Delta Reborn!!

By Kerwin De Matas

First of all, I want to apologize to the people that do read my blog, for not updating this week, but I was away on work related travel. Of course not having a notebook, I was totally without access.

So what am I going to write about today?...Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to talk about the company that I work for. DELTA AIRLINES.

Is Delta That Sexy?

Let me just say that I worked for a cruiseline before ( eight years! ), the work atmosphere was really hard, but the efforts on the part of human resources, to motivate the crew were excellent! Hell, I´ll even call the name of the cruise line, ROYAL CARIBBEAN. I was totally committed to this cruiseline, because of the atmosphere being so light, apart of the work being so hard. After leaving this work, to be with family full time, I decided that I wanted to work for an airline, didn´t know which one, but I started sending my curriculums out anyway, in the hope that one of them would catch on. Finally word got out that Delta Airlines was hiring. I tried out, knowing full well that the company was in trouble, but I wanted to be part of it anyway. Then it happened, chapter eleven, everyone was worried, including myself...moral was very low, people started looking for other jobs, yeh, it was scary.

Jim Whitehurst And Jerry Grinstein

Our local social committie, headed by a very spirited, Diana Shamoly, were doing an exceptional job of trying to motivate the call center, but as I said moral was/is at an all time low. People just came to work because they had to. Just plug in, do the shift, and hope that it would be over quickly! What was going to happen to Delta, everything was going against emloyees for the sake of reconstruction ( pay cuts, pension cuts, layoffs...). Should we continue to be committed to a company, that we felt was not being committed to us? Then along comes this reconstruction presentation program, put on by Delta to show it´s employees, that no, they weren´t forgotten. Invitations were sent out to all employees to get up, and travel to Atlanta, to see exactly what was in store for us during the now and the future of this company. I will tell you, that I was really impressed with what I saw and heard. We were informed that we the employees, are just as part of this reconstruction process, as the big bosses in Delta. I have to say that Mr. Jim Whitehurst, was my favorite speaker.

This Should Be Started....

That guy is very well educated on the subject of economics, and listening to him explain everything so clearly on the reconstruction process to us, so that we could all understand, was for me, fantastic. I don´t know about anyone else, but I was convinced. I mean, why go out and spend all this money that we truly need right now, to take our company forward, and put on this presentation on our behalf, and sincerely asking us to cooperate on the restructuring process of Delta Airlines. Definitly, the future of this company, truly depends on every one, from the people that work on the tarmac, the baggage, Fto´s, Cto´s, call centers, everyone; the urgency, was totally felt, when this request was made for the unending cooperation, of all Delta personnel in this reconstruction effort. We were shown that, when we come in contact with our guests, whether it´s by telephone or face to face, and we treat them, as if each one, was the first one of the day; Then those efforts would be rewarded by the guests, coming back to our airline, meaning more buisness for us, and a guarantee that we would be a strong factor in the airline biz for a long time. Yes I know, and I felt it also, when in the call center, it can become really monotonous, but guess what...If our U.S colleagues got the brunt of these changes, and out of pure loyalty to a company, that they went through the good times with, and choosing to continue with in the bad; Then why can´t us, the newest addition to the company, do the same? We are after all, going through a bankruptcy with Delta, so with much more reason to go on and try saving this company, as well as our jobs. So ya´ll ( Georgian touch! ), let´s try motivating ourselves first, so that we can provide the service necessary to our guests ( including Dominican Republic and Argentina!! ). I learned in that presentation, that we need to loosen up, not to be too uptight ( hear that Santiago LACC!! ), I am not saying that we have to party every day on the job, but the atmosphere should be lighter.

...So That This Can Be Achieved

We should do things like, for example, the Atlanta call center, MUSIC ON THE BAY!! ( 80´s music in english and spanish? ), not loud, but music really does wonders! I mean, we can do a lot of fun stuff each day, so that the work can be a pleasure, instead of a chore. With an atmosphere like like that, who wouldn´t want to get up each day, and run to work! Guess what folks, that´s how loyalty begins, and towards an eventual exit from chapter eleven. Means a successful future for us ya´ll. One thing I learned while working on the Cruiseline guys; It´s not a good idea to torture one´s self, and so the saying on board was, " The door swings both ways, in and out ". I am decided now, that, if I am going to do this thing, I am going to do it well, if I can´t, then I´ll go out. Let´s enjoy ourselves now, and go out there and shake things up for us, what do you think, huh?


" Their joy is contagious.
They are the unfrazzlers, the detoxers, the defunkifiers, the
mindreaders, the magical time-enhancers." Delta Reborn.