(***The following is correspondence among various parties concerning NorthWest Airline service. Please keep the various dates and the distance between them in mind while reading the letters. Each letter will be preceded with a series of asterisks and followed with a series of asterisks. Anything in between are comments by me.)

(This first letter was mailed Overnight Delivery and Certified)

*********************************************************

Alfred Checci, President NorthWest Airlines
NorthWest Headquarters
5101 NorthWest Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55111

I am writing to you regarding a most unpleasant experience my son Keith just had with your ground personnel in LAX, Los Angeles. He is a US Marine who was returning to his base in Japan after being home on leave.

Keith originally had reservations on NorthWest for September 14 from LAX to Osaka, Japan. For personal reasons he decided to return earlier than planned. We contacted our travel agent, Debbie Amoscato at Bay Head Travel Agency (521 Main Avenue, Bay Head, NJ 08742, 908-892-8200), who, after contacting United (Newark to LAX) and NorthWest (LAX to Osaka), changed his tickets for him even though they were government (military) tickets and Bay Head Travel had no investment in them. Mrs. Amoscato was assured by your NorthWest people there "would be no problem changing reservations" as there were plenty seats available on the earlier flight. They even went so far as to confirm a nonsmoking window seat for the flight.

Keith left Newark, via United, with no problems. But when he got to NorthWest at LAX, he was told his ticket had been cancelled. He was also told by your LAX manager, in no uncertain terms, "It was not the policy of NorthWest Airline to make changes in government tickets." Despite the fact there were many empty seats on the plane; and the young marine was 3,000 miles from home; and NorthWest was responsible for his predicament (by telling Debbie "there was no problem changing flights"); NorthWest would under no circumstances honor his ticket before September 14, but he could "buy" a ticket for this flight.

Keith is now stuck in Los Angeles until he can either a) catch a military flight to Yakoda in northern Japan where he will have to somehow make his way to his base in Iwakuni, several hundred miles away. Or b) catch a flight back to Newark as soon as his dad can make arrangements via Debbie (not on NortWest you may be assured). Or c) sit in a wardroom at Camp Pendleton until September 14. All options are expensive and consuming precious leave time.

I find it difficult to believe that any airline, much less a trans continental one, would be so rigid and unfeeling in their service, particularly to a serviceman of our country, and most especially when it was the fault of airline personnel to begin with. Whether it was a foulup in Northwest ticketing department by okaying the original ticket transfer or a misunderstanding by your LAX people, my son is now in a jam because your people have responded poorly. Mr. Checci, if they were my people, I would have a talk with them.

Thank you for your attention.

Gösta H. Lovgren
908-555-1234
***************** End of letter ***************

(****As you will see, NorthWest responded to the above letter with a phone call from NW headquarters requiring further conmmunication on my part to Mr. Checci.)

****************************************************

Alfred Checci, President NorthWest Airlines
NorthWest Headquarters
5101 NorthWest Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55111

I am writing to you regarding yet another most unpleasant experience my son Keith had with your ground personnel in LAX, Los Angeles. He returned to LAX on September 14 for his reserved, confirmed seat to Japan after having spent the previous 9 or 10 days of sitting on his hands due the previous NorthWest fiasco (You may recall the letter of September 4).

Actually beyond belief, Keith was refused a seat AGAIN. Your people told him his seat had been cancelled two days before. This again despite the fact there were empty seats AND the 4 other marines booked on the same flight with him coming over were let on.

As of this date, September 17, Keith is on a waiting list at Camp Pendleton for a military flight that might have room some time this week to Okinawa (still hundreds of miles away from his base). He doesn't know how much trouble he will be in when he finally gets back to Iwakuni for overstaying his leave. He figures he is out about $1,000 so far, and that doesn't count any fines that might be levied, waiting around in California, what he lost from not being able to return to his off base parttime job as an English tutor to Japanese children and adults, leave time used up.... There's more but you get the idea.

This afternoon a Mr. Bob Faust called "To see if he couldn't straighten out this misunderstanding." A copy of my first letter to you "just landed on his desk." He must not read well or be able to calculate dates because I don't know what he thought he could have done about a situation that should have been resolved at least 4 days before.

He seemed a nice enough young man but he is obviously ill equipped to handle angry people. I was naturally distraught after the latest incident and when he told me "he had no idea what could have happened and didn't know my son had been refused a seat yet again.", I became angry. I suggested he should have gotten the facts before he called. The longer he talked the more it became clear to me he was determined that NorthWest could/would not be at fault. I had the distinct impression that if I were to behave myself (not be angry at NorthWest), I might get something out of it. Probably some frequent flyer miles, as I would imagine you have plenty of them laying around unused. While he never identified his job title at NorthWest, given his somewhat patronizing attitude I suspected him to be some junior level lawyer.

