Commitment - Be more responsive to customer complaints:

Northwest Airlines will assign a Customer Care Representative responsible for handling passenger complaints and ensuring that all written complaints are responded to within 60 days.

Currently Beth Reed, Director - Customer Care and Refunds, is Northwest's single point of contact for customer complaints. She serves as the ombudsman for Northwest Airlines and has a dedicated staff of representatives to assist with resolving customer complaints. She can be reached at:

Northwest Airlines
Customer Care
PO Box 1908
Minot, ND 58702
Phone: 701-420-6282
Fax: 651-367-8459

Handling Customer Complaints

• Northwest Airlines responds to customer complaints via the method that they are received, specifically through telephone (toll call), U.S. mail, e-mail and fax.
• Customers can receive access to Northwest Airlines address and telephone number from ticket counter agents, gate agents, and through our toll-free reservation line (800-225-2525). Also, the address and e-mail address are published in Northwest's in-flight magazine, WorldTraveler.
• Outside the United States, customer complaints are handled by the local Northwest/KLM office by written response or by contacting the office by phone.
• Complaints are collected through four different departments in the United States. They include Customer Care (post-event issues), Refunds, Central Luggage Service and Northwest Airlines WorldPerks.
• Each contact received by these areas is sorted and forwarded to the correct area for handling.
• Once the contact is in the correct area, the complaint is logged, coded and a response is given. When appropriate, compensation is offered or included in the response to the customer.
• Internal standards are used for measuring turnaround times, answering times and quality.

Improvements

• Northwest Airlines will streamline and publish all communication methods available to customers.
• All complaints will arrive into one central point, to be sorted on the same day they are received, and forwarded to the correct area for handling.
• Once the appropriate area receives the complaint, it will be logged, coded and a thoughtful, sincere and responsive customized letter will be issued.
• Northwest will increase its customer relations staff as required to provide appropriate resources to meet its commitment to the Customers First service plan.
• Internal standards will be set and used for measuring turnaround times, answering times and quality. A maximum of 60 days will be used as a standard for responding to complaints.

Training

• Training will be scheduled and completed in multiple areas prior to the implementation of the Customers First service plan on December 15, 1999.
• Internal standards of performance for each department will be established and communicated.
• Standards will be communicated to all front-line employees, including process changes that will be required in order to meet the new standards.
• Each area will complete training by December 1, 1999.
• All employees will be trained on software used to code and customize written responses to customers. Training will be completed in October and November by individual departments.
• All employees will receive training on skills required for customizing written responses to customers. Letter customization will be phased in over a two-month period prior to the launch date. Training will be completed in October and November by individual departments.
• Communicate and train Ground, Reservations, and Sales employees on new standards and procedures. Educate them on the proper way to handle and forward complaints if necessary. Training will be completed for Sales by December 1, 1999. The Ground and Reservations employees will receive training through Customers First service plan modules unique to their areas and international locations.

Measurement

• Standards for correspondence turnaround times (written, fax, and e-mail) will be established, communicated, monitored, and reported monthly via an internal activity report. Standards for telephone answer times and percent of calls handled will be established, communicated, monitored and reported monthly via an internal activity report. Results will be communicated on an annual basis to the Department of Transportation.
• Internal quality assurance audits of written correspondence will be completed on a quarterly basis through a quality review program currently used in Customer Care.