Tipping is dead. At least tipping as you and I understand it. A mandatory 20 percent gratuity on every restaurant meal? Obligatory tips for housekeepers, concierges and tour guides? Kiss them goodbye. And if you want to know why, just ask Gerri Hether. Like many...
Near monopolies make airlines anathema to good customer service. An old issue of The Atlantic started with these paragraphs. It dealt with customer service. That’s more than five years ago. A security guard stops a customer as she tries to enter a well-stocked...
Are airline customer service commitments worthless? They do not have the force of law yet. Every airline has a customer service commitment. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires it. But, DOT refrained from making these customer service commitments a part of...
If you think customer service is a joke, you’ve probably been traveling recently. I have. I lost my credit card last week while I was on the road. My bank, which promised me a replacement Visa by the next business day, sent an emergency card to the wrong...
It’s not your imagination. Customer service is improving. Janet Heller noticed it when she broke her arm and could no longer drive. She needed a prescription filled and was worried she couldn’t make it to Walgreens. That’s when she discovered that...
A pandemic benefit was good customer service. Today, the travel industry is beginning to return to its old ways. During the pandemic, travelers enjoyed some of the best customer services in years. Hotels welcomed returning guests with rock-bottom room rates....
These accomplishments have been achieved by working closely with our members, national media, the travel industry, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Congress and many other agencies.
– Removal of restaurant fees from DC area eateries — this is an ongoing project
– Creation of DOT Dashboard to outline consumer rights after cancellation of a flight
– Bi-partisan bill to eliminate hotel resort fees introduced into House of Representatives
– Creation of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections
– Advertised airfares now include airfare plus, mandatory taxes and fees
– Lost/damaged/delayed luggage compensation limit increased to $3,800
– Passengers have 24 hours to change or cancel their nonrefundable tickets without penalty
– Once an airfare is purchased, that airfare and ancillary fees cannot be increased
– Families flying together act passed by Congress that requires family members 13 years of age and younger to sit with other family members at no additional cost.