He several times accused me of calling him a liar (which I did not). I had told him "..that after this most recent incident what could I think but that Checci, or one of his people, cancelled my son's seat to get even for the letter written to Checci." which he apparently interprets as a lie, even though he could provide no better alternative.

Although at no time did I use profanity, nor call him any names, he accused me of abusing him several times which I did only once and that was at the end of the call. (I recommended he perform an unnatural act upon himself and then hung up).

Frankly, Mr. Checci, I am appalled at your response to this whole matter. When I wrote the first time, I expected to get a prompt reply from you (I know you received the letter in the morning of September 6 as I have the Certified Return Receipt.), and that Keith, when he got to LAX on the 14th, would get an apology and maybe an upgrade to first class for the flight to Osaka. To have some inexperienced flak catcher come in well after the fact, when nothing can be done, is insulting.

You may find it of interest that when we received no response from you by the 13th, I posted a copy of the first letter on the computer Travel Board of Compuserve. It appears we are far from the only ones to have problems with your airline. It seems NorthWest is better known as "NorthWorst" among experienced flyers.

When I suggested you "talk to your people", I have to wonder whether they:

• a) listened to you at all.
  Or
  
• b) listened only too well.

I hope to get a better response when I forward our correspondence (one sided though it may be) to my Congressman, who, I believe, sits on the Armed Forces Committee. There may be some interest the next time NorthWest's military flight contract comes up.

Gösta H. Lovgren
908-555-1234

*********************** End of letter *****************************
( Following is a copy of Keith's notes on the incidents at LAX. Stuff in brackets inserted by me for clarity.)
************** Start of Keith's Notes **************

• 1) Went to Bay Head Travel Service to inquire about changing flights using a gov't ticket on a NW flight.

• 2) Travel agent called NW (who) said ok.

• 3) Made reservation on (for) 4 Sept to fly to Osaka.

• 4) Travel agent calls to confirm (2nd call) this reservation. Reservation is (re)confirmed (even so far as to assure a window seat in non-smoking).

• 5) Reported to NW counter LAX for NW flight to Osaka. Was told by NW personnel that it is impossible to change a gov't ticket. Said my reservation for 4 September had been canceled and whoever said this could be done "Did not know what they were talking about." Spoke to counter person and supervisor. Received the absolutely rudest service I've experienced in an airport. Was also told my 14 Sept. reservation still stood.

• 6) Reported 2 hours prior on 14 Sept for a flight to Osaka, Japan and was told that my reservation had been canceled 2 days prior. When I inquired by who, or how, the counter person said he was unable to tell me. I was told to report to Military counter. Military liaison said they did not cancel it and from their computer could not tell it who did. They said they would buy me another seat or would trade seats for another date on a NW flight in order to fly me out on this day. NW personnel told the liaison it was impossible to do either.
  
*********************** End of Notes ***********************
(**Following is response received from NorthWest. Notice that nearly a month has passed. In case you are wondering, Keith got to back to his base through a convoluted series of transportation (including a typhoon), late of course, but was exonerated because of NorthWest incompetence. Apparently even the Marine Corps is more understanding than NorthWest.

Bracketed numbers (1), (2), etc. are inserted for clarity in reply to letter and did not appear in original.)

************************* Start of Letter ********************

NORTHWEST AIRLINES
NorthWest Airlines, Inc.
5101 NorthWest Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55111
G. H. Lovgren
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
08742
October 7, 1991 Dear Mr. Lovgren;

(1)

Al Checci has asked me to follow up with you regarding your son's problems on his return trip to Japan. He has also asked me to apologize for our failure to respond in a timely manner to your first letter and to explain that he answers his mail within two weeks of receipt and that, normally, our customers find this to be timely. Frankly, it is not often that someone writes us (even with overnight express delivery) about such a time sensitive problem.

(2)

I want to apologize for coming across as overly defensive when I spoke to you on the phone on September 17. I had just been handed your letter of September 4 by a support staff member who skimmed the content of your letter and realized that this was a current problem which warranted an immediate phone call. My intention was to do was to do what was possible for your son at that moment. I am a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S Naval Reserve and I have a real empathy for young enlisted men women having served as career counselor for the enlisted community in my unit for the past three years.

