Tough Task Following Chapter 11 Fallout

Employees are a bit skeptical to hear that Northwest Airlines management is developing a customer service training program for its employees.

"We all love our jobs. It's just that we've been beaten down a little bit," said Maria Palmer, a Northwest customer service agent.

Pay cuts and the company’s 20-month bankruptcy has weighed heavily on the remaining employees, according to the Detroit News. Bankruptcy is just the latest chapter for an airline that is known for tough labor relations.

Northwest is starting a new company wide training program for front-line workers, that it hopes will be the first step in regaining a better  corporate culture and changing its image with customers.

Northwest wants to create a better environment for its employees and customers, according to Roy Bostock, Northwest's new board chairman.

"I want these folks to know that this board of directors cares about them and is hell-bent on changing this culture and changing the attitudes in this company to make it more productive for everyone," Bostock said.

Northwest has often received mixed reviews from travelers, the News reports -- getting high ratings for safety and efficiency, but falling far short on passenger service.

According to the Airline Quality Ratings study Northwest had the best operational statistics among the big network airlines in 2006. The first half of 2007, it had the fourth-best record among 20 carriers for baggage handling.

Northwest ranked last among big airlines in customer satisfaction in a JD Power and Associates report released in June. The carrier also received low marks for service by flight crews and for its cabin amenities.

Northwest’s leadership believes a better customer experience starts with a better work experience, said Crystal Knotek, Northwest's senior vice president of customer service.

"We want to make sure that we are treating our employees so they feel valued, because then they will treat the customers better," she said.

But Northwest’s employees are a bit skeptical of management’s approach in trying to convince workers of the new work environment, said Kevin Griffin, president of the Northwest branch of the Association of Flight Attendants.

"There's a lack of trust out there," Griffin said.

Most attendants felt forced to ratify pay cuts and work rule changes just before the airline left bankruptcy.

“Employees have been through a lot and there's a little bit of skepticism" about the training program,” said Julie Hagen Showers, who served as a management negotiator during the bankruptcy.

FMI: www.nwa.com