than I were furious). I was rebooked on a flight through LaGuardia (instead of NONSTOP!) then home. Once I reached LGA, my flight arrived almost 2 hours late and I quickly switched terminals (as the AA agent put me on a different airline for my leg home) and ran to the gate. Once at the USAIR gate, I was told the plane was finished boarding. I explained my situation and the employee brought me down the bridge to the stairs (it was a regional jet). I could see the plane in plain sight. I was elated to think I would finally get home until the employee burst that bubble. She said, I am sorry but the plane already closed its door you will have to rebook. She also said that the Airlines don’t communicate and that normally a plane would be held in a situation like that, but she had no idea that I was coming because I was flying on an AA flight. Of course the next flight was full and I would be on standby. I finally made it home 2 days after my first attempt still in the same clothes and miserable! All in all, airlines are overextending themselves, throwing out the weather card and not utilizing customer service training as they should. Their systems are antiquated and creating miserable customers. I do not plan on flying for sometime, or at least until after winter. Airlines should stop using commuter size planes to cut corners and upgrade their systems. This will put the customer as first priority and perhaps prevent the epidemic bankruptcy plaguing airlines today. Sounds simple, but does anyone listen? Really?

  • Mark

    Wish I could write them a nice letter also, but after the way they treated my son as he flew home from visiting me for the holidays, it’s just not possible.

    American turned an 18-hour flight into a 48 hour nightmare, and their customer service attitude from the time he boarded until they responded to my emails was much heavier on the attitude than on the customer service. They stranded him twice, once in Chicago, and then again in Dallas. There were no offers to pay for lodging, or even an offer of a cot. They simply refused to apologize to my son in any way for the way he was treated. Almost as infuriating as their poor service on this flights is the fact that they no longer have live people to whom you can complain, it’s all by email, and there is a word limit, so that by the time you’ve written your story, there is no room left to tell them what you want or need. American is a completely abysmal airline. One nice gesture by one employee shouldn’t overshadow the fact that as a corporation they simply don’t care about their customers.

  • Barry Graham

    This was not the only nice gesture. They are consistently a good airline. One nightmare event shouldn’t overshadow the fat that as a corporation they do care about their customers.

Previous post:

Next post: