Continental Airlines Complaint - A Newspaper article

(John B.) wrote in
om:

The Daily Texan reports on a Complaint filed against Continental
Airlines:
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/468874.html

I guess there must not have been any real news for them to report on that
day...

snip
He spoke deliberately, enunciating his words, she said.

Clearly, it is a crime in LA to speak clearly and deliberately. The
general public out there has gotten so used to hearing "Arnold-isms" about
"Colee-fornya" that they figure it is a violation of their first amendment
rights to have someone speak deliberately and clearly.

"I felt that he spoke to me as if I was not from here," Motwani said.
From the article, it sounds like she is from Texas. That would make her not
from LA. Or perhaps he recognized her as a former teacher who allowed
cutting in line in her class, and was pointing out that it is not
acceptable to cut in line at the airport.

Motwani registered an official complaint with Continental three days
later. "I felt publicly humiliated and embarrassed by the manner in
which the attendant patronizingly spoke to me," she wrote.
But having your name plastered all over the world about it doesn't
embarrass you more?

In the letter, she told Continental about the incident and demanded
that action be taken.
What action would she be satisfied with? I bet she also filed a complaint
against the Flight Attendant for looking at her the wrong way! "Fire!",
"Fire!"

Motwani wanted Continental Airlines to hold its employees accountable
for their behavior and asked for a detailed apology from the company.
The company didn't do anything to her. Some gate agent told her not
to cut the line, very clearly and deliberately. Perhaps she should grow
up a bit!

She also asked Continental if a diversity training program for
employees existed and wanted to be involved in implementing one if
there was not a program already in place.
What, exactly, is a diversity training program? "Repeat after me, 'not
everyone is alike.'" Duh. Does Ms. Motwani have a diversity training
program in her home for her children?

Motwani was unsatisfied with Continental's response, claiming that the
e-mail failed to offer ways to remedy the incident.
The only remedy I could see would have been to allow her to board the plane
and fly home that night. Oh, wait, they did.

Students and staff on campus have taken action after hearing of the
incident by writing their own letters of complaint to Continental
Airlines. Motwani said about 25 people have sent e-mails to
Continental CEO Gordon Bethune so far.

Rusty Ince, chair of the Senate of College Councils, said he had
distributed copies of Motwani's complaint and Continental's response
to about 300 students, including all senate members.

Great. That's what we should be teaching our children! Instead of living
a productive life, you should spend all your life harping on every
stranger who looks at you the wrong way and make a campaign out of it!

Congratulations.

Continental is rude and nasty to everyone. They get no more of my money.

"John B." wrote in message
om...
The Daily Texan reports on a Complaint filed against Continental
Airlines:
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/468874.html

COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST AIRLINE
Graduate student accuses Continental Airlines employee of making
discriminatory remarks
By Anjali Athavaley
Media Credit: Ashley Hitson

Mamta Motwani, assistant director of the Multicultural Information
Center, claims she's a victim of racial profiling.

A UT graduate student has filed a complaint against Continental
Airlines for an alleged racial profiling incident at the Los Angeles
International Airport in early September.

Mamta Motwani, Multicultural Information Center assistant director,
said a white male Continental employee made discriminatory remarks
before allowing her to board a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to
Houston Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Motwani, a 28-year-old Indian-American, said when she approached the
gate with her boarding pass around 12:40 a.m., an attendant told her
that she was cutting in line and would have go back.

Motwani said the attendant looked at her and said, "We don't cut
around here."

He spoke deliberately, enunciating his words, she said.

"I felt that he spoke to me as if I was not from here," Motwani said.

There were about 25 to 30 people standing outside the gate, she said.
However, they were waiting for their rows to be called, not standing
in line to board. Motwani, who claimed there was no line, said she
asked the crowd if they were waiting in line, and no one answered.

The attendant responded that this still did not give Motwani the right
to cut.

Motwani continued to stand in front of him, holding her boarding pass
out. The attendant ignored her and began collecting boarding passes
from surrounding passengers, she said. A few minutes later, he
accepted her pass and allowed her to board the plane.

Motwani registered an official complaint with Continental three days
later. "I felt publicly humiliated and embarrassed by the manner in
which the attendant patronizingly spoke to me," she wrote.

In the letter, she told Continental about the incident and demanded
that action be taken.

Motwani wanted Continental Airlines to hold its employees accountable
for their behavior and asked for a detailed apology from the company.

She also asked Continental if a diversity training program for
employees existed and wanted to be involved in implementing one if
there was not a program already in place.

A response from Continental manager Deborah Lewerke stated that
Continental Airlines does not "approve or tolerate unlawful
discrimination."