(3)

I called our reservations desk (1-800-328-4073) to ascertain how or why our Los Angeles personnel would have refused your son's attempt to return to Osaka ahead of schedule. I discovered that his fare a "CAT-Y" fare is purchased in blocs by Military Airlift Command and a reservation made under this fare cannot be changed except through MAC. Our representatives were at a loss as to how your travel agency could have accomplished this simply by calling our reservations staff for approval--if that is what was done. In any case, MAC cannot be bypassed in this process. Without their approval, we stand to lose the revenue for your son's travel if he travels on a day other than the day originally booked.

(4)

Our government desk staff also explained that there is a MAC representative at LAX and were surprised that your son did not, at some point following our personnel's refusal to board him early, seek assistance from the MAC representative to reconfirm a reservation to Osaka, or even gain approval for an earlier return. Without talking directly to your son, I cannot know whether our personnel suggested that he contact them for assistance. I will forward copies of your letters to our Station Manager at LAX and request that these procedures (i.e. handling of military personnel under "CAT Y" fares) be closely reviewed.

(5)

In summary, I believe that if the correct procedures were known and followed, this situation could have been avoided. I do not know the details regarding what transpired between your travel agency and our reservations personnel when your son's early return was discussed. I would appreciate any further information either of you could provide to illuminate this situation.

(6)

If there is nay way I can assist your son at this time I would be happy to do so.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Faust
Executive Staff Assistant
RJF:cs
File 495100
cc: Alfred A. Checci
Steve Holme, Manager of Station Operations, LAX
Debbie Amascato, ICO Bay Head Travel Agency
*************************** End of Letter *************************
(I don't know what kind of people Faust is used to dealing with, but I just cannot accept such gibberish. Following is the response to the above letter received on October 10, 1991).
***************************** Start of Letter ********************

R, J, Faust, Executive Staff Assistant
NorthWest Headquarters
5101 NorthWest Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55111


October 10, 1991 Mr. Faust;

I will answer your letter "by the numbers" (see enclosures with your paragraphs numbered).

1) How very considerate of "Al" to apologize for his untimely response time. That he considers a two week response time timely is understandable given his position, however more than six weeks have passed and I have yet to receive any communication from him. I infer from that the problem is mine for even writing in the first place about a "time sensitive" problem. The fact that other forms communication with his people were decidedly unproductive, even counter-productive in light of NW's September 14 cancellation, I guess is not relevant.

2) Your apology is acknowledged, if not believed. Fortunate indeed for my son (and service people in general) that you "....have a real empathy for young enlisted men and women......". Lord only knows what further retaliation he would have been in for at the hands of NW people on September 14 when his *long reserved* seat was merely canceled without notice to him, had it not been for your "empathy".

Further whomever brought my original letter to your attention should be commended for his asperity and acuity in recognizing the "time sensitivity". After all, it was a mere 8 days after receipt and only 3 days after anything could possibly be done about the situation. Certainly appears a standout performance in the NorthWest scheme of things.

3) How very fortuitous for you to "discover" the "CAT-Y" designation of Keith's fare. Apparently United has no such designation (or equivalent) because they made accommodations with *no* problems. It just gives further credence to the generally held belief that there is systemic avoidance of real responsibility in the NorthWest organization from the office of president on down.

I resent strongly the clear implication (".. if that is what was was done.") that Mrs. Amoscato or my son or l am lying about NW's original changing of reservations.

It is just a bit fatuous to suggest you "may lose the revenue" when there already were empty seats on the plane. Further it doesn't explain why you canceled his seat on September 14. Have you collected that revenue even though his seat was canceled by NW? Or have you sent a reimbursement to the Military Airlift Command?

4) What kind of bull chip is "surprised he did not seek assistance from the MAC..."? Can you honestly believe he, as an experienced NCO, didn't do that? (see enclosures regarding his notes). There were several harried trips (a distance of more than a half mile) through a busy airport with considerable luggage.

"Without talking directly to your son...." I don't think that will ever come to pass. You are obviously too slow to follow a coherent communication. He is accustomed to dealing in real time. You are still relating to NW's original refusal to seat him, completely ignoring the second NW refusal to seat him. Perhaps the utter audacity of that incident hasn't sunk in yet. Or does the state of denial just comes naturally to you?

Would it "surprise" you to know I am not comforted your "request these procedures be closely reviewed."? Obviously the NW people at LAX can do any damn thing they want with no fear of having to answer to you (or anyone else for that matter). I'm not surprised at your "suggestion", it's typical of incompetents to pass the buck. I'm curious, is that a prerequisite for promotion in the U.S. Naval Reserves too, Chief Petty Officer Faust, or is it peculiar to NorthWest Airlines "Executive Staff"?

