American Airlines Fires Worker For Responding to Customer Complaint
The former worker, identified only by the mysterious "Mr. X," was a Web designer for American Airlines, and, as Web designers are wont to do, found himself online one day, browsing through blogs. One post, in particular, gave him pause. Fellow designer Dustin Curtis composed an extensive open letter to the airline, complaining about its Web site, suggesting an alternative look, and recommending that it fire its Web design team. Mr. X, upon reading the blog, courteously responded via e-mail, saying that Curtis was "so very right," but noting that any Web inadequacies had less to do with staff incompetency and more to do with the "internal culture" of the company. According to the Telegraph, he also assured Curtis that the site was under renovation, and that improvements would be forthcoming.
At this point, American Airlines stepped in. Apparently, in speaking to Curtis, Mr. X violated a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) that he had signed with the airline and that prohibited him from revealing "sensitive information." The airline then searched its database, found his e-mail, and fired him. For his part, Curtis defended Mr. X, writing. "AA fired Mr X because he cared. They fired him because he cared enough to reach out to a dissatisfied customer and help clear the company's name in the best way he could."
We couldn't agree more. Though it may technically be considered a violation of the NDA, we're not so sure anything the employee said was all that sensitive. If anything, it was positive news he was spreading. Moreover, he was doing it in an exceedingly gracious and conciliatory manner -- something that's become increasingly rare in the industry as a whole. We're not sure, but we have a hunch that there's some other, hidden, story here (perhaps the whole "internal culture" comment?). Either way, we think it's a pretty egregious injustice, and we hope something's done to remedy it. [From: The Telegraph]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Mobile Phone Diva said 5:41PM on 11-10-2009
Fired for helping someone and actually providing GOOD customer service for a change! Sad, just sad.
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me said 9:11AM on 11-12-2009
Read "Mr. X's" response, and you'll see he wasn't providing "good customer service" or defending anyone but himself. He threw AA under the bus and complained that he COULD do a better job if he didn't have to "slog through endless review and approval cycles with their requisite revisions and re-reviews." He complained that his department didn't have control over the entire site, as Marketing, Publishing, and Advantage groups made their own changes "without going through us." All of this is listed on Curtis's blog as the "response from AA."
Mobile Phone Diva said 8:48PM on 11-12-2009
So he told the truth to a customer who asked a question, and was fired? Just as sad. Honest answers are better than sugar coating.
If it's the truth that the review process may hurt progress, so be it. If it's true that too many departments may have a hand in this without consulting each other, so be it. No company is perfect and telling the customer it is, is BS. I'd accept an honest answer like that more. Violating the non-disclosure clause is telling people the company may not have perfect policies? LOL!
kvravit said 6:57PM on 11-10-2009
Come on AA, prove your piece of krap reputation wrong and rehire the fella!
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hmanhu said 8:30PM on 11-10-2009
I agree, it is indeed a sad day when a company fires an employee for trying to do the right thing. I used to have a high opinion of AA but this shows me that there is no reason to continue to do so. It's recent actions have clearly indicated that customer service and satisfaction are no longer high on its list of priorities. It also shows that it no longer prizes loyalty from its employees and contractors. Perhaps the lesson to be learned here is that if you are an AA employee or contractor and see or hear wha you consider to be an unfair or unjustified negative comment about the company just hold your tongue and let the negative impression stand rather than try to defend the company and have its subsequent actions prove that the negative commentator was probably right.
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nohmadd13a said 10:48PM on 11-10-2009
It is the culture of all large organizations lately to have NDA's coupled with some form of zero tolerance. There by no mater what caused something to happen the narrow minded and lacking in common sense can continue to drive our corporations into the ground. Conform or be eliminated, we do not care what your motivations are. (This spreads to the labor unions also) Many good ideas are scrapped because they fail to muster up to some narrow rule that has no right being the final position. You can have an idea or do something that can save the comapny money and expand its base. Be that business base or good customer relations.
Those who run our major corporations of late seem to have no common sense, and god forbid they have to actually look into something beyond the surface. This man did the right thing but someone viewed it as a violation of the NDA he signed. When he did not disclose any sensitive information, nor did he go against the comapny in an attempt to bring to light improvements in work and attempting to improve the comapanies image.
I own a business so I can speak from experience. While not all employee actions are right, or benificial to the company, there are those few times where it is, and we do not have a hard fast rule system. We have a general rule structure, and look at each possible violation on a case by case basis so that good employees, or even bad ones, who are motivated to help the company even if in a minor violation do not ge railroaded out the door. AA should reconsider and rehire, and slap those who fired him.
