Last Week I Experienced the Best Customer Service, This Week The Absolute Worst!

Last week I wrote a blog about a company that surprised me with incredible customer service.  That kind of service is few and far between and maybe that's why it inspired me to write a blog, because it's so rare.  This week, the worst customer service EVER!  I feel like they boldly make it nearly impossible to accomplish anything on their website or on the phone so you'll just give up and go away.  But, I didn't!

I am not bashing the Delta Airline Company, I've flown their airline before and have been perfectly satisfied.  But, the way they handle their frequent flyer mile program leaves a lot to be desired.  I have been a member of their frequent flyer program called Skymiles for many years and I remember trying to change my last name some time ago, but it was cumbersome so I left it.  My husband and I had been looking at flights for a vacation and it dawned on us that maybe I have enough miles to fly free, so we looked up my account.

The account was still under my previous last name and I decided after being married for 11 years, it was a necessary change, so I called the number on the website to "make changes to your account" and sat on hold for 35 minutes before I got a woman that told me "she couldn't help me change my last name, but she could transfer me to someone that could."  I asked what she COULD help me with.  What kind of problems did she solve, which I didn't really get an answer, but I was able to ask her some questions we had about purchasing tickets with the Skymiles.  Then, she transferred me.  I walked around the house with my speaker on and put away clothes, blogged for work, brushed my teeth, got ready for bed, did the dishes AND as you can see by the picture above, finally talked to a real person after holding for an hour and 26 minutes.  Is that acceptable?  Back in the day of corded phones what would I have done?  Probably hung up...

Wait, there's more!  After I finally got a second real person, she told me the same the first told me.  That SHE again couldn't help me change the last name on my account and would have to transfer me AGAIN.  That's when I lost it.  I said "hold on here", and explained the process I had already been through that evening.  She stated that Skymiles are like money, dollar for mile and my bank wouldn't just change my last name over the phone like that.  I responded that my bank wouldn't have me on hold for an hour and a half and transfer me three times!  Not only that, but I got my Skymile Account Number off of an offer from American Express and THEY had my right last name AND my Skymile Account Number.  I told her that and said if they have it right, why don't you?  I didn't give them my Skymile Account Number, they must have shared that with them to offer me the charge card that racks up miles when I spend money.  That stopped her in her tracks and guess what?  Suddenly she was able to help me after all and talked me through some prompts on their website.  Yup, if the way to change my last name on their website wasn't buried where a person couldn't find it, all the wait time on hold could have been avoided.  But, there's icing on the cake.  My name STILL isn't changed because after all that, at the bottom of the page, was the place to attach a photo of my marriage license.  UGH!  No one said I needed that and it's in my safe deposit box.  So, it still isn't changed and frankly I'm done with them.  I can't change my last name, I can't get my miles and I won't be flying that airline by choice.  It seems like they do everything they can to make it nearly impossible to accomplish anything on their website or via the phone so you just give up.  That's where I'm sitting, unhappy, frustrated and with the wrong last name.