5) "...correct procedures....." is more typical CYA self-serving buck passing. Obviously they were not followed (That's what "procedures" are for.) by NW people. Or more correctly, only some were followed, specifically those that LAX could use for retaliation against my son. As for not knowing the details "....of what transpired between....", you had merely to call Mrs. Amoscato (I even provided the phone number) to get her side. Given the speed (or lack thereof) of the NW corporate level action, I can see why you haven't been in contact with your "reservations personnel" yet and understand your request for illumination from Mrs. Amoscato or myself. However you have several times implied that we are liars and are not to be believed so I don't really know what you mean by "illuminate". Is it perhaps the case you are so often misled by your own people that you can't believe anyone else? Or is it that you are unable to do so on your own? I'm confused. I was under the impression you had enough information, and influence, to do your own "illuminating".

6) "...assist your son.....happy to do so....". As a US Marine my son, by definition, is a pretty tough guy. But honestly, I don't know how much more of your "assistance" even he could handle without becoming completely disoriented. It may come as a surprise to you that everyone is not enamored of the NorthWest definition of "happiness".

In summary, your letter is an insulting, smug, self-serving piece of garbage. It, in no way, acknowledges NorthWest responsibility nor in any way even remotely begins to apologize for the egregious behavior of your LAX people toward my son. It does, however, explain it. Corporate behavior flows from the top.

In closing, I trust you'll recall my last suggestion to you on the phone.

Gösta H. Lovgren ************************* End of Letter *************************
Following is a follow up to Checci. Included are the above letter from Faust, my reply and Keith's notes. I figured that would get Faust a good kick in the southern region for acting like such an anal orifice.

************************** Start of Letter *********************

Alfred Checci, President NorthWest Airlines
NorthWest Headquarters
5101 NorthWest Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55111


October 10, 1991 Sir;

I am again writing to you regarding yet another most unpleasant experience with your people. Enclosed are copies of my most recent experience with a Mr. Faust who claims the title "Executive Staff Assistant". It was only with great restraint that I was able to respond to his insulting self-serving patronizing pap.

I can appreciate your preoccupation with pending NorthWest plans to take over Continental Airlines. I can appreciate a preoccupation with the most recent NW crash with the deaths of 30 people. I can even appreciate concerns regarding recent adverse publicity that NW pilots have twice the industry average for alcohol related problems. Certainly your plate is full and it is understandable, if not entirely excusable, for you to pass off such a minor matter as yet another customer complaint.

However, my son, and now me, have been treated in a cavalier fashion by a number of insensitive NorthWest employees and it cannot be abided. Having been an employer, as well as a corporation president, I refuse to believe someone in your position tolerating such rude boorish behavior by employees toward customers. It reflects an inattention to detail that bodes ill for any corporation, invites government regulation, encourages the competition, and just generally chips away at the quality of everyday life. Further it poorly serves one's children (however grown) for a parent to blithely accept such behavior from anyone without protest.

Your people, in my judgment, are not serving you, or NorthWest shareholders, very well. And they are obviously not serving your customers (at least my son or me) at all. After this latest incident, my business experience (spanning more than 25 years) leads me to believe you are either incompetent yourself, or by tolerating incompetence in your staff, and have allowed an anarchy to establish itself in your organization and there is little control or accountability at any level.

Mr. Checci, I don't know what it will take to get your attention, but I intend to give it my best effort.

Gösta H. Lovgren ********************** End of Letter ***************************


On Oct 10 or 11, I "uploaded" all the above to the travel forum (TravSig) on the Compuserve Bulletin Board but the Sysop (SYStem OPerator - sortta like an electronic doorman) refused to post it on the board so others could "download" or read it. His excuse was that it "wouldn't be of much interest to anyone else". The fact that he was a travel agent and may depend on NorthWest for a portion of his income probably was a factor. It's entirely possible NW "reached" the Sysops after the reference to CompuServe in a previous letter.

I protested the Sysop's action as censorship and as an act of prior restraint. It's not that I really give a damn, but right is right. To the Sysop's credit, he (they) changed his mind.

---

Following is a response from A. Checci on his personal stationery.

************************* Start of Letter ************************

Alfred A. Checci
Chairman


October 24, 1991 Dear Mr. Lovgren:

I am writing to acknowledge your three letters, starting with the one you wrote on September 4, the day your son Keith encountered an impasse with our ground services staff at Los Angeles. I want to apologize to you and Keith for our handling of his predicament.

During the two plus years I have been involved with NorthWest, I have seen what a complicated business this can be with the myriad rules and restrictions applicable to some discounted tickets, including military fares and government purchased transportation such as your son was using for his trip to Osaka. there are occasions when either our people or our customers misunderstand the choices available in connection with these fares; however a misunderstanding is no excuse for our staff to treat our customers rudely or to project an unfriendly attitude. It appears we have erred in this important area and I apologize to you and Keith for it.

