I just returned to my office from the NWA ticket office in downtown Minneapolis. I usually don't go there, but I had a coupon I had to give to them to get the discount.

What upset me was this:

Behind the main counter, the ticket agents have a clear plastic cover over their counter. Beneath this, they place reminders of certian codes, etc. These are all clearly in view of customers. All of these things were facing the agent, not the customer, because they were for the agent to read. That is, except one thing...

This one thing was a letter to the editor clipping from USA today. It had no date, but the Letter's Title was this:

"Air Travelers are the Worst".

The letter was written by a former CS agent for a major airline. It savaged airline passengers, particularly business travellers. The letter reminded business travellers not to forget the "upgrades and free tickets they are frequently given at no cost" and how well they are treated.

The general message and tone of the letter was something like this:

"All airline passengers, particularly business travelers, are monsters.
Customer Service agents and Airlines are always right. Be happy with whatever you get, you spoiled brat."

The clipping was facing the customer, so you couldn't miss it. I felt saddened, like my business wasn't wanted, and that there was a presumption that I was a jerk. I can't imagine what the agent who put that there's motivation was, other than to basically tell the customers to F*** off before they said anything at all.

I respect the right of the airport employee who wrote the letter to express their views. I just feel that it is WHOLLY INAPPROPRIATE to display this letter to customers as if it is a statement of policy.

Oh yeah, and the agent was really mean to me, even though I asked for nothing out of the ordinary. She harassed me about my signature, becuase it didn't "exactly match" the one on my credit card. I offered her a photo ID, but she wouldn't have that.

Impressions???

I am thinking of writing NWA and asking them to have this letter removed. Is that the message they want to send to people who walk into their non-airport ticker office?

And for those of you in MSP, this is on display in the Northstar Center in Downtown Minneapolis, right next to "Take a number" thing.


[This message has been edited by BoSoxFan45 (edited 08-21-2000).]