Northwest Airlines slips to last in customer satisfaction

[Blackdog]

Come on Fin do you relly think its that easy to just "find another job"? Some FAs have been doing this for over 20 years and their marketability has been reduced because of age and health considerations. When you get forced into a 40% cut in pay and benefits and have to work 33% more just to make ends meet...do you think you would have a smile plastered on your face? Trying not to take it out on the customer is not as easy as you make out since most passengers nowadays are demanding and rude and pay Wal-Mart prices but want Ritz-Carlton service. They are doing the best they can with the tools they have been given to work with!

 

[finman]

Come on Fin do you relly think its that easy to just "find another job"? Some FAs have been doing this for over 20 years and their marketability has been reduced because of age and health considerations. When you get forced into a 40% cut in pay and benefits and have to work 33% more just to make ends meet...do you think you would have a smile plastered on your face? Trying not to take it out on the customer is not as easy as you make out since most passengers nowadays are demanding and rude and pay Wal-Mart prices but want Ritz-Carlton service. They are doing the best they can with the tools they have been given to work with!

Yes, in this economy it is very easy to find another job. Maybe not as easy as staying at your old job and bitching and crying about how horrible it is, but easy nonetheless.

If age and health are concerns for a current FA, then they are in the wrong line of business to begin with. Just like a restaurant owner wants young, attractive, energetic waiters and waitresses because they bring in and retain more customers, the same is true for the airlines. Old, slow, unattractive, bitter FAs should be paid less, because they are not as valuable to NWA as a young, energetic person that is happy to be there.

It's not that passengers fault. They expect a courtious and helpful flight staff; nothing more. If FAs were doing the best they can, then NWA wouldn't have dropped in "crew niceness" over the last year, since being nice is something an FA has complete control over. In a more fair world, where unions did not exist, the really good FA's that are really nice and helpful would get paid more, thus incentivising this behavior, and rude and lazy FAs would be let go. In the end, the FA workforce would be made up of higher quality people, and they would get paid more due to their collective increase in value to the company.

 

[RGM7]

GET A HAIRCUT AND GET A NEW JOB CLEAN YOUR ACT UP AND DON'T BE A SLOB!!!....what are the FA's so bitter about anyway they voted not to strike instead they tucked their tails and ran....you get what you get!! to bad you put yourself in a position that you have to work for a company you can't stand....sucks to be you!!!!

 

[groundcontrol]

If age and health are concerns for a current FA, then they are in the wrong line of business to begin with. Just like a restaurant owner wants young, attractive, energetic waiters and waitresses because they bring in and retain more customers, the same is true for the airlines. Old, slow, unattractive, bitter FAs should be paid less, because they are not as valuable to NWA as a young, energetic person that is happy to be there.

WHAT!

 

[ThirdSeatHero]

In a more fair world, where unions did not exist,....

Is that the same "fair" world where management knows how to manage, and is peopled with individuals who understand and practice true leadership?

 

[tech2101]

Old, slow, unattractive, bitter FAs should be paid less, because they are not as valuable to NWA as a young, energetic person that is happy to be there.

There you go finny. I'm sure they were all old , slow, and unattractive 25 years ago when they were hired. Now that they cost more due to increased health problems, more vacation time earned, and being just plain homely, NWA should just cast them aside and get new ones.

You are the poster child for age and sex discrimination and you proudly display it as a known management stooge for Northwest Airlines.

I guess if your financial skills deteriorate in your older age, you won't feel bad when they trade you in for the newest MBA out of a great college. Maybe your boss will be a woman and want some young man who is not old and unattractive.

 

[finman]

There you go finny. I'm sure they were all old , slow, and unattractive 25 years ago when they were hired. Now that they cost more due to increased health problems, more vacation time earned, and being just plain homely, NWA should just cast them aside and get new ones.

You are the poster child for age and sex discrimination and you proudly display it as a known management stooge for Northwest Airlines.

I guess if your financial skills deteriorate in your older age, you won't feel bad when they trade you in for the newest MBA out of a great college. Maybe your boss will be a woman and want some young man who is not old and unattractive.

I'm not saying poeple should be let go only because they get older and less attractive. I'm just stating the obvious fact that a large percentage of the value an FA brings to the table is the appearance and demeanor they present when serving customers.

We've had this conversation before; and I am just stating the obvious demand-sided facts of what passengers prefer when flying. FA's serve the passengers, just like a waittres or waiter serves a restaurant customer. As far as the passenger is concerned, that is the only thing they see an FA as, and they make no distinction between a waitress and an FA when it comes to what they prefer.

Now, go to a sampling of restaurants and see if the demographics mathches that of the FA group. The reason it doesn't match, and why it goes against the will of the market demands for this service, is because of the unfortunate affect of unions. It is detrimental to everyone involved; the passengers get much poorer service, and the airline gets strapped with a very unproductive and entitlement minded workforce. Naturally, the FA wins big, as he/she has maintained a job at a rate of pay and lifestyle that he/she could never achieve (before restructuring) in a similarly skilled job in the other services industries.

by the way, how is this sex discrimination?

Also, your analogy to financial skills as you get older is pretty idiotic. It doesn't work that way.

 

[groundcontrol]

I'm not saying poeple should be let go only because they get older and less attractive. I'm just stating the obvious fact that a large percentage of the value an FA brings to the table is the appearance and demeanor they present when serving customers.

