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NWA Has Some Good Ex-Employees - Here is one: Professor James Dixey.
NWA Has Some Good Employees - #8
Posted by Name Withheld Upon Request on June 03, 1999 at 16:11:41:
Dear Mr. Riley,
I visited your website www.NorthWorstAir.org today, for the very first time. As a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines for 12 years, I was truly disappointed at all of the "slamming" taking place on the website.
Rude and indifferent NWA staff tends to encourage a similar response from customers whom have been victims of same.
I agree that unresponsiveness and rude behavior are always unacceptable,especially from customer service specialists (i.e. "front-line" employees). I would never begin to "justify" how you were treated. It was simply WRONG! However, I do question your ethical decision to lambast Northwest, as a retaliation tactic to improve your chances to a "just" response from Northwest.
Since NWA had victimized me on three consecutive flights and then insulted me in various ways before I launched the site, what would you suggest? Surely not that I continue to buy my own KY while assuming the appropriate position?
As a representative of Northwest Airlines, I am TRULY sorry you had a horrific experience on "my airline". If I could, I would not only replace your computer, I would do everything in my power to win back your loyalty. I feel at this juncture, we are past that point.....
Yes, about $100,000 or so past that point when one considers the value of the original loss and the cost to alert the public via this web site.
I imagine you will probably have an angry critique or comment about this e-mail and because I am an employee of Northwest.
Not angry, just amazed at how irrational many of the letters from NWA staff are. Yours is one of the better ones, and yet you remain defiant even when you know that you and NWA are often not delivering fair value.
However, I would like you to know, I do my very best,everyday, to make flying on "my airline" a pleasure. I am personally offended that you would truly wish for the demise of Northwest! I think we all have terrible experiences with large companies, sometimes. My personal nightmare story is with MCI, but NEVER would I wish for the destruction of MCI. This company is the livelihood of thousands, despite the differences with "upper management" or "corporate policy",most employees are dedicated and hard working.
Does most mean 90%. Tell me, if your favorite department store caused you serious grief on three out of four visits, and every few years cost you four or five thousand. And then jerked you around, telling you that what they did was really your fault, and most certainly not their fault - would you continue to do business with them? Would you tell others to do business with them, or to stay away from them?
I find it ironic,that both of these companies (Northwest and MCI) are in newly "deregulated" industries. Hence, the competitive nature of deregulation may warrant these "unacceptable" corporate policies for pure survival sake.
NO business survives by pissing off their customers. And from what I can see that is the one thing NWA excels at.
Maybe, we need to address Congress concerning "deregulation"? Oh,yeah, that means a BIG increase in ticket prices!
We are addressing Congress on this issue. And because so many members of congress have also experienced NWA's exceptional service, I am confident that we will see legislation which will encourage airlines to act somewhat better.
Mr.Riley, I apologize, but I also question the liability of Northwest concerning your broken computer. (Your reason for the website?) I would assess the liability elsewhere. There is no evidence Northwest caused this harm. Maybe, the van driver stowed your baggage a little too hard? Maybe, your daughter accidently dropped it when you weren't looking? Of course, I am not pointing fingers but we just don't know who or when the computer was broken. I can just say literally thousands of computers go through the screening process, and NEVER have I heard of a computer (in a padded case, no less) being broken by being placed on the security screening belt!
This was addressed elsewhere on the web site. The computer was operational on the shuttle to the airport. My daughter was next to me and had exclusive possession of the computer as it was transported from the shuttle to the security screening area. There was no incident where the computer could have been damaged except while the security people had possession of the computer.
So the anger over the computer is unfairly directed toward Northwest, in my opinion. But by the nature of humanity today, we shall remember by lodging the complaint to the "fat cat", just maybe they'll pay the claim.
(Does the hot coffee at McDonald's ring a bell?)
It is obvious that you know little about this case.
It happens everyday in our legal department. And you wouldn't believe the claims asserted against Northwest.
Considering your companies service and general attitude I am sure that they give many people just cause to bring claims. And based on my experience I have no doubt that your company avoids compensating the majority of it's victims.
(No doubt about it, some with "just" cause!) However, I believe you already know there are little grounds for a legal claim in your case. Why,with all your venom, I am certain you have already sought legal counsel concerning liability. And as a "shift" tactic, announce to everyone "Oh, it would cost several thousand to sue".
On the contrary, there are solid grounds for legal action. But the reality of litigation is it is not worthwhile for a $4,000 recovery. It may be worthwhile for $40,000, it definitely would be worthwhile for $400,000.
And finally Mr. Riley, I am certainly concerned that you would be willing to put out of work, literally thousands of hard-working and dedicated Michiganders because of your mis-guided anger! I believe your vengence should be directed to much more constructive venues! In America today, we all experience disappointments in people,places and things. But not everyone is out to destroy or bring to a demise those things that disappoint us.
I am afraid that disappoint is not a very good description for what NWA does to it's customers.
Someday, you just may wish for that Northwest flight from Flint. Oh, I know now you say otherwise, but when you have to drive 200 miles to the nearest airport to get a flight, you just might ask yourself; "Was it worth it?" Oh yes, that homeless man you pass on the highway on the way to the airport, he used to have a decent job.It's okay though because he worked for a crappie company, it's his fault. "Was it worth it?"
It is the nature of life that all things must live and die. This is true of life and of companies. Yes, sometimes death is a sad thing, and yet the passing of life which is no longer viable does make room for the children. This is also true of companies. Some become unfit to continue, and their passing causes anguish for some, but new vibrant companies rise from the ashes and become new homes for the displaced. Better homes than the old. It is my view that you and other NWA employees would be better off with a new company.
So, as you can see, the consequences of irrational behavior sometimes result in unfavorable reprecussions that were totally unforseen. Maybe a little patience and compassion will reward you someday in unforseen results! Lets just hope in the meantime, an irate client doesn't begin a smear campaign against Riley and Associates and your livelihood in the very near future.
Riley & Associates markets and enforces intellectual property. The key word here is enforces. Over eighty percent of large companies try to steal my inventions. I am reasonably successful at enforcing my rights. That means that there are many upper managers who truly hate me. I don't lose much sleep over it though.
And they do campaign to deny me my livelihood. The most current campaign is H.R.1907. You may read about the history of this legislation at http://www.rjriley.com/multinationals/ and at http://www.Alliance-DC.org/
Name Withheld Upon Request
P.S. I know you said you'd never fly Northwest again,but don't worry, people won't recognize you when you board your flight on that "super-saver" ticket you bought on Northwest. See you on that Flint flight next week! I promise, I'll treat you nice!
I gather you are located in Flint? If that is the case you can be nice when you see me boarding US Airways. And yes, their tickets are more costly than your super savers. But when I factor in the other costs of doing business with NWA you still would not be cost effective even if the tickets were free.
One nice thing about your super-saver promotions is that they do supply plenty of raw material for this site.
You will be happy to know that I have met with numerous members of congress over the last five weeks and that I have frequently mentioned, even discussed at length, my and in turn their experiences with NWA. Even better was when I and other inventors met with a bunch of high level military brass, and I am talking about serious brass, and we all had a good laugh about this web site.
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