Agent recording...
 

Over in another thread, it was noted, "I would definitely write a letter of complaint. If you don't have the agent's
name, you can find their employee number
on your boarding pass. See the box "Airline Use" - in the right of this box is the city code of boarding card issue followed by the five digit employee number of the issuing agent (e.g. YYZ12345 would be Toronto employee number 12345)."

What a wonderful way to track the small % of AC check-in/counter staff who are truly horrific...

Can anyone start up a database that allows us to record these #'s for access by all, along with an indication of the nature of experience....

This would allow us to know on check-in if we are dealing with someone with a proven record of "bad apple."

That's a great idea! But IMO it should also reflect employee #s of those who qive outstanding service as well. You can probably set up a database for this purpose with "Q base"

I have to ask ... what use would such a list serve? Okay, so I can check and see that the agent who just snarled at me has also snarled at other people. It's not like I really have a choice of who checks me in or who is working the gate.

In a recent thread, someone expressed concerns that he might somehow be blacklisted as a troublemaker if he filed a complaint. We were assured by one of the Air Canada employees who posts on this site that this would not happen. Why should we start a similar list of Air Canada employees? Is it fair to blacklist someone who is having a bad day, or who has been at work for 14 hours because of the latest mess at YYZ?

If you have a valid complaint about a particular employee that you think is serious enough to warrent action, then file an official complaint. There are processes in place to deal with this, and Air Canada does listen. Post about your experience here so we can all sympathize with you. But I think that identifying the person, even through an employee number, on a public forum is inappropriate.

[This message has been edited by StuMcIlwain (edited 03-06-2001).]

StuMcIlwain I am in total agreement with you.

I think it is important because AC employees that give good service to many different passengers on a regular basis deserve recognition for their effort, and we as FFs can send them Service Excellence cards etc. For example, an agent that is accommodating with upgrade complications, deserves to know that we appreciate their service. We could also, using database as a resource, send in a huge number of commendations, and maybe employee would be promoted to supervisor.

I also think it is helpful because many of us do not file complaint when AC employee does something mean. But if we notice the same person is distressing several different people, consistantly, over a period of time, then at that point we will be able to write a letter siting all the incidents, and AC would take such a complaint much more seriously than nickel & dime style complaints.

I agree with Fly Boy, he has a good point.

From an HR perspective, it is up to AC to keep track of kudos and complaints made for service received. If you have a valid reason, file a complaint for poor service or raise a positive observation for going above and beyond. Keeping public files on AC employees, makes me quite uncomfortable. Not a good idea in my book. This idea is pushing the envelope of consumer advocacy beyond an acceptable norm. Voila mon humble opinion. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Remember that there are two sides to every story. Agents deserve a chance to tell theirs.

And Fly Boy, identifying people who are willing to bend the upgrading rules in a forum such as this will only ensure that the rules are followed to the letter.

I clearly remember getting boarding passes where the issuing agent ID printed on them did not match the person's badge number. Funny how the number (e.g. YVR12345) is so clearly displayed, yet there is no proper name tag visible!

FewMiles..

It won't match the badge number. The badge is the Transport Canada airport security pass. The agent ID is an Air Canada identifyer. They come from completely different sources.

Would it even be legal?

In the UK any computer database that includes any personal details has to be registered each year with the Data Protection Agency, and suitable access suplied to those people on the the database, so that they can check the accuracy of any information. I do not know if this legislation exists in Canada, no doubt others do.

I would have thought that libel could also be an issue for whoever held the database.

May be more trouble than it is worth?

Stewart.

I seem to remember adjectives like "Orwellian" being used on the thread about coupon reconciliation...what would one call this, then? I'm afraid I would have to call it insulting, something akin to tagging of animals in the wild to track migration patterns.

For good service, honestly, a thank you will do just fine. For inept or bad service, please point it out to the company and trust me, they will point it out to me.

I didn't say anything about bending rules, just about accommodating passengers. Many of us have had experiences where the rules were bent the other way, and Agent asked for another coupon when it was not necessary, or has down-graded an eligible passenger altogether. I was referring to agents that to their job very well, and help passengers out in a fix. Sometimes it's not what you say but how you say it...

Why don't we just hand out copies of George Orwell's 1984 instead?

I can think of a several reasons why this is a bad idea...
Ethical theories of justice in transfer hold that any exchange of property (information in this case) is OK only if
1. both parties understand the consequences of the property( information) transfer,
2. the property(information) is rightly held, and
3 there is no coersion.

AC is not putting those numbers on the baording cards for anyone's use but their own.
They don't intend to have us use them like that, therefore the transfer is unethical.

Also, those numbers are the proprietary information of AC.

Would we be telling air Canada we're doing this? To make it work we wouldn't, as they would then take the numbers off the B/C's. Witholding ( I.e. lying) about our real use of the information would be another ethical error.

Also we would be treating the agent as a means to an end, rather than respecting them as an end in their own right. In other words, we want to improve air travel conditions, so we exploit individual rights to do it. Wrong again.

Lastly, it's also against the law...see the new Canadian Privacy act covering the collection and dissemination of information in digital databases: http://www.privcom.gc.ca/english/02_06_01_01_e.htm

Ethically and legally it would have to be a two way street: Air canada and the employees would have to approve of this database.

[This message has been edited by terminalcity (edited 03-06-2001).]

I'd like to add my comments that the creation of such a B.O.L.O. list would be very wrong. It could be compared to starting a witch hunt. Outside of the legal and privacy issues already brought up, who would be next? Chain hotel staff, rental car agents, cab drivers?

There is no barometer to measure who is good or who is bad. You could end up maligning 50 good employees for every rotten apple you actually unearth. Two people could deal with the same agent and the outcome could be entirely different for each. Not everyone who has met me thinks I'm a wonderful person. Some wish the experience never took place. It's called chemistry and with some people it will be explosive every time they come in contact.

If you specifically have a bad experience with an agent or any AC employee for that matter, record that number or their name if you can secure it and use the channels in place with AC to lodge your complaints. Believe me, the employee does hear about it. I've heard many confess to such.