Strongly Worded Compliment to Delta Airlines

I had a poor customer experience with Delta airlines recently. They sent an email asking for my feedback. I followed the link to their comment system, and found that my options were to label my comments as a "compliment" or a "complaint". I figured that they get a lot of complaints, so I submitted the following compliment. I let you know if I hear back.

Dear Delta:

I just wanted to thank you for the $100.00 travel voucher you provided me on the evening of July 29^th, when I was stranded in bowls of MSP airport. As you might imagine, after being delayed for several hours in STL, and upon learning that I definitely missed my connection to YXE that evening, and that the first flight to YXE was at roughly 1:00pm the next day, and that Delta had taken no steps to find a hotel for me, nor would they do so, I was fully, completely satisfied and satiated with your generous offer of a fractional, menial credit toward another shining Delta experience. You clearly understand customer satisfaction.

I was even more enthused to watch the MSP airport hotel prices quickly tick upward of $300USD as the handful of stranded Delta passengers combed for a sleeping space. Fortunately, the airport Ramada I found for $240USD was truly a brown-and-maroon fringed delight of industrial bliss. Hopefully you’ve forgiven the fact that I didn’t stick around MSP to use your Airport Dinner Voucher for $25USD, good only for that evening. Seeing that it was approximately 10:30pm by the time I got through you’re re-booking process, and hotels were filling-up quickly, I didn’t think it prudent to take the time to try to enjoy $25USD of McDonald’s allure (it appeared to be the only vendor open at that stage – 24 hours of goodness... I'm lovin' it).

Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to consider covering my cab fare to that divine overnight resting place, nor would I expect you to help me afford the luxury of my stay in the saggy-bedded, brown-stained paradise. The 400 meter walk down the second-floor motel hallway provided the breath of stale air I was desperately hoping for, not to mention the hotel lounge, whose blue-lit Blue Moon ambiance wasn’t at all creepy or filthy. Frankly, my out-of-pocket costs of approximately $300USD, and my loss of another entire work day, not to mention, family time, was really nothing.

I just wanted to thank Delta, again, for creating the opportunity for such an unexpected experience.

I know that weather delays are a very rare, poorly understood and highly-unexpected event, for which I cannot hold Delta responsible. There is really no way, after decades of operational experience, that I could possible expect Delta to be even mildly prepared to accommodate customers caught in a weather delay. It would be entirely unreasonable to ask for even a moderate contribution to actual out-of-pocket expenses, or assistance in at least finding a resting place for the evening: that’s an unreasonable expectation on my part and I cannot hold Delta accountable for this entirely unforeseeable event. There is no way Delta could ever be expected, after decades of flying, to figure this type of entirely unforeseeable circumstance into their business planning in order to provide their customers some reasonable accommodation and assistance.

Instead, I agree entirely with Delta’s $100 encouragement to just spend some more money on a fresh Delta experience – that’s where my head was at on that humid Wednesday night as the children next door serenaded me with sweet sounds of wall-banging and TV. I knew Delta had this all figured out when, the next day, on my mid-afternoon make-up flight, the attendant advised us that Delta strives to exceed its customers' expectations, and that we should provide them feedback on our Delta experience. Check, and check! I’m sure Delta has been praised many times for its outstanding response to this unpredictable and rare aviation event referred to as a “weather delay”, but I thought I’d add my slice of praise to the pile! Of course, it's no trouble that I paid for Comfort Class but was seated in economy - my priority was clearly to get going, and you achieved that. I won't even get into the shear joy that your propensity to over-book every flight to and out-of YXE brings to your many passengers.

I can’t wait to figure out where my $100 travel voucher will take me next! Judging by the round-trip flights out of YXE, which all go to MSP, I expect the $100 voucher will get me to approximately Indian Head, SK. The mere $900CDN it’s going to cost me to get the rest of the way to MSP is an utter pittance I’d gladly pay to have Delta exceed my expectations once again. I’ve got a meeting in Des Moines, Iowa shortly – I hope the Ramada MSP’s got the towels and sheets cleaned… or at least slightly folded and mostly dry. Thanks again, for the outstanding customer experience.

Best Regards,

Tired Traveller