This would be a welcome step in the right direction.The redcoats were one reason why Delta was "our" airline, as they made things much easier and could and did resolve issues immediately.I am glad to hear this and it will show that someone is thinking again, when there have been so many problems lately.I can't remember how many times what seemed like a real problem or a near missed flight was solved by one stepping in and getting us on the plane, or quickly solving any other problem that had seemed unsolvable.
Just hope it happens at ATL soon!
Agree 100%. The "red coats" have been sorely missed and could really help differentiate the "new Delta."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aeolos
The problem with that in ATL is the gates change often. Other hubs are more static but due to the immense size of the ATL operation gates change often (as we all have experienced).
The gates that FAs read off on the plane is information that is received about 30 mins before landing. They always warn passengers to re-check the monitors to verify the gate. If every passenger did as was told this wouldn't be a problem. But you know that lots of people don't listen, run to the wrong gate, miss their flight and then get angry at Delta for giving out the wrong information.
Do you remember the single black and white screen that used to be at all ATL gates listing the connections? But you had to know airport codes. Otherwise, getting to New Orleans etc. could be problematic. Likewise the printout that the FA's rec'd had just the codes. On more than one occasion, I was asked to help translate.
The teal coats (that you normally see on in the train stations at ATL) are employees of the Atlanta airport. They're independent.
I'd half wondered if they weren't Air Tran employees. The jackets match the aircraft colors.
I'm cheering for the return of the Red Coats. I've only had one instance of needing one and it was Customer Service with a capital CS. 12 years ago we were moving from FL to CA. On the first leg, one of my kids developed serious ear pain due to a stuffy head. I signaled a Red Coat upon arrival. We were taken to the EMT's right away and when a decision was made to overnight in Atlanta, we were given help, advice and overnight kits. They got our tickets changed and gave us a list of area hotels and rental car desks and use of a phone. I don't know what we could have done on our own late at night in a strange airport. That one experience made me a DL loyalist for a good 10 years afterwards despite the degradation in service that took place over that time.
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The redcoat system was one of the best things that Delta had, generally seasoned vets that could discern the real from the bs and make "battlefield decisions" employing logic. How often in the last 9 or 10 years have I and even DL airport employees been stymied by absolute IDOCY that has kept them or me on the phone for an hour to deal with a simple and logical decision that any sane person could make, but which no one in the entire sirport was empowered to do. I really do hope they are coming back in force.
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Posted by my sister - so I may have inside baseball from time to time...be nice FTers
As a 23 year Delta employee currently based at JFK I have seen the good, the bad, and the very ugly. I am looking forward to Delta s new commitment to customer service especially at JFK. I was one of the old Red Coat/PSA agents who worked feverishly to assure that our customers were always satisfied and walked away with a smile on their faces in the midst of a travel crisis. I am still committed to taking care of each and every customer--treating them with courtesy and respect. I am optimistic that our new Red Coats will rise to the occassion and to make JFK the jewel that it once was.
I spoke with a friend (veteran CSA) and he confirmed the Red Coat training is indeed underway but, unfortunately, is just window dressing.
These poor saps must be gluttons for punishment. While they will not be empowered, as in the past, they will be expected to fix problems.
I hope he is wrong and they will be real Red Coats.
Welcome to FT fpm. Shame to hear that the redcoats are returning, but in name only; I have memories of the redcoats being the go-to folks when I was real young and taking family vacations on Delta.
Those of you who travel DL quite a bit and who have experienced an irregular ops situation, what is your take on the ability of the DL agents to reroute you when appropriate? I have noticed they spend quite a bit of time on the phone. Who could they possibly be talking to?
With NW, the agents are very empowered to do what is appropriate and do it fast with no phone calls. What have the DL fliers experienced? Is this just lack of DL technology or unseasoned agents?
Those of you who travel DL quite a bit and who have experienced an irregular ops situation, what is your take on the ability of the DL agents to reroute you when appropriate? I have noticed they spend quite a bit of time on the phone. Who could they possibly be talking to?
With NW, the agents are very empowered to do what is appropriate and do it fast with no phone calls. What have the DL fliers experienced? Is this just lack of DL technology or unseasoned agents?
The few times I have been re-routed the agents were able to put me where I wanted to go. As an example, I was flying BDL-ATL-RDU but BDL-ATL went mx. The agent was able to quickly put me on the AA non-stop from BDL-RDU. She did make a phone call to the AA folks at Bradley to confirm that they had seats and to let them know that she was taking two. Another example, during one of those March NYC snow storms, my SO was flying LGA-RDU but most flights in and out of LGA were canceled. The first agent resisted her request to be re-routed on US, saying they can't send people to US. My SO asked for a supervisor and the supervisor told the other agent to just do it. That one took a little more effort but it was during the US/DL merger attempt so maybe the agents had some animosity towards US.
In larger Delta stations, however, it seems like the Delta gate agents have only been trained to point to the nearest customer service center. In places like ATL, the options are pretty limited given Delta's dominance and their inability to re-route on AirTran. If a ATL-SAN goes mx, the best viable option is probably going to be Delta's next flight.
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Just about the only good memory I have from ATL (while making Gold on segments) was the Red Coats. Smart, could seperate the BS from the Horror Stories, they fixed problems. Simple as that. No phone calls, no call centers, no supervisors... fixed.
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Delta aims to reclaim its former prominence in customer service with the return of its roaming agents extraordinaire.
By SUZANNE ZIEGLER, Star Tribune
Last update: June 19, 2009 - 8:35 PM
The Red Coats are coming. Delta's Red Coats, that is.
Delta Air Lines has already brought back its roaming über customer-service agents in two airports -- Atlanta and New York's Kennedy -- but is expanding them to several other hubs, including the Twin Cities, in July.
Even at a time when airlines are struggling, experts say it's a savvy move that could help return Delta to its one-time position of prominence in customer service.
"Delta was always known as the airline with the very good customer service. I think everyone has to admit that it has slipped over the last five to six years. They're trying to get back to that good old Delta feeling," said airline analyst Terry Trippler of Minneapolis.
The airline started the Red Coat program in the 1960s but eliminated it in a cost-cutting move just before Delta filed for bankruptcy in 2005. These "super" agents carry hand-held devices that can issue boarding tickets if a flight is canceled or vouchers for customers, providing a personal touch, said Gil West, Delta's senior vice president of airport customer service.
"The Red Coats can resolve virtually anything," he said.
The Red Coats are current Delta agents who are elevated to the position. About 66 of the 600 Red Coats across the country will be phased in at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport next month, he said. Red Coats receive additional pay.
In the annual Airline Quality Rating released this spring, Delta, which acquired Northwest in the fall but still operates it as a separate subsidiary, fell from 10th in 2007 to 12th last year. Northwest ranked fourth for the second year in a row.
Airlines are looking for ways to separate themselves from the pack, said Dean Headley, co-author of the report and an associate professor of marketing at Wichita State University.
"Any time you can make one thing stand out over another, it can be good or bad," he said. "In this case, you'd think it would be good."
In places like ATL, the options are pretty limited given Delta's dominance and their inability to re-route on AirTran. If a ATL-SAN goes mx, the best viable option is probably going to be Delta's next flight.
