debra coury sent a message to Gary Kelly that said:
Dear Mr. Kelly
Sorry to bother you but I believe my customer issue is important and is not being fairly handled by SW's customer representatives. I feel you should know what is going on. My concern is seforth the the following email to one of SW's reps.
Here it is:
"Att: Ki'ara X248004
Conf # sal62x Ref # 2308746468558
Voucher Requested - Not to expire untll June, 2020 - $227.50
Dear Ki'ara
Please forward this email to your manager FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
I am deeply disappointed with the customer relations department & their refusal to credit me the ticket amount of $227.50 w/an expiration date of March, 2020. It was NOT disclosed at the time I combined 2 vouchers to purchase my ticket, that if I would need to cancel my flight, the expiration date of resulting itinerary would default to the earlier of the two expiration dates. In fact, I spoke to the ticket agent at the time of booking, asking them what the policy was if I needed to cancel the flight, how they would handle the reimbursement of the two vouchers.
They replied there was no way to know unless we cancelled the ticket to find out, and if the reimbursement was problematic, she could transfer me to a different department that could ensure it was made right. I did that, and was then transferred to another representative who apologized saying that the expiration date problem was "a glitch in the Southwest (SW) system" that could not be fixed. He escalated the issue to a third customer service agent, who took another 30 minutes to give me a patronizing explanation of why SW could do nothing to help restore my original expiration date and that knowledge of SW policy is a "two way street" with our customers.
I was told there was an explanation of the reimbursement policy in the emails I had received, which was incorrect - upon subsequent review, it absolutely does not address the scenario of customers using 2 vouchers at once at the risk of losing expiration-date time on one of the vouchers should they need to change their travel plans.
Moreover, your customer service team should have been able to readily explain this restrictive policy when specifically asked, and they failed to do so. I was given a $50 voucher for "misinformation," which is far less than the request I was making - which was simply to reinstate the original expiration date so I would be able to use it. At this point, restoring that original expiration date (March '20) would not even be adequately helpful, as too much time has transpired for me to make plans to use the voucher by that date.
So, I am requesting the voucher expiration be delayed to June '20 due to the problems we have encountered.
I have spent an extraordinary amount of time, frustration & effort to explain my situation (see other emails, phone call records &documented medical information), in order to meet your requirements to receive credit for a ticket I have purchased in good faith & in accordance with SW reputation. Your company advertises that it is flexible & easy to work with when a customer finds it necessary to cancel a flight, especially in my case when I was not able to fly due to an unstable medical condition precipitated by taking a new prescription.
Working with SW on this matter has been extremely stressful, especially for a senior citizen. This whole situation has been ANYTHING but easy!
FOR A BRAND THAT BASES ITSELF ON CONSUMER CARE, LOYALTY, FLEXIBILITY SERVICE & LOYALTY, SW HAS LET ME DOWN!
I don't understand why it is so difficult for SW to return my voucher to the original expiration date, or better yet, just cancel the old vouchers (including the added cash paid), & issue a new voucher.
In my opinion, it will not cost SW any additional expense & would return me to using SW for future travel needs. At this point, my husband & I & our family (10 members), have no interest in scheduling future flights with SW.
I've forwarded a copy of this & previous emails to SW, CEO Gary Kelly, explaining the unfairness involved in this whole scenario."
Thank you for your attention.
Debra Coury
