Spot The Northwest Flight Attendant

 I flew to London and back on Delta Airlines, which was great because I got to play my new favorite game: spot the old Northwest Flight Crew.  Northwest and Delta merged last year to form America’s largest airline. Though the planes are now painted the same and the crews all wear the same uniforms, they do not all act the same way. The cultures of the two companies, more specifically how management treated their people, significantly impacted how their people treat their customers.  So much so, you can tell from which company a flight crew came from simply by observing how they treat customers.

The rules are pretty basic; when you fly Delta Airlines, try to guess if your crew is native Delta or ex-Northwest. The game goes beyond just a couple of bad eggs – those employees who, no matter what the corporate environment is like, will always do the wrong thing.  This game is about identifying a common pattern or theme among a group of employees that provides clues as to how they have been managed or treated in the past.

I admit, it’s a pretty easy game. Northwest must have treated its people so badly for so many years for the difference between the two crews to be so stark. Here are some pointers to help you should you ever decide to play:

Impatience: Ex-Northwest employees have no patience for customers. They can regularly be seen rolling their eyes when passengers ask for anything or perform even the slightest infraction of any rule or command. The native Delta crews, in contrast, are more likely to smile if a passenger asks for anything and show a little more patience.

Hate Thy Customer: The ol’ Northwesters can often be heard in the galleys complaining about a passenger or two (this among other things they can find to complain about). If someone who has a customer-facing job seems to have such contempt for customers, think about how that will impact their behavior towards the customer. In contrast, you may stumble upon a conversation of Delta folks gossiping about their personal lives or figuring out how to solve some issue that was raised on the flight.

Short Fuse: The grumps from Northwest are all on short fuses. It takes barely a squeak from a passenger for a flight attendant to berate that customer. Public shaming of a passenger over the intercom is also a favorite. I find Delta natives to have much more patience for those with whom they are charged to look after and will often address specific customers directly should they need to.

Pass the Buck: Despite the ease of this game, you’ll be hard pressed to find a Northwest crew who accept accountability for how they act. Northwest employees, you see, don’t like to take any responsibility for anything that happens.  If they are abusive, impatient or generally unhappy, they will justify anything they have done by passing the buck.  “It’s not our fault. If we don’t do it that way,” they rationalize, “we’ll get in trouble.”

There is a side of me that feels sorry for the old Northwest people.  Like abused dogs who become unfit to have as pets, so too have many Northwest employees been so abused over the years, it is actually left many of them unfit for to work with people anymore. Like any person on the receiving end of an abusive relationship, they have completely lost trust in management to help them in anyway.  They hang all their hopes on their union to protect them even though, with their union, they received lower pay and poorer benefits than the non-unionized Delta flight attendants. The mistrust runs so deep, that they will work to preserve their unions for fear of what would happen if Delta management had direct influence over their jobs even though Delta crews like their jobs…and their management much better.  In this humble passenger’s opinion, if management has the option, axing some of the most abusive staff may not be such a bad thing for all involved.

The point is, corporate culture matters.  How management chooses to treat its people impacts everything - for better or for worse. Gordon Bethune, the former CEO of Continental Airlines, was able to transform Continental Airlines from the worst airline in the industry into the one of the highest rated without changing the equipment or the people. He did it by focusing not on the customer, but on the employees.  He managed the culture and worked to empower his employees.  He showed them that keeping a plane clean serves their interests more than the passengers.  The passengers leave the planes, the flight attendants often have to stay and fly one, two or more legs on the same aircraft.  The same goes for helping people or being nice to them.  It makes for a better day at work when you treat people well.  Well-treated customers are also nicer to be around.

On a recent cross-country trip, I met a Delta flight attendant who plays a similar game to me.  It’s called Spot the ex-Northwest Elite Passenger.  She told me she can tell if a passenger used to fly Northwest based on how the passenger treats the crew.  Apparently, the abused Northwest employees abused their customers for so long that the customers also became combative and mean. Sadly, they tell me, it’s a really easy game to play for them also.

The moral of the story: corporate culture matters. A sour corporate culture can actually make an entire society unhappy. This means that a strong corporate culture can have a positive impact on a society.  So for the good of the planet - treat your employees well.

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Comments

[essay writers]

Respect for private life is that only thing that matters in communication. And it is so unfair that people stop paying attention to that

[Theresa Matson]

I am an EX- Northwest flight Attendent( I worked with Norhtwest for 10 years) and agree with most of what you said. Although there were a few VERY nice flight attendents out there, most are very mean and I agree it's from being treated like crap! I was ALWAYS questioned on my actions , you were not allowed to make mistakes without being reprimanded, The managers never believed you side of a story,you weren't allowed to be sick more than 3 times a year or you are put on probabtion( and your kids are NEVER allowed to be sick!!), and if you hurt yourself lifting a bag for some old lady, you are not guaranteed any leaves of absence for that because it IS against the rules to help people with their bags!( But other airlines are allowed to and expected to help with bags).I could go on and on and on, but I AM a nice Minnesota Girl!!

[BJ]

This is complete bull. I actually flew Northwest and Delta and preferred the Northwest crews every single time! Minnesota nice at its best!

[Juan Tripp]

Sounds like someone is bitter to the bone. You have got to be the most "UN inspirational" person ever to strike a key board.

Your vindictive generalizations against thousands of Northwest employees make you seem...well, little. Your doubtful observations don't match the customer service records provided by the DOT of the two airlines.

