JetBlue may not blog, but it is transparent

First off, I'm extremely happy that my horrendous travel schedule did not deliver me to the Northeast last week. Second, I'm a JetBlue fan, even if most routes I'm taking condemn me to United and American Air most of the time.

JetBlue is a young company, who just revealed the first blemish on the face of its seven-year history, and it was a pretty ugly one that left people locked on unventilated planes on the JFK tarmac for up to 10 hours. My wife is claustrophobic.  Had we been on that flight it would have been extremely hardon her.

Still, I had to wince when through Personal Bee, I was directed to Paul Kedrosky's Infectious Greed, where Paul says that the airline company's lack of information to the public could easily have been a case study for Naked Conversation's. If the book were being written now, I'm sure we would be all over this case. Paul might see it going into "Blogging in a Crisis," or perhaps "Doing it Wrong," but he would be surprised to see us put this one into "Doing it Right."

Paul, you may have missed the startling Page One interview in the New York Times with David Neeleman, founder and CEO of JetBlue, who described himself as "humiliated and mortified," with how JetBlue customers were treated and how his organization melted down.He admitted that part of the problem, was the low-cost model upon which JetBlue is built and he publicly aired additional problems, such as flight attendants being unable to reach the company to find out if a flight was on or off.

This is transparency and it is a case study for how a CEO can use it. Using a blog would have been a better communications tool, but I think it's important to remember that like a hammer, a blog is just a tool.

JetBlue has sinned, it has suffered and it has repented.  The guy at the top probably ignored a whole bevy of lawyers telling him not to admit any kind of culpability. He says they'll do better and next time the suffering passengers will be compensated.

Naked Conversations began with the statement that we live in a time when most people don't trust corporations.  Personally, I trust this one because of Neeleman's comments.  I will be surprised if they do not do better next time.

And, by the way, when the communications officer at JetBlue, reads ths post, they should pay heed that a blog woiuld be a most efficient commnications tool when your next crisis takes place.




Technorati Tags: jetblue, nakedconversations, infectiousgreed, paulkedrosky

Comments

[David Parmet]

You are exactly right here (of course) although I'm not sure what good a blog would have done them last week. The folks sitting at JFK waiting to find out if they are ever going to get home aren't looking to blogs for information...

I made the point in my own blog that when Delta, AA, etc screw up, they never offer an apology. When my wife and son spent 8 hours in JFK last week waiting for a flight that kept getting pushed back again and again - they didn't even get a meal voucher let alone an apology. So in short, that's why I'll still fly jetBlue and still think they are number 1.

[djchuang]

Being a blogger myself, of course I'm biased that blogging is the fastest and most efficient way to communicate to the masses, be it organizationally or personally. Cost effective, too. But, it is the thousands (and millions) of TVs tuned in to CNBC and CNN headlines that reaches the masses more quickly, in the sense that those "content channels" are constantly pushing content. Blogs don't do that, yet.

The best of both worlds may well be to blog about a news item, and have the mainstream media pick up on the blog post and follow-up with reactions and interviews.

[Don Raimondi]

While it may have been egregious to be stuck for 12 to 6 hours, that’s nothing with compared to threatening lethal force to a toddler with a missing suitcase.

JetBlue Now Harasses Women with young children – The New Passenger Bill of Rights already defunct- Files false police reports, felony impersonation of Federal Agents Oversteps their authority….

My wife Martha, young daughters (Sara 4 & Liora 20 months), Mother-In-Law (Michele) and I flew JetBlue from JFK, NY into West Palm Beach, Fl (PBI) on Tues. 2/13/07 the night of the ice storm. Fortunately our plane took off just before the airline shut down for scheduling issues. Upon arriving at PBI we proceeded to the baggage area only to find one piece of luggage with toiletries and infant supplies was missing. While I checked all the baggage areas my wife proceeded to the Jet Blue Claim office. She was greeted by a women named Jessica, in the office with no ID tag “A JetBlue policy”. The woman proceeded to fill out a claim form and offered a $30 voucher. My wife now upset with this small token of JetBlue appreciation asked if Jessica could track her luggage, Jessica refused saying she could not do this. My wife now more upset asked to speak with a supervisor, Jessica again refused. Jessica proceeded to now tell my wife to “Get Over it”. Visibly upset and now jilted my wife continued to ask for a supervisor and was greeted by Airport Sheriff who placed their hands on their guns while my 4 year old and infant began to cry. The Sheriff asked us to step out of the office and went into speak to Jessica by himself. He came out to advise us we were no longer welcome in the JetBlue claim office and had to leave. As we tried to explain our story the other Sheriffs moved in, again my daughters cried. After a brief discussion we obliged and left only with a claim form in our hands with a voucher for $30.

