As many of you know, I had a recent experience with a WestJet flight attendant, that was anything but a WestJet experience. Read the article - click here.
As a result of lodging my complaint, not only did the VP of the company Clive Beddoe have the VP of Customer Service, Bob Cummings contact me, but Mr. Cummings ensured that a gal named Lauri Feser got in touch with me.
Lauri is an investigator with WestJet, meaning that she talks to the inflight team, the other passengers, etc., and after she has gathered the required information, she will be getting in touch with me regarding the outcome. This is breaking with their usual tradition of not informing the consumer as to the outcomes of situations.
In the meantime, my husband and I were given a cash refund to his credit card for the portion of our round trip flight where we did not get what we paid for. The traditional response is one of not refunding to credit cards.
We were also given $400 each in WestJet dollars as opposed to the traditional $100 per person offering.
I have been discussing with Lauri, the policy where in WestJet does not generally provide letters of apology from employees and am hoping that the accountability factor that apology letters hold will be considered by WestJet. When a situation as over the top as ours was, happens, an apology not just from the company but by the person who abused their authority and bullied me.
All a person can do is advocate for change and transparency against policies that are truly not in the favour of the consumer.
I have been advocating on behalf of all WestJet customers, as I believe there are certain times when ONLY a letter of apology will do to resolve an issue and that customers are entitled to be treated with dignity and fairness. If that's the way employees need to be treated, as signs everywhere attest to, then where should customers be treated any differently?
I won't tolerate an abuse of authority or the bullying treatment I received and neither should any customer. (Bullying and threats are against the law)
I urge you, if you have a bad customer service experience to talk to the business owner/manager.
Don't just shrug your shoulders and accept poor service or treatment when you have paid for said service! Owners/managers cannot fix what they don't know is broken. You are potentially helping the owner to identify a problem employee or one who needs some training, you are helping other customers and hopefully yourself too!
There is no need to get hostile or accusatory, you just need to state the facts. If you approach the situation with some recommendations or suggestions, you might also find that real dialogue happens and everyone comes away better for it.
Please, advocate for great customer service by ensuring kudos are given when due, that is vitally important to do.
But you also need to speak up when things are less than stellar.
We get the service we allow people to foist on us.
Let's make them want to give/deliver their best our way!
I look forward to having a final resolution on the WestJet situation soon and will share it when I do!
In Other news - I got duped by a Satirical Post on a fake Washington Post Web Site - thanks to a reader who caught that the web address was wrong! Apparently I am not alone!
Oh well, some days I need to drink more coffee so that I am more awake when I write about something!
Have a great day everyone and please remember that if you live where you can be riding - ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you!
Please ride safe!
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
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