I must add that had either you or your son telephoned us on September 4 or 5, we could have enabled him to resume his travel. Unfortunately, that was an opportunity which never came within our grasp.

Thanks again for sharing your candid remarks with me.

Sincerely,

(Signature - Alfred)

************************* End of Letter **************************


(My reply)
************************ Start of Letter *************************

Alfred Checci, Chairman
NorthWest Airlines
NorthWest Headquarters
5101 NorthWest Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55111


November 1, 1991 Sir;

Your apology (dated 10/24 - mailed 10/29 - received 11/01) is acknowledged, but not accepted. I can appreciate you are a very busy man and have many more pressing matters before you. This matter should never have had to come this far. However, under the circumstances, I feel there is no choice but to attempt to involve a responsible person in this unfortunate affair.

You are unquestionably incorrect (perhaps being misled by your own people) in your assumption that no one telephoned NorthWest on September 4 or 5. I regret not having explicitly stated so in my earlier letters having presumed reasonable experienced travel people would have known it. Mrs. Amoscato called your Customer Service Department several times on Keith's behalf, and I think even spoke to NW LAX for him. She later asked your CSD people to call me and explain but they refused even that. It was only when she could get nowhere on the telephone did I decide to get involved. Can you honestly believe someone went to the trouble to send an OverNightDelivery Certified Letter (Return Receipt Requested) to your headquarters and never thought to call? Am I to assume that no one opened that letter for more than ten days? Am I to infer a telephone call carries more weight than a letter? With all due respect Mr. Checci, that *WAS* an opportunity that came within your grasp.

You, like Mr. Faust, have neatly sidestepped the second NW refusal to seat Keith on his originally scheduled flight. Lacking *any* evidence to the contrary, that was clearly an intentional malicious act, and cannot come under the heading of "misunderstanding". Whether your LAX people or your CSD people (who were reluctant to give Mrs. Amoscato your address and even told her "It would do no good.") are responsible is not even clear. What is clear is that they are NW people and they went beyond mere rudeness. Your "apology" doesn't even address that.

As an interesting aside, I notice you just had to grasp some evasions that would place responsibility somewhere other than in the NorthWest corner. It's easy to see where Mr. Faust takes his lead from. Does your apology also include his monumental rudeness (a member of *your* personal staff and presumably speaks for you) and which cannot, by any interpretation of the situation, come under the heading of "misunderstanding"?

Further there is no mention of any remedial action in either personnel or policy, so I am left to assume this entire affair has so far been nothing more than an exercise in public relations as far as you are concerned. Frankly, I am beginning to question whether you are even aware of the entire situation.

I remain unconvinced of your attention and am of the opinion you have *NOT* read my letters ("acknowledge" only implies having read) and are relying on staff to handle this. It might do well for you to refresh yourself on the John Dean/Richard Nixon staff relationship.

In closing, I regret having had to become involved in this, but NorthWest has left no other choice. It so far has been an unsatisfying, if enlightening, experience. I intend to pursue this until I do get your attention. I refuse to accept such shoddy behavior from an American company. I did not tolerate it in my own company and will not tolerate it from yours.

Gösta H. Lovgren 908-123-4567

---

**********(At this point, I am convinced Checci has *not* read any of my previous letters. I suspect they are being handled at a lower level. It is easy enough to imagine a secretary passing them off to a lesser mortal (Faust) to handle and not bothering the boss with trivia. His letter (to me) probably was just put in front of him to be signed in a stack of other correspondence to go out. If that's true, then a disgruntled customer complaint is degenerating into a mini Watergate complete with a John Dean (maybe Faust).

Please notice I made no explicit reference to Checci that *even* the US Mail is faster than NW.

My guess at to what has happened so far is as follows:

1) Keith's original flight change was approved by someone unfamiliar with NW policy on government fares. Maybe wasn't even aware there was a policy. Maybe there was no policy.

2) By the time Keith got to LAX, someone had noticed the change and decided to correct it, neglecting to notify Keith.

3) Maybe the LAX people had had a bad day, maybe didn't like servicemen, maybe ..... At any rate, Keith was just thoughtlessly cut off when he got there and *NO* effort was made to help him. Any reasonably thinking employee would have put him on the flight (there were plenty empty seats) and then Keith would have felt indebted to NW.

