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One perk Platinum and Diamond Delta Medallion status holders enjoy is giving “Job Well Done” (JWD) certificates to deserving Delta employees.
Many of us can attest that most Delta employees provide exceptional service. But for ones who really go above and beyond, recognizing them with Job Well Done certificates is a great privilege.
But here’s the problem: Platinums get (only) two JWD each year in their Medallion kits. Diamonds receive just four.
Golds and Silvers receive zero.
And herein lies a problem.
To Give is To Receive
My wife and I pool our JWD certs. When we see Delta employee — a gate or check-in agent, flight attendant, Sky Club attendant, etc — who’s extra friendly or helpful, we give them a JWD. (Certificate numbers can be given verbally to phone reps, FYI.)
Like most people, we’ve been interns and ultra-low level employees. We know that customer or client recognition can go a long way.
We usually give them to extra friendly, attentive flight attendants — especially if we’re traveling during a holiday period. Or if an employee does something special for our daughter, we also enjoy expressing our thanks with a JWD.
Yes, I understand the employees are doing their jobs. But there’s something to be said for going above and beyond. And making people feel welcome — not just human cargo.
What I hear most often when I give a JWD is along the lines of, “You made my day. These actually mean a lot.”
Sorry to get all soft and mushy — but how great is that?! Heck, the pleasant surprises and big smiles that JWDs produce actually make my day.
What Do Delta Employees Get for JWDs?
Certificates worth 500 points (as pictured above) are worth $5 that, according to one Delta veteran employee, can be exchanged for items or transferred to a debit card. (“Just like a credit card point rewards program.”)
What About Emailing Delta?
A few years ago, Delta introduced a specific email address dedicated to receiving compliments from Medallions.
I asked two Delta employees whether or not such messages find their ways to employees.
“‘Good’ letters sent to Delta are nice,” a Delta flight attendant once told me, “but I sometimes question if we actually get to see many of them.”
However, a different Delta employee provided a darker take.
“We only hear (about) emails when it comes to a follow up because a customer is taking legal action and Delta wants a statement,” the person said.
Delta: Please Give ALL Medallions Job Well Done Certificates
I understand JWD cost Delta money each time an employee redeems a certificate. Delta certainly doesn’t — and shouldn’t — give out unlimited JWD certs.
That’s ripe for abuse.
And, true, Delta employees will receive a very generous bonus next week.
But all Medallion members should get JWD.
Yes, I appreciate they were available for the taking at Medallion Member Celebration pop-ups. But for those of us who weren’t traveling during the pop-up events, why let that affect Delta employees?
For as much time as Delta’s elite flyers spend interacting with the mothership’s employees, maximums of two and four per Platinum and Diamond, respectively, are paltry.
Silvers should get at least two, and Golds four. How about six for Platinums and eight or ten for Diamonds?
Or, if Delta wants people to submit JWD-type recognition electronically above and beyond JWD — make it somehow trackable (i.e. with a code, etc) so employees and customers are confident due recognition is being received.
Yes, there are more, DIY ways we can recognize Delta employees. René, for example, designed his own JWD certs to give employees.
But this is a wonderful problem for Delta to have — and one I hope they soon rectify.
That would be a job well done.
–Chris
Featured image: ©iStock.com/starush
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Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I never received any job well done certificates in 2019. I asked four times. I ended up getting five diamond medallion kits and five sets of bag tags, but never once did I get the JWD certificates. On several times last year, as well as in previous years when I was out or didn’t have JWDs with me, I commended flight attendants or Sky Club agents to Delta via Twitter and email. I asked for them to be recognized but never received any confirmation that they did beyond a cookie-cutter response thanking me for drawing their attention to a good employee. It is very frustrating because some flight attendants do a great job. I remember flying Delta from Singapore on the last flight Delta between NRT and SIN when this service was ended last year. The Tokyo-based flight attendants were all losing their jobs with this year’s de-hubbing of NRT. They were awesome even though they knew their careers were over.
I strongly agree with this. Often wish I had more to give out. Another great improvement would be to add them to your wallet section in the skymiles app with your drink certs, lounge access passes etc. It’s another thing to remember to make sure to pack them.
Absolutely agree ! While the majority of DL employees, certainly the front facing ones who interact with customers/passengers/clients, there are those times when situations, circumstances or just a moment in time can result in an unusually positive or helpful encounter. For those of us who fly a bunch, it is not unlikely that JWD level recognition will be warranted more than twice a year.
An email option would be terrific too but being able to acknowledge excellence face to face with more than a handshake and a thank you is just nicer.
To be able to present a JWD in person also helps to support a message of positivity among other passengers. When someone not in the know witnesses this exchange it (IMHO) supports participating in positive encounters versus just cruising through anonymously. Niceness is contagious.
Maybe they could email us a few
Strongly agree. I just gave one of my precious two to an attendant on our 14-hour flight ATL-ICN. As usual, she was delighted. But now I have only one left for the rest of 2020.