The whole anecdote of the consultant certainly does seem to be a classic (and nearly literal) case of "shooting the messenger."

It is a difficult but important skill to listen honestly to criticism from customers. My observation is that LH decision makers are currently way too brittle to even the friendliest criticism. Yes, LH are in a financially difficult position position right now, and the solutions are not easy. That makes it even more important to listen to everyone, especially outsiders. I have heard it said that complaining customers are your best friends. They tell you what they really think, and they still care enough to be won over. If all you want is consultants that tell you what you want to hear, or you want only to hear solutions that you agree with, then you are in deep trouble.

One excerpt in particular caught my eye from the _Handelsblatt_ article:

"...Wer sich aber beschweren will, landet in Telefonschleifen. „Kundenmonolog“ nennen Kunden das Dialogangebot der Lufthansa. „Die Qualität der Antworten aus den Call-Centern hat unterstes Niveau erreicht“, sagt Vielflieger und Unternehmer Ralph Treitz aus Heidelberg. Die Lufthansa dagegen lässt einen Sprecher ausrichten: „Da wir die Produktqualität in den kommenden Monaten und Jahren deutlich steigern, haben wir die Befürchtung, Vielflieger zu verprellen, nicht..."

So, what should one believe when Lufthansa says, "...As we are significantly improving product quality in the upcoming months and years, we are not worried about annoying frequent flyers..."? Should we believe what LH says, or what LH actually does?