4) Keith probably made a scene making somebody's bad day just that much worse. And when that somebody heard from somebody at NW headquarters as a result of my letter, he decided to "teach that smartass marine" a lesson and canceled him a second time. I say that because it's inconceivable that an OverNightDelivery Certified letter would arrive at NW headquarters and not be opened immediately.

5) There is obviously a "we're so big we are invincible" attitude throughout NW. What other reason could there be for Faust's incredibly arrogant (and stupid) phone call. He was probably given my original letter and told to "handle it." My guess is that he called LAX after the first letter and attempted to ream the LAX manager with his sophomoric corporate attitude but was ignored. Hence the second cancellation to Keith ("We'll fix him (Faust)") he didn't know about when he called me. I detected a really pained (sortta like "Oh lord, what did they do now?" or "I guess I went too far with my first call.") acknowledgment in his voice when I told him of the second cancellation

. 6) When the second letter to Checci arrived, it was almost certainly routed to Faust with instructions to put the matter to rest. Not wanting to try me on the phone again, he figured a letter from "Al" through him would be just the thing. Mollify me and cover his ass with paper.

7) I'll bet when the 3rd letter to Checci (the reply to Faust) arrived, someone saw it (probably Checci's executive secretary's secretary) and figured Faust would be in for a real readout from the boss. Easy enough to imagine an executive secretary saying to a busy boss "You got *another* angry letter from that crackpot. He isn't going to be satisfied until he hears from you. Do you want me to type a note for you to sign?". That way Faust is spared further embarrassment (or worse), an angry customer is quieted and the boss can get back to figuring out what he is going to do now that the State of Minnesota has refused to finance NW's latest airline LBO.

For the record, at this point (11/02/91) I will state what it would now take to satisfy me (something no one from NW has even asked):
a) A clear unambiguous apology from Checci stating what steps have been taken assure this won't happen again.

b) A clear unambiguous apology from Faust for acting like such an anal orifice (something along the lines of John Cleese apology in "A Fish Called Wanda").

c) A letter from Cheeci to Keith containing an apology and instructions to all NW personnel that any time Keith is flying NW, his ticket will be upgraded to first class on a "space available" basis (i.e. empty seats in first class at departure).

I don't see any of the above as unreasonable nor costly to NW (unless you count the cost of meal upgrades in Coach to First Class, the equivalent of upgrading from sawdust to a soybean enhancer).

*************************

(The following is a comment (unsigned) I received and think worth posting here. Had there been an address attached I would have responded. I'll do so here in blue.)

*************************

Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 09:10:15 -0500 (EST)
From: AIT Web Server
Subject: Web Form Results

Norwest,JustOkay

Comments-,With all due respect Mr. Lovgren your comments and dismay over the situation (and your insistence that Mr. Checci could somehow have solved the problem for you) is a sign of a complete misunderstanding of how corporations work.

(He is obviously correct. I was under the impression the president was in charge (as I was when I was a corporate president, albeit of a far smaller firm).

It also assumes that systems are perfect, which they are not. For the hundreds of thousands of passengers that an airline handles there are bound to be problems. The fact that you had no problems with United seemed to be more of a "fluke" than a direct act of concern on their part.

(Interesting the standards for NW operations - United operating without apparent problems serving their customers is a "fluke". Hmmmmm?)

Don't misunderstand me -- the process was handled incorrectly and the staff should have been able to help your son solve the problem. But the only part that would involve Mr. Checci is the fact that there is something wrong with his organization that would prevent the staff from finding a solution (or feeling that they needed to find a solution).

(This respondent still doesn't get it (or does want to), again it was ONLY AFTER normal channels broke down that I attempted to contact Checci.)

If you really wanted to get at a solution, you should have been dealing with the point of control (which is what the corporate staff was forced to do and then relay the information to you) -- deal with the LAX staff.

(Exactly the point, Mrs. Amoscato dealings with the "point(s) of control" weren't working. Let me see now. If your corporation isn't working, it's MY job to fix it, not the corporation's.)

Corporations are not the same as small businesses. The corporate leaders are responsible for the financial existence of the organization (the stock process and general performance).

(Your implication is a chilling one - that upper management is more concerned with stock manipulation than the efficient day to day operation of its business. Especially for one in the business of safely transporting people.)

Day to day operations is something they are aprised of, but not something they are involved with. The mental model you were operating under shen you sent a letter to Mr. Checci, assuming that he could help solve your problem, is a very outdated one.

(Silly me. And here I thought I was "apprising" the corporate leaders of their day to day (mis)operations. Apparently expecting corporations or people to accept responsibility is an "outdated mental model". Sounds like a typical lawyer to me.)