We've had this conversation before; and I am just stating the obvious demand-sided facts of what passengers prefer when flying. FA's serve the passengers, just like a waittres or waiter serves a restaurant customer. As far as the passenger is concerned, that is the only thing they see an FA as, and they make no distinction between a waitress and an FA when it comes to what they prefer.

Now, go to a sampling of restaurants and see if the demographics mathches that of the FA group. The reason it doesn't match, and why it goes against the will of the market demands for this service, is because of the unfortunate affect of unions. It is detrimental to everyone involved; the passengers get much poorer service, and the airline gets strapped with a very unproductive and entitlement minded workforce. Naturally, the FA wins big, as he/she has maintained a job at a rate of pay and lifestyle that he/she could never achieve (before restructuring) in a similarly skilled job in the other services industries.

by the way, how is this sex discrimination?

Also, your analogy to financial skills as you get older is pretty idiotic. It doesn't work that way.

As far as restaurants go, I'll take the more expierenced waitress/waiter any day. The cute/young waitress I had wait on my the other day would rather I use the table cloth as a napkin and my hands as utensils. There should be no need to ask for these items. I don't care what you say with age comes experience. Did she get less of a tip? You bet she did! Do you think I should have lightened up 'cause she was young, cute and less experienced? I have friends that make huge amounts of money waiting tables, more than the average wage of a F/A.
So I don't really see your point here.

You must be young and idiotic, because I also have friends in the financial field that have lets say, been "let go". If you think "it" doesn't works that way, then you must be one of those that thinks denial is a river in Egypt.

 

[finman]

You must be young and idiotic, because I also have friends in the financial field that have lets say, been "let go". If you think "it" doesn't works that way, then you must be one of those that thinks denial is a river in Egypt.

I highly doubt they were let go because of their skills deteriorating with age. They probably just couldn't cut from the beginning (which an employer sometimes doesn't figure out until the employee has been around for a while), or they were with a company that was shrinking.

As far as waittresses go, yes, age and appearance aren't the only factors, as their is some skill involved. Naturally, the most valuable ones are those that have the very basic mental skills to perform the job, but also have niceness, energy, and appearance to go with it. That is my point with FAs. The actual technical tasks and learned skills are a given, as they are not difficult for anyone to learn. The most valuable ones are those that are energetic, nice, and have an overall good appearance.

 

[RGM7]

your wrong some FA's have a hard time changing a garbage they will just overfill the thing instead of taking the 5 min it takes to do it. than piss and moan that the garbage hasn't been changed and say stupid stuff like "its not my job". Some of these F/A's wouldn't cut it being a waitress at their local Denny's they would be way to overworked!!!

 

[groundcontrol]

I highly doubt they were let go because of their skills deteriorating with age. They probably just couldn't cut from the beginning (which an employer sometimes doesn't figure out until the employee has been around for a while), or they were with a company that was shrinking.

Well Mr. Denial, I think it is more on these lines. A company will no longer find use for even a good worker who is aging (health reasons) no matter that you gave the best years of your life to them. Also with experience (age) comes the fact that you have worked your tail off for such company (and gave the best years of your life) and have rightfully earned lets say 4 or 5 weeks of vacation time. YOU HAVE JUST BECAME USELESS TO SUCH COMPANY! Why? Because someone young or even new will take your job for half the pay and half the vaction. You are in denial that it won't happen to you.

Welcome to the New World Order!

 

[groundcontrol]

your wrong some FA's have a hard time changing a garbage they will just overfill the thing instead of taking the 5 min it takes to do it. than piss and moan that the garbage hasn't been changed and say stupid stuff like "its not my job". Some of these F/A's wouldn't cut it being a waitress at their local Denny's they would be way to overworked!!!

Shut your SCAB mouth.
Do your SCAB job.

And stop worrying about other peoples jobs.

Of course f/a's won't cut it at a local Denny's.
They're f/a's you idiot not waitress'!

Now empty that trash and do it with a smile on your face.
And I want to hear yes maser, yes maser....

 

[RGM7]

is that all you got?? wow are you tuff you and you computer balls!! i have been out of the airline buisness for 4 years now haven't looked back. I delt with these lame arse lazy F/A's and yes thats just what they are. so go take you big bad computer balls and go get a job.. these F/A's don't get no sympathy from me at all!!! like i said sucks to be you!!!

 

[tech2101]

Also, your analogy to financial skills as you get older is pretty idiotic. It doesn't work that way.

As you well know, the fact is that getting older can lead to health problems and an increased cost to the company in health insurance, sick time, increased vacation time, etc. I'm not quite sure what your function is in finance at NWA. I'm quite sure there are actuarial tables showing the increased cost that comes with aging NWA employees. As an accountant at NWA you may have had to crunch the numbers to show how much savings NWA would get eliminating older employees, then replacing them with younger, lower paid, part-timers with limited benefits. Do you think they will consider your great years of dedicated service to the company when looking at the financial numbers come layoff time?

As to someone's financial skills deteriorating with age, not specifically, unless some form of dementia or Alzheimer’s sets in. I stand corrected.

 

[groundcontrol]

is that all you got?? wow are you tuff you and you computer balls!! i have been out of the airline buisness for 4 years now haven't looked back. I delt with these lame arse lazy F/A's and yes thats just what they are. so go take you big bad computer balls and go get a job.. these F/A's don't get no sympathy from me at all!!! like i said sucks to be you!!!

You're pathetic.......
No one cares what you think....
No one is looking for any sympathy (especially from you)
get a life and get over the trash build up, like you said its been 4 years.