# D^rr-osr-i^^t^-iT I

September

6,201 0 U'/qpORTATlO N -FTOPERATiON S Mr
. Chuc k

Howell , CE O Great Lake s Aviatio n ,, - , rr p ^ q p 12

: 3 2 102 2 Airport

Parkway Cheyenne , W

Y 8200 1
c c Mr
. Dou g Voss , Chairma n Re : COMPLAIN T I amaseasone dtravele r

wh o ha s flown mor e iha

n 1. 2 millio n mile s o n domesti c flight s sinc e 1989 , I though t

tha t I ha d"see n i t

all, " unti l I experience dth e lac k o f professionalis man d servic e o n th e part

o f Great Lake s Aviation
. Consequently , J woul dlike t o fil e acomplain t about your airline' s servic e ou t

o f Milw-aukee , W

l (MKE)
. I a mon e o f

man y passenger s wh o hav e bee n delaye do r

strande dbj ^ Great

Lake s o n numerou s occasions , th e mos t recen t o f whic h occurre dSeptembe r

3,201 0 (fligh t

ZK-529 6 wa s t o depar

t a t 12:3 0 p mMKE an darriv e MB L at 2:1 5 pm , conCtmatio n 2305600)
. DETAIL S My flight wa s th e thir dconsecutiv e fligh t cancelle db y Grea t

Lake s Aviatio n fro mMK E t o MB L du e t o mechanical issues

j tw o flight s wer e cancelle dth e previou s day
. Grea t Lake s Aviation' s servic e t o strande dpassenger s wa s abysma l i n Milwaukee
. A s aresult , som e passenger s wer e strande dfor

nearl y 3 0 hour s i n th e Mitchel l airport
. Four passenger s o n th e fligh t

from Milwauke e t o Rhinelandc r waite dmor e tha n 2 4 hour s an dwer e force dt o spen dth e nigh t i n MKE , t o mak

e atri p tha t

coul dhav e bee n drive n i n approximatel y 4 hours
. Althoug h the y wer e repeatedl y promise dalternativ e transportation , i t wa s no t provide ddurin g m y tim e a t th e airpor t ( 5 hours)- 1 wa s no t

eve n give n amea l voucher
. Passenger s wer e tol dtha t

th e mechanical proble mlia doccurre dth e previou s day
. l\'h y was thi s no t repaire dtha t

day o r overnight ? Again , m y flight at 12:3 0 p mth e secon dday wa s als o cancelle ddu e t o thi s mechanica l proble m(that occurre dmor e tha n 2 4 hour s previously)
. Althoug h gat e agen t

"John " wa s helpful , othe r staf f member s wer e disorganized , provide dmis

information , an dfaile dt o provid e appropriat e custome r servic e an dalternative s t o ai l passenger s involved
. A s usual , th e Maniste e cre w provide dexcellen t servic e bu t

wa s unabl e to resolve th e issu e du e t o th e lac k

o f aircraf t availability
. I t i s m y belie f an dexperienc e that

Great Lake s A\'iatio n 1 ) f^ s t o properl y maintau i it s aircraft , whic h result s i n numerou s delaye dand/o r cancelle dflights; 2 ) fail s t o provid e alternativ e transportatio n t o strande dpassengers , 3 ) fail s t o provid e adequat e mea l an dlodgin g reimbursemen t

fo r passenger s strande db y mechanica l problems , an d4 ) fail s t o respon dt o customer complaint s appropriately
.Althoug h I ultimatel y too k aflight t o Gran dRapids , M I vi aMidwes t Airlines , thi s wa s nearl y 3 hour s fromth e Maniste e aiiport , whic h was ray im'tia l destination
. Consequently , m y spous e ha d t o driv e nearl y 14

0 mile s to Gran dRapid s t o pic k m e u p o n th e Friday o f

Labo r Da y weekend
. I shoul dhav e bee n hom e b y 2:3 0 pm ; instead , du e t o heav> ' weeken dtrave l an dunexpecte dmile s andhour s o f

trave l time , I arrive dhom e lat e Frida y night
. I'v e bee n ver

y patien t with you r

airlm e despit e numerou s delays an dcancellations
. However , I hav e com e to th e conclusio n tha t you r airlin e neitiie r

care s abou t

it s passenger s no r

desire s t o improv e it s servic e betwee n Milwauke e an dManistee
. SOLUTION S Th e solution s t o you r

servic e issue s ar e actuall y quit e simple
. First , empowe r you r staf f to provid e customer s vrit

h quality servic e b y providin g alternativ e transportation , clear communications , andpromp t response . Second , provid e asecon daircraf t availabl e t o serv e th e Milv^^ukee marke t

s o tha t mechanica l difficultie s can b e handle dexpedientl y an dpassenger s wil l no t b e inconvenience dwiiil e th e initial aircraf t i s repaired
. Third , re-configure you r flight route s t o begi n i n Rhinelander , wher e yo u maintai n ahange r that woul dallo w you r

aircraf t t o b e house dan dsaf

e fromexterna l conditions
. Fourth , b e proactiv e i n th e maintenanc e o f you r aircraft
. Thes e numerou s mechanica l problem s ar e dangerou s an dtherefore unacceptable ; thes e breakdown s an dissue s shoul db e cau^ t before the y caus e problems , CONCLUSIO N GnM t Lake s Aviatio n fail s t o properl y maimai n it s aircraft , whic h result s i n frequent delaye do r cancelle dflights
. Yo u the n refus e t o allo w you r staf f t o properl y accommodat e passenger s b y securin g alternativ e mean s o f transportatio n (cab , van , shuttle , train , etc.) , fail to provid e sufJicien t meal s andlodging , an dfail t o respon dt o custome r compMnt s appropriately
. On Apri l 1 2 o f

thi s year , th e Maniste e Airport manage r hel dacommunit> ' meetin g t o discus s bid s fo r th e Maniste e contract . Ironically , 1 wa s als o apassetnge r o n that day - an dGreat

Lake s Aviatio n cancelle dit s thir dflight o f th e week
. Accordin g t o aiiport manage r Barry Lind , durin g aconferenc e cal l yo u admitte dtha t senic e wa s aproble man dstate dtha t GLA' s employee s "are empowere dt o d o whateve r i t takes/ ' Thi s i s clearl y no t th e case . Great Lake s Aviatio n i s no t

committe dt o servin g th e Milwauke e an dManiste e customers , despit e you r

assertion s to th e contrary . GL A flies it s aircraf

t EMPT Y betwee n Milwauke e an d Maniste e t o collec t

th e lucrativ e Federa l subsidy , ye t won' t allo w you r

employee s t o take "care " o f customers . W e ar

e a n inconvenience
. Pleas e remed y thi s situatio n b y implementin g som e o f th e solution s propose dabove
.

Jerr y W
. Gille> ' r6nCR42 4 Lindale,T X 7577 1 970-420-091 9 |eilleY(giuttvler.ed u