Certainly, it might have been useful to CC: him on letters, but it didn't seem to me that you ever discovered who the real point of contact/control was (thus the dilemma in response/timing to solve your problem).

(Hmmm. Let's see now, in order to fly Northwest, you have to have an intimate knowledge of how its power structure works. Not so with other airlines though.)

Bottom line is that for all your fussing over the delays in response -- you were responsible for those delays by not recognizing the "appropriate" authorities to direct your concerns to. The president of the corporation is not the appropriate authority (would Bill Clinton be interested in or even bother to res

(He got so carried away with making this incident my fault he ran out of room in the comment section. Notice again how its my fault that Northwest has a lousy attitude towards its customers. Anybody wanna bet this guy is either a) a lawyer at Northwest? Or b) a paid spin doctor in Checci's California gubernatorial campaign?)

---

(Another letter received - Novenber 23, 1998 - Note the entire text is here what you start out with is my email response. Hope it's not too confusing.)

Sir,

Really appreciated your long and thoughtful reply. Am I a hard case?, You bet. I came from a hard business and a long way. My anger at NW was on behalf of my son. I misrepresented NOTHING in that letter, I promise you. My son was the injured party here, and at the time, a significant cost to him.

I assure you, after more than 30 years in business (successfully) often dealing with people on a daily basis, with significant resources based on phone calls alone, my instincts told me no matter what approach was going to be used it would be of no avail for my son. Don't forget I did not get involved until AFTER the "normal" procedures were tried by the travel people.

As for dealing with Checci personally, you can be assured he read little/nothing of the correspondence. I'm sure it was all "Sign this Al." stuff. I was having fun, my son gained stature at his base in Japan as it was "What's new with Lovgren on the board today?"

I assure you no other tack would have produced different results. Right from the beginning it was "WE're RIGHT (because we're big and we can be)" and YOU'RE WRONG (because there is nothing you can do about it)". So I just gave the a shot. Nothing to lose and plenty of time to lose it in. Those letters have been read by literally 1,000's of people. Plus I plasterd it all over the NW site so it was read internally as well. I know Checci isn't there any longer but as long and the other guy is/was people were snickering about him/them behind their backs.

Am I an angry man? You bet I am. If you want to criticize me for being angry about commercial fishing, walk a few steps in my shoes first. Start at my latest paper "Overfishing - Fact or Fantasy" at

http://www.SwedesDock.com/overfish.sht

When you finish the trip (along with PARC, SCIENTIFIC EVEDENCE, ...) (if you take it), I'd be happy to discuss my anger with you. We commercial fishermen have been sold out by/to the Ivory Tower and other "executive" types.

Ah nuts .... Just for the hell of it, I'm gonna answer you in more detail:

At 06:38 PM 11/23/98, you wrote:

>Norwest,NotSoHot >Comments-,I ran across your Northwest page completely by accident, and for >some reason read most of it. I have to say -- not to flame you, but you DID >invite comment -- you might find you catch more flies with honey than >vinegar, as they say

.

Not the case here. Too late for honey when my son had ALREADY lost his leave.

>Your anger obviously colored your communication, and I >think hurt your efforts to help your son, rightly or wrongly.

My son doesn't/didn't think so. He's actually quite proud. As I said the damage was ALREADY done when I came along.

>Your main page indicates that you seem to be proud of being cantankerous -- something I've >never understood in people.

I stick up for what I see as right and try not to let people walk all over me. I generally/always don't mess with people until they mess with me. What you are seeing is end result frustration from honestly trying to deal reasonably and responsibly with the powers to be. See what I said above then tell me I'm "cantankerous".

>Seems like you have a lot of anger and wrath bottled up -- against big companies, the government, virtually anything to do with fishing regulation, and now an airline -- that you've made some sort of virtue -- "it's me and a few proud other cranky people against the world, and damn proud of it!". I don't mean this in a patronizing way, and I don't presume to tell anyone how to live -- but I feel sorry for you, that your main communication with the world at large is so negative. What a life that must be.

Don't feel sorry for me, I don't. I've enjoyed my life and would change damn little. I lived in a hard world, much harder than what you are familiar with I would bet, and made my own way on my own two feet . That's pretty much the way fishermen have ever been and I think that attitude (and most fishermen attitudes are/were similar to mine) has been a player in "bringing them under control" and had NOTHING to do with conservation on anything like it. The particular difference with me is I am able to articulate pretty good in writing and don't mind saying "You fucked us. I just want you to know you didn't fool us while you did it. You only fooled yourself. You're frauds the whole lot of you."