Your issues seem to be personal (didn't get up-graded?)and your writing childish at most. If your are to attempt to be a reviewer of a group of airline employees, at least make a mature effort to do it objectively. Your bigger issues appear to be with UNIONS.

[New Balance Shoes]

With a gust of wind, To my greetings, With a moonlight, reflects my prayer, With a few dewdrops, soak my sincere, With a blessing, connect you my friendship, Wish friends every day happy!

[travers]

oh my.... i just discovered you last night and again i am blown away... someone who thinks like i think uses words i use.... and yet here is another question and 'game' i played on a recent trip to northern michigan from phoenix....

this is "weird" - in less than 24 hours the ideas, thoughts, flip even the graphics i have been drawn to are right in front of me....

[Brad Young]

This story has some half-truths, but mostly gross generalizations applicable to many of the biggest US airlines, and some downright hateful (vengeful?) verbal attacks. I guess you have to do that when you really have nothing new to say, but need new material to pass as a self-proclaimed inspirational speaker. If this story is supposed to inspire corporate executives to treat their employees better, then Cynic is speaking to the wrong group of people. These men and women aren't dumb; they already know this elementary adage of good business. The problem is that "good business" isn't the goal. The goal is to make the most profit in the shortest amount of time, to be able to cash out and move on. Most don't care what happens to the business long term--they don't plan on being there more than 5-10 years anyway. Do some more research and you will see that half of the top decision makers at the new Delta, are from Northwest. If a company really wanted to make a difference, then why would they bring along the leaders of an airline with a long and well-documented history of poor labor relations to help you run the (currently) world's largest airline? The bigger plan of what is to come of the merged airline, may only be beginning to unfold. Looking forward to your updated generalization of native Delta employees in a year or two.

[Scott Taylor]

Now if only we could go back to having Pepsi products on the flights...

[Mark Graban]

First time reader, thanks to Jamie Flinchbaugh.

Great post. I fly American all the time, being based at DFW. Even without a merger, the air crew members are more often than not crabby and miserable. I try not to blame them, realize that AA management has repeatedly cut pay of pilots and FAs and then senior management gets huge bonuses. And wonder why morale sucks?

So I end up with bad treatment, as a customer, because of the bad treatment of employees.

I wish DFW wasn't such a monopoly AA market... I really don't have a choice when I fly, regardless of their inane announcements over the PA.

Many hospitals are also trying to change their culture to take better care of the staff so patients get better treatment. It seems so basic and fundamental, but so many companies and leaders seem NOT to understand this.

[[email protected] Gordonii]

I would want my daughters to be a stewardess too. They look so elegant and very well respected.

[Christopher Stafford]

Wow, so funny, flying SFO to Detroit tomorrow morning, will have to check that out. I have heard their first class is terrible, we'll see!

[Simon Sinek]

Lester - you're right. I hope that the Delta management has success working with the newest members of their family.

The bigger issue is that companies don't consider their respective cultures when they decide to merge. They look at their products and think what a great opportunity. 50% of all corporate mergers fail. And additional 25% don't pay back the ROI promised. Which means 75% of them weren't worth it.

The first line of the WSJ always reads the same way after the failed merger - "cultures didn't merge."

Companies are collections of people. Such a simple idea so often forgotten.

[Lester Sutherland]

Some fairly good insights, up to the point where the author begins his guessing about the workers relationship to the union, then it takes on a tone of his outlook. It takes time to change to a new culture. Just like a dog that is mistreated, and then adopted from the pound, it will require lots of love to bring the employees who have been mistreated by management back around. We should also play the "which airline did this manager come from" game.

[[email protected]]

Jamie,
I saw the same scenario when United acquired. Pan Am. While United still has a way to go in terms of improving customer relations, Pan Am was very much like Northwest. I quit flying Northwest years ago due to the way their employees acted, it was my airline of 'last' choice.

Hopefully the United merger with Continental will result in a positive change for both entities. Every once in awhile I have had someone from United perform absolutely stellar service. And most UA employees try to do the right thing. So I hope for their sake they end up with a better/stronger leadership group.
Michael

[Mars Dorian]

ohhh man, how can you treat your people this way ? A lot of big companies don't give a crap about their employees, and only care for the Benjamins flying into their pockets.

The paradox is that if you create a kick-ass environment, you will have better profits, because happy employees means happy customers.

That's why Zappos is really killing it.

[Mark]

In the Netherlands there is a similar company called Aldi. Just recently they transfered from the normal cash systems with codes into the barscanner (about 3 years ago). The employees were so focussed on the codes and not on the customer. It led to a no speaking area because they had no time to talk, they had to type the codes.

No it's becoming a more friendly environment for employees and customers because you have contact with the cashier. The barcode scanner was implemented with pressure of unions. It was no mangement call.

[Kevin]

Played this with USAirways/America West after their merger. The America West crews are the loud and rude ones...it's not even a game anymore.

[EyeOnCardiff]

Totally understandable. In the UK, at London Heathrow to be specific, Continental used to (pre-merger,) rely on BAA staff to handle the check-in procedure. I'm not sure if they still do, and I sincerely hope they do not!

The BAA staff have been so poorly managed that they exhibit all of the same symptoms as you have described.

I have even seen perfectly well mannered customers verbally and emotionally put down so much by BAA staff that it is shocking; not to mention that on one trip I saw a family of ordinary people get put on BAA's terrorist watchlist just for asking why they needed to check in twice!

Corporate culture matters a LOT, the big issue is that these corporations aren't interested in good relations, just pure greed.