"If there was a line of other customers that you did not notice, our
representative should have gently directed you to the end of the line
to board in order," Lewerke wrote.

The e-mail response also said employees undergo diversity training
annually but did not offer details.

The company's Web site mentions only hiring diverse staff members and
suppliers. Julie King, a spokeswoman for Continental, did not return
calls about diversity training for airport employees Wednes-day
afternoon.

Motwani was unsatisfied with Continental's response, claiming that the
e-mail failed to offer ways to remedy the incident.

She said she was informed Monday that her allegations are now being
investigated by Judy Brown, a customer service manager for
Continental. Brown declined to comment on whether or not Continental
had tracked the employee in question. Any action taken against the
employee would not be made public because of company policy, she said.

Students and staff on campus have taken action after hearing of the
incident by writing their own letters of complaint to Continental
Airlines. Motwani said about 25 people have sent e-mails to
Continental CEO Gordon Bethune so far.

Rusty Ince, chair of the Senate of College Councils, said he had
distributed copies of Motwani's complaint and Continental's response
to about 300 students, including all senate members.

I am a Continental employee and we have an incredibly diverse work
group and this article is absolutely ridiculous! I work in customer
service and deal with customers having a bad day all day long but
would never accuse them of being prejudice! We all need to be more
sensitive of people from different ethnic backgrounds but this sort of
frivilous action does nothing to further their cause! I have worked
the gate for years and we do have agents that tell people to go to the
back of the line which sometimes should be done with more tact but we
are not all perfect and some days just wear on you! Courtesy is a two
way street!

Continental Airlines Employee

wrote in message ...
sometimes should be done with more tact but we
are not all perfect and some days just wear on you! Courtesy is a two
way street!

If it's a two way street, you can give me back the $600 I paid for
a ticket. I hold you to a higher standard than I do the customers.
Bitching to your management of a perceived problem, is certainly
within the rights of any customer. If you don't like it, get a job
outside the service industry where you don't have to deal with customers.

If it's a two way street, you can give me back the $600 I paid for
a ticket. I hold you to a higher standard than I do the customers.
Bitching to your management of a perceived problem, is certainly
within the rights of any customer. If you don't like it, get a job
outside the service industry where you don't have to deal with customers.

You paid $600 for your flight, not for the right to be rude!

Continental Airlines Employee

You paid $600 for your flight, not for the right to be rude!


TWO MANY PEOPLE R RUDE JUST TOO BEA RUDE...RUDENESSITY & IGNORANCE WALK HAND
IN HAND IF YOU'LL WATCH...CANNOT STAND RUDE PEOPLE....THEY SUCK...
=TR0UT=


wrote in message
...


If it's a two way street, you can give me back the $600 I paid for
a ticket. I hold you to a higher standard than I do the customers.
Bitching to your management of a perceived problem, is certainly
within the rights of any customer. If you don't like it, get a job
outside the service industry where you don't have to deal with customers.

You paid $600 for your flight, not for the right to be rude!

Continental Airlines Employee

"Sr." wrote in message .. .
You paid $600 for your flight, not for the right to be rude!


TWO MANY PEOPLE R RUDE JUST TOO BEA RUDE...RUDENESSITY & IGNORANCE WALK HAND
IN HAND IF YOU'LL WATCH...CANNOT STAND RUDE PEOPLE....THEY SUCK...
=TR0UT=

Well, this seems to be a pinnacle of etiquette.

What I said is that the person performing a service is held to a higher standard, not that
the customer has a right to be rude. The fact that another party is rude is not an excuse
for rudeness on the part of the other.

Do you really mean *Bitching* or complaining??? I would say there is a vast
difference, one being acceptable, and the not.

Shane, Wheeler

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...

wrote in message
...
sometimes should be done with more tact but we
are not all perfect and some days just wear on you! Courtesy is a two
way street!

If it's a two way street, you can give me back the $600 I paid for
a ticket. I hold you to a higher standard than I do the customers.
Bitching to your management of a perceived problem, is certainly
within the rights of any customer. If you don't like it, get a job
outside the service industry where you don't have to deal with customers.




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"shane wheeler" wrote in message ...
Do you really mean *Bitching* or complaining??? I would say there is a vast
difference, one being acceptable, and the not.

Really? Which one is witch?

If you can't tell, I'd have to refer you back to your mother (or whomever
else was responsible for your upbringing) for some training in manners.

Shane, London


"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...

"shane wheeler" wrote in message
...
Do you really mean *Bitching* or complaining??? I would say there is a
vast
difference, one being acceptable, and the not.

Really? Which one is witch?




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