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speedwayvictor said 4:44AM on 11-11-2009
AA has been my family preferred carrier of all times, not even 911 deterred us from using it, we always felt comfortable traveling with them to all parts of the world, the thought of using any other airline never crossed our mind, it's called loyalty (something I now realize AA lacks) and so this employee who's only wrong-doing was that of potraying a positive image about the company he works for, turns around and GETS FIRED (there is something mighty wrong with this picture). Well as they say 'all good things come to an end', thank you AA for all those years I was blind about you, but I don't think my family and I would use your services anymore...........in fact I know we won't. GOOD LUCK TO YOU MR. X
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rvplace said 6:18AM on 11-12-2009
I am a nobody but breeding corporate behavior like this is wrong, I can only vote with my dollar, no more flying with AA. You no longer have my money to continue your corporate ways.....don't worry AA, there are many customers out there who don't care and will keep purchasing tickets from you. Thats sad.
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datamaryck said 6:29AM on 11-12-2009
I had the misfortune of flying American Airlines to Texas. It was the worst flying experience of my life. All 4 flights (not direct -- had 1 stopover) were overbooked. The lies at the counters were unbelievably long, The ancient DC-9 seats were incredibly uncomfortable. There was little space between rows. Every person I dealt for each of the 4 flights except one, was surly and difficult. The plane was not clean. It will be a long, long time before I fly American again.
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ENJOYOURDAY said 6:40AM on 11-12-2009
THIS REALLY IS A CRUMMY SCENARIO. I THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO CARE AS MUCH AS MR. X. APPARENTLY DID TYPICALLY GO ON TO GREENER PASTURES. SOMETIMES THEY CONTINUE TO WORK IN THANKLESS POSITIONS UNTIL THEY ARE PUSHED TO MAKE OTHER CHOICES. LOOKING BACK, I THINK THAT MR. X. WILL WILL ONE DAY BE SO HAPPY THAT HE IS AWAY FROM SUCH AND UNGRATEFUL EMPLOYER. HE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A "BONUS" FOR HIS DEDICATION TO THE COMPANY IMAGE INSTEAD OF A PINK SLIP!
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Chris said 6:42AM on 11-12-2009
Blaming the "internal culture" of the company hardly sounds like some spirited defense of the company.
Sounds more like his motivation for even responding was to defend himself and shift the blame to the company.
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Leonard said 5:12PM on 11-12-2009
Great job AA. Fire one of your better employees for some stupid reason. Never fly AA again.
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therumrunner said 7:11AM on 11-12-2009
sounds like we are only hearing one side of this, in all my years of customer service seldom if ever does it go the exact way either side repeats it, if this in fact was true seems to me he would have at least a hearing with the labor board.
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Kat said 7:13AM on 11-12-2009
That is exactly why I refuse to fly American Airlines.
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hanklee9393 said 7:23AM on 11-12-2009
AA stop jacking with Mr. X he's just helping the company. Give him his job back and tell him you made a mistake. Some times it good to over look rule and use common sense.
hank
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pennsy671 said 7:36AM on 11-12-2009
Good bye American Airlines... It is only a matter of time before you close your doors. It happens to the best of them, remember "Eastern Airlines"...
I would think the suit who wrote the policy should be the one getting canned. Not Mr X for attempting to better his companies customer service. You have to wonder, when we read crap like this, what are we not hearing about?
This is a death sentence for AA,
I'll be taking my business to some other terminal and gate.
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ferippee said 7:42AM on 11-12-2009
These companies think that they can just ruin peoples' lives. Sometimes they can't. The management of AA fired the web designer mid web rebuild. Talk about cutting off their nose to spite their face. That's got to hurt when the thing doesn't work right and folks like me use the web to do our ticketing. Oh well, stupid is as stupid does. But the main reason for this blog is that in Oregon, these rotten managers got to firing folks for, well, basically not being in the company boot camp and allowing poor managers to yell at them and belittle them. The state unemployment insurance department reviewed the firings and determined that the state was not allowing the firing of the employees because of 'personality clashes' where the state's unemployment insurance coffers would be drained. Therefore the state sued the companies for wrongful discharge and won and the employees were reinstated. Maybe . . .
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Sue said 10:27PM on 11-12-2009
Sadly, the poor customer service from AA has slid to include poor employee treatment. I no longer fly AA. I just booked a flight with a different airline for my travels during this Thanksgiving week. (there are 13 in my family traveling this week, and we ALL choose to ban AA)
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Ebonee said 7:53AM on 11-12-2009
Budget cuts make anxious decision makers create situations. Give him back his job!!
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Smart Observer said 7:59AM on 11-12-2009
RE Hire Mr. X or lose me as a frequent flier on AA airlines. Stupidity (firing the guy for doing good work) does not deserve any rewards. I'll anticipate a response from AA management that they've re-hired Mr. X.
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