I was taking one of my famous 3-segment flights from Boise through Salt Lake City through Detroit and finally home to Rochester. It started off well. We left Boise on time, I got upgraded to first class, and we landed early in Salt Lake City.
While waiting to board the next leg to Detroit, the inevitable announcement came that there were some maintenance issues involving the engine. All things considered, I'd prefer to wait at the gate rather than for the pilot to discover engine problems in the air. The 30-minute delay turned into a 2-hour delay, and (of course) I missed my connection to Rochester in Detroit.
The last time I missed a connection in Detroit, I had to run around the airport trying to find a a gate agent to find me a seat on another flight. This time, I remembered that there are kiosks in the middle of Concourse A - the same kiosks that are used to check-in. I scanned the bar code on my boarding pass, to find an apology, a $7 food voucher and a seat assignment on the next flight out (9:50pm) - 4 1/2 hours from the original flight time, but scheduled to get me home the same day.
While making my way to the kiosks, I spotted a sign for Popeye's chicken toward one end of Concourse A. Popeye's called out to me and lured me back. I waited on a short line for a long time, before ordering a large order of red beans and rice, 2 famous biscuits and a bottle of water. This came to $9.30. I gave the voucher and $2.30 cash to the impossibly slow cashier who couldn't figure out how to give me a receipt for the cash. I gave up, took my bag of greasy food, and began my long trek to Concourse B (where my flight would be leaving later in the evening).
If you've never been to the Detroit Airport (or even if you have), the A and B concourses are very long, and are connected by a long tunnel that has Jetson's-like people-movers. I always avoid the people-movers when I'm not in a hurry, and walk at a fast pace, as I can always use the exercise. On this occasion, I built up quite a sweat, and by the time I found an electrical outlet on the far end of Concourse B, I was dripping. I plugged in my laptop, took a sip of water, and grinned, knowing that my red beans and rice was (were?) only moments away. However, I opened the container to find mashed potatoes. No red beans. No rice.
There was NO WAY I was going to walk all the way back to wait on line again to get my food. So, I logged onto Popeyes.com to find the phone number. I intended to have someone at Popeye's bring me the correct order. Except there was no phone number listed. So, I called Popeye's "Customer Service" (quotes intentional). I explained that I was at the Detroit Airport, and that the cashier had provided me the wrong order, and that I was trying to get in contact with them.
"City and State please", the helpful phone representative demanded.
"Uh - I'm at the Detroit Airport. In Michigan. I don't know what the zip code is".
"Well I can't look up the location unless I have the zip code"
"Well I don't have the zip code."
"I'm sorry sir - there's nothing I can do."
"Can I speak to your supervisor?"
"One moment..."
"Hello, sir, I am a supervisor. How can I help you"
"I'd like to contact the Popeye's at the Detroit Airport, because they gave me the wrong order"
"What is the zip code?"
"I don't know the zip code, but you can probably Google it"
"I have 7 locations listed near the airport"
"I'm AT the airport. It is located in Terminal A"
"There's nothing I can do"
"So I'm screwed unless I walk all the way back?"
"Sorry, sir. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Yes. Can you take my contact information and let your management know that I did not receive any customer service during this call?..."And then I walked all the way back. And waited on another very short (length), very long (time) line. The (different) cashier called for the manager, who asked to see my receipt. Of course, I didn't have a receipt. I explained that I used a voucher (with my name on it), that the voucher was attached to the receipt the cashier didn't give me, and that the receipt would indicate that I paid for red beans and rice, and not mashed potatoes. She eventually un-stapled the voucher, and gave it back to me. Now I'm sitting in a restaurant eating a gyro and hummus, wondering if I'll have to fight when I try to use my previously used voucher.
The Popeye's at the Detroit Airport sucks.
You are slow witted and you shouldn't be eating Popeye's anyway!
ReplyDeleteFirst - it is "was," only because 'red beans and rice' is one meal.
ReplyDeleteSecond - that Popeye's is notoriously sucky. You should always ask your sister about food.
Third - I have decided there is absolutely zero incentive for airport establishments to give good service. They rarely see repeat customers, so they are only judged on per-day volume. They simply have no reason to care. (See, for example, the AWFUL McDonalds at Midway. The fries are always raw, the service is painfully slow and rude, the soda is flat. But, where do we eat when we're awaiting our flight back to Denver? That's right. The crappy McDonald's. Why? That's all there is...)