The next day we called JetBlue customer service and left messages only to never be called back. After being passed of to multiple service reps we found out our luggage was sent to Austin, TX then sent back to NY, forwarded to West Palm Beach, then forwarded by Ft. Lauderdale (by the woman in the JetBlue claim office) when they knew we were staying in Orlando. We finally received the bag a week after on Tues 2/20 from 2/13 when lost. We also found out the JetBlue “friendly” policy is to offer $25 per day after the first 24hrs of notice of loss. My wife made formal complaints against Jessica with JetBlue customer service. As per the quote of Diane a Service Rep with JetBlue “Their was no excuse for how this was handled and how we were treated, the whole incident was handled very poorly”

I returned on Thursday 2/22 to get back to work without any problems, although when I got home I noticed my luggage now had a small hole in it and was very beaten up.

Tonight 2/27/07 my wife, daughters, and in-laws were scheduled to leave from PBI, FL to return to JFK, NY at 9:30pm. Of course the flight was delayed “new JetBlue policy” so they proceeded to the JetBlue claim office with receipts for expenditures required from the lost suit cast. “We were advised by JetBlue that if we had receipts they would reimburse us, and had to go to the office where the claim was filed”
As soon as Jessica, “once again without any JetBlue ID” saw my wife enter the office she called her supervisor Tom Lewis and Airport Security.

Tom Lewis entered with Sheriff Effman, he told my wife she had no business in their office and how dare she enter and she is not welcome there. He stated that if she does not get out he will ban her from flying on JetBlue. At which point my wife began crying along with my daughters. My father-in-law, Harris Schechtman, an expert transportation consultant and former Vice President of the MTA Bridges and Tunnels, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority in New York City asked to be explained what is going on here, when Tom Lewis said ok your “Banned from flying Jetblue, please leave the office.”

My father in-law proceeded to open a dialogue with Tom Lewis who called Headquarters and advised them that HQ in NY stands by its employee decisions and we are banned. Tom Lewis then proceeded to offer a JetBlue flight out of Ft. Lauderdale for the next day and said he would not tell Ft. Lauderdale who they are. My father in-law declined this offer and then Tom Lewis banned my entire family from the Palm Beach International Airport. “This was out of his jurisdiction because per airport policy only airport employees can ban someone after they observe the situation and write up a report.” While the conversation was going on Sheriff Effman kept saying “these people are Psycho” It was overheard that he was about to get off shift and looking to arrest my family and make some overtime.

So how do you like JetBlue’s new Bill of Rights “We promise to make your wife and small children cry”

Their customer service department is apparently misinformed because upon being informed their was an incident with a disgruntled employee who cried for police when asked to see a supervisor, you can only go back and make a claim with the same disgruntled employee. Once again this shows the new Bill of Rights by refusing to pay the check they said would be issued and again involving the police while terrorizing children by calling police to respond to the request she was asked to provide.

While it might be understandable that a supervisor would defend ones employees, one would expect him to hear the incident that was. Instead he apparently attended the same acting class as Jessica, because while she falsely claimed she was threatened by a women with children. He took it one step further in illegally representing himself as a federal agent and informing the victims/customers that they are banned from any and all fights our of his airport. Both the head of operations for the airport and head of TSA for the airport were shocked to hear this, as neither local law enforcement, the offended customer or offensive customer service rep or alleged federal agent as this JetBlue supervisor represented himself to be, had bothered to inform either airport operations or TSA about any of the actions they were taking.

[MB Taylor]

JET BLUE RENEGES to FEB 14th passengers

We were on the tarmac...we were told we would get vouchers anywhere Jet Blue flies.Sounds nice. When you try to use them they say...it's only for the amount you paid. If you got a good deal, you can't even get to your original destination without paying more, much less "anywhere Jet Blues flies."

The ones whose misfortune caused the bill of rights aren't even receiving what they promised them. PR for the media...failue to the customer.

Keep the blue chips!

[Mike]

This airline is frightening. I think everyone should boycott Jet Blue. We will never forget the torture that we went through that Valentines Day week
The airline lies about everything. I was threatened and harrassed as well by a Jet Blue employee and never received the so-called good will vouchers that were promised. They look for any excuse not to give what they have promised the customer. They are petty, cheap and down-right unscrupulous. They will lie about everything and promise things and then they say that they never offered what they had promised. Its impossible to speak to anyone in real authority. Customers are now connected to housewives in their homes in Salt Lake City, Utah who answer the phones from their house to make reservations. its really quite a pathetic situation. I would love to see them go bust. They are cruel and disingenuous and have absolutely no morals. (Anything but what the Church Of Latter Day Saints teaches these people). They need to be eliminated from the airline industry immediately. How dare they use intimidation and force on innocent people and families. Its really pathetic

[Peter]

Martha and family I'm so sorry to hear about how JetBlue treated you. I have never heard of a customer being treated like this. I've lived in Thailand too long.) What goes around, will come around for the airline.

I have one lingering thought. You didn't mention whether Jessica had horns coming out of her head.

I wish you and your family well.

[N. Berezniak]

On July 27, Flight 538 from Tampa Fl. to Newark, NJ was diverted to Dulles Airport. Landing there at 12:30 am. Jet Blue employees committed comedy of errors (or lies) while we remained there for 11 hours until a second bus at 10:50 am departed for Newark, arriving there at 4 pm. We were not given any lunch vouchers or money. It was a terrible experience for all to endure especcially for the babies and children.
Nick