The Larry King Post View
Keep moving. At all costs . . . Since my flight was cancelled, I was going to hang on to my rental car while I went in to the airport to figure out my options. Then my standard mental travel checklist kicked in (which says she'd all things that will slow you down), and I dropped it off. If I'd have kept it, I probably wouldn't have gotten home. #ChecklistsRule . . . Songs for an airport: Husbands, don't let you wives bend over and show butt cracks.
There is more than one way to get home by 10:30 at night . . . If I weren't in shape, I wouldn't have made that connecting flight . . . The food service areas at LaGuardia are incredible compared to how they used to be. Sorry I had to run by them on this trip . . . In a future life, I'm changing my last name to Gatechek. Our family crest will be a pink tag . . . I don't wear headphones on planes. I like to make sure the engines are still running. Just in case.
Let me be clear: I don't want a clear drink, and I'll whine until I get the right one . . . I don't think it's possible to drink enough in first class to make up for the cost differential, in case you are keeping score . . . Candy Crush? I don't know from Candy Crush . . . I write on planes the way some people play games. Or listen to music. Or watch videos. Or snore . . . You may need exactly the right conditions to be able to engage in a mundane activity. Or maybe you don't . . . Apparently not everyone is familiar with the concept of time zones. Because if they were, the woman next to me on the plane wouldn't have had to try to explain them to the person who kept calling her even after she hung up on them.
All this, and I still have to drive home.
What Made the Delta Customer Experience Work
I was trying to get back to Kansas City from the East Coast late Tuesday afternoon. Right before arriving at the airport, I discovered Delta cancelled my flight through Atlanta. After running to the Delta ticket counter, they directed me to the Special Services Line designated for those of us on cancelled flights. Starting out ten deep, I decided to try and get somebody from Delta on the phone and take my chances. I Googled and found a local Atlanta customer service number and called. Surprisingly, in almost no time at all, Tina answered the phone.
Tina was in an INCREDIDBLY good mood (despite the Delta system melting down this week), and I let her know that multiple times. After detailing my situation, Tina diligently went to work on my Tuesday options (beyond catching a flight at 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning). She found a flight through LaGuardia, with a tight connection to Kansas City. We discussed the likelihood of making the connection given a potential delay on my initial flight. I said I thought it was worth the risk to be able to get home at the exact same time I was expected. Tina replied so charmingly, “I’m with you! I’m feeling this is going to work!”
I said let’s go.
Tina booked me in first class for both legs and checked me in for the flight. All by the time I made it up to the counter.
We’ll see how well Delta social listens. Because if they reach out to me about my Delta customer experience, I’d be happy to supply my confirmation number so they can track down Tina and do something incredible for her.
Amid what could have been a completely crappy situation, Tina put the Delta brand on her shoulders and delivered an exceptional customer experience. - Mike Brown
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