>I find I do *not* have many interactions at all like the ones that seem frequent in yours -- there's something nice about dealing with people with respect and giving them the benefit of the doubt that they're NOT jerks BEFORE they prove otherwise -- something I think you utterly failed to do with Messrs. Faust and Checci.

You implied from the first sentence they were each jerks trying to screw you, flamed them each to one another in your letters, and I think *you* screwed your son in the process with a tone I found very hostile.

If you think I did NOT accord them respect in the beginning, then either I did not write clearly or you, sir, are a damn willfully blind fool. Those letters are a RESULT of several days of phone calls all across the country and by several people other than myself, Ms Amoscati, for one, our *experienced* travel agent being told "not to bother, no one cares".

> As the former head of Sales & Marketing for a telecom company with over 240,000 customers in the first year, I can tell you that -- no matter how professional customer service is, "anal orifi", as you call them, do NOT inspire that extra effort that people can make if they so choose. (To be direct, my initial thought was "for someone who makes such big deal out of what assholes other people are, he must have broken all the mirrors in his house...") Frankly, I'm surprised you got as much attention from the head of a gigantic corporation as you did

Doesn't it strike at all you that there MUST have been SOMETHING there for him to do that?

>-- I don't think you have the faintest idea how impossible it is for them to individually respond to letters from individual customers when they have literally tens of thousands of customers per DAY.

Actually I do. I've dealt with HUNDREDS of calls personally in a day many times in my business. And a few would often be with someone at the "executive" level.

Furthermore I don't really care "how impossible" it is. If one wants to be in the business of dealing "literally tens of thousands of customers per DAY", one should have the mechanisms in place to do it. NW obviously didn't have them or they failed miserably. If the customer doesn't tell the boss, how will he know? Do you think Faust would have told him?

>If it was yourself trying to get on the flight -- frankly, I'd say you got what you deserved from the great Karma Wheel. However, it was your kid, who I hope didn't *deserve* to pay for your cranky attitude but probably did. Not a proud Dad move.

He'd already gotten it pal, you just don't (want to) understand.

>I'm not really religious or into warm fuzzy personal philosophies -- just a high-tech executive -- but I work hard to change things I can in a way that all involved feel good about, and I like my life a lot, and the people in it. You give people respect and you find you get it back. Again, not to give you advice, just to wish you well, and hope you find a bit more inner peace -- and manage to reflect it outward. Proud though you may be of being a curmudgeon -- *nobody* seems to think they make the world a nicer place....

Think of me what you will, I really don't give a damn. I do think you were reading every bit as defensively as were the NW execs (maybe it's an "executive" trait). Bottom line is, they screwed up and refused to acknowledge it. It's that simple, no more, no less. So I reacted. If more folks did there'd be a lot better service in the world .

>Best wishes -- and I mean that sincerely,

(Name not printed per request)

Thanks again your reply.

Gösta H. Lovgren

{Another note received in March, 2005}


Norwest,Excellent
Comments-,Dear sir, I AM VERY MUCH APPRECIATED THE ETTERS YOU COLLECTED.

I now have a problem with NWA. On March 11, this month, I sould take NWA 40 to Germany. When I was in NWA check-in counter in Detroit Metro Airport, I was told that I could not go to Germany, because I have one way ticket. The manager who in charge of check-in told me if I wanted to leave, I should buy a return ticket. I told them I didn't buy a return ticket because I wanted to return to USA in March 2006, that will about 12 month later, but they only can provide me a ROUND TRIP TICKET with a return flight with maximum 10 month interval. In order to leave for Germany as scheduled, with the promise of fully refundable return ticket by the check-in NWA staff ( a Asian Girl), I agreed to purchase an one way ticket from Germany to USA. That girl told me she will use my Credit card to buy a fully refundable one way ticket after my leave USA. Although I really do not need this ticket, but in order to leave, I have to agree to buy it. Do you know how mach that ticket is? It is about 4,000 USD.

I have arrived in Germany on March 12. On March 13 - the next day, I made an online refund for the most expensive ticket I have ever had in my whole life. The next day, I got an email response, it says that they got my refund application, and I would get their answer after 2 weeks. In their email I didn't get their approval that I could get fully refund for this ticket, even I did not have their approval that my ticket could be refunded. Up to now two weeks passed, I have not got any response from them as they promised by email.

My question is why I must buy a round trip ticket. I am a US Citizen. If I am not US citizen what will be happen then? Refuse my leave the country?

Why they force me to buy this very expensive one way ticket? Only this ticket could be refundable?

Since I could not find any email addresses of the NWA senior offices, I write it to you, hope you could send it to them, and let them know NWA awful services in Detroit Detroit Airport.

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End of the NorthWorst Saga

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