To say that Northwest’s relationship with its employees is tenuous would be a very generous understatement. They broke the striking mechanics last year and replaced all the ones who wouldn’t cross the line. They’ve also made it down to the wire with their flight attendants who are threatening to strike as early as August 25. Now there are many employees that are facing layoffs.
So how can Northwest help these soon-to-be-jobless employees? Well, how about a pamphlet on saving money.
Sounds harmless enough, right? They know that their employees are going through hard times with less disposable income, so maybe they should try and help out. So they produce a booklet and hand it out with a handy dandy section called “101 ways to save money.” The problem is, someone should really have read through this.
Though I haven’t seen the actual booklet, Reuters reports that it suggested people shop in thrift stores or make your dates cheap by going for a walk on the beach or in the woods. Oh, and don’t be “shy about pulling something you like out of the trash.”
Ouch.
But just in case you didn’t feel the sting of that backhand, how about this condescending phrase . . . “If you have saved some money, pat yourself on the back — you deserve it.” That’s just too much.
How does this effect the customer? Well, you know that whole “golden rule” thing? Do unto others and all that? Well, if Northwest employees treat their customers as they’ve been treated, it’ll be a pretty painful experience.
3 comments on “Northwest Should Learn to Proofread”
Any word on whether the flight attendants will be on strike for labor day?
The latest I’ve heard is that the flight attendants pushed back their strike timeline to the evening of August 25. The judge has yet to rule as far as I know, so it’s anybody’s guess at this point.
One thing to remember is that the flight attendants talk as if they’re planning to do CHAOS instead of a full blown strike. CHAOS means that random flights will be affected at random times, so if you have a reservation, you may not be affected.
I’ll post updates as I hear them.
First, someone at NWA *really* should have given this the smell test. For example, I’m a big fan of thrift stores, but not everyone is. I just thought the tone was so condescending. It’s bad enough that employees are faced with pay/job cuts, this was like pouring salt in the wound.
And while I sympathize with the FAs, they simply have to realize that the industry has changed and they have to suck it up just like everyone else. Don’t like it? Find another job. Why drag everyone else down?