Rookie Wednesday: We know more than they do. That can help, and hurt, us! REG: Delta reps & bad info.

Welcome to a weekly feature on the Eye of the Flyer blog. Each week this series covers in a “rookie” way either a Delta or travel related theme and attempts to break down to a basic level each topic. You can read up on all the previous posts HERE. Now on to this week’s feature.

My friend Gary Leff from View from the Wing sent me this link to the above article. It is an interesting read to say the very least. It goes to show one glaring point you should take away from today’s post – reps can and DO say just about anything. Don’t take anything they say at face value. They may be flat out wrong.

That was the case in the Telegram.com piece and it is true all too often. A rep may promise you will get XYZ and when push comes to shove after the fact you may only get part of what was promised or a departing “buh-bye” gift and don’t let the door hit you in the backside on the way out. Sad, but true. If Delta will not “go the extra mile” for us we have to do it on our own.

The same goes for AMEX reps. They often promise points for upgrading cards only to find later on the answer is “computer says no” so sorry you don’t get them and now you have also burned your shot to ever get this card again. The one bright point AMEX has is they often record calls so you can ask (or beg) to have them review the call and hear what was promised, slightly increasing your shot, after much work, of getting what you were told.

But today really is about you getting more due to reps knowing less than you. For example, Same Day Change rules have changed so many times, and even are different business vs. coach class, that you can often be told flat out wrong information. Then again, with an assertive tone, you can maybe get something outside the current rules due to a rep not knowing just what “flavor of the day” rule is currently in place.

Anther move, when you are unsure of what a rep is telling you is correct, is to get someone else to confirm. This can be tricky as if on the phone they may not be willing to ask someone else and even if they do to then admit they were wrong. Better in this case to HUCB. Now with a live rep you can go to a Red Coat or the lead FA for the flight but this can also be them against you. At the same time, depending on your fare class or status level, having two reps give you bad info can be worse than one correcting the other.

Here is another tip when it comes to bad information – never get transferred to “dot.com” support. You will likely accomplish nothing and they have power to do nothing. I would rather have a root canal with no Novocain than have a lovely chat with those Delta support folks. Try other methods to get what you want.

Speaking of that, there is most times always another way. You may not like the alternative choices that others ways can offer you. For those of us who have thousands or even millions of points at our disposal, consider as a worst case alternative checking with another airline or hotel etc. and then see if you can cancel whatever mess you have for a full credit toward future travel and then fly or stay on other points if they accomplish what you want.

Lastly my advice is when things really are bad and you are super frustrated and a rep is not willing to do what you want try to help them out. Give them an “out”. For example, offer the suggestion that they note the record about what is going on and that you are (whatever, in 1st or an elite or whatever) and this is being done as a one time loyalty exception. As long as you get what you want who cares what it takes and even more so when you know the rep is wrong anyway.

Clearly folks, the best choices are what is in writing. If we can print the rules or offer for whatever it is off the company’s web site we have something firm we can use to get what was promised and to have a rep yield and follow the rules. It is always amazing when you can provide proof a rep is wrong to get them to acquiesce to your request whatever that is! – René