The Pontiflex Blog

The Dangers of Flying

April 30, 2010 at 4:21 pm eadlman Leave a comment

The workings of the universe are sometimes mysterious, as the ways of technology. For example, I have often wondered why JetBlue can provide satellite TV to its consumers but can’t provide basic wi-fi.

Speaking of JetBlue, I had to call their customer service line regarding some matters gone awry. While on the line, the customer service representative from Jet Blue, after helping me with the aforementioned matter, asked me if I would like to sign up for the Jet Blue travel deals newsletter. I like the words “travel” and “deals”, especially when placed next to each other.

Unfortunately, the sales rep got the wrong email address, only by a letter, but on the Internet a misplaced letter can displace you from the picture with the force of a thousand words. A certain person called Eric began to receive my communications.  This was concerning as the email communications being sent to Eric included my personal information, as well as snippets about my preferences.

I contacted Jet Blue and had this snafu corrected. I also contacted Eric, and now we have formed a mutual friendship. He has agreed to send me all emails that he might mistakenly receive, because that’s what friends do.

There are two lessons that can be learned from this episode. First, companies should ensure that they get the correct consumer data at every step in the sales cycle. If proper precautions are not taken in this regard, the domino effect can be harmful – for the company, and more importantly for the user.

Second, Eric never acknowledged the receipt of the free ticket that Jet Blue could very well have sent me.  Online friendships, unlike friendships in the offline world, can go only so far.

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