It might be that I'm a little jaded by my 11 week run around with American Airlines in seeking a refund for a ticket I purchased for my Mother, but I'm with Mitt Romney.

‘fire people’

Poor customer service sadly has become the American way and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I submitted three refund requests (October 25, November 5 and November 10) to American without a response.

On November 17, I contacted Customer Relations and received instructions from Terrance G. Bailey on canceling the ticket and submitting the death certificate.

The ticket was canceled and the death certificate faxed on November 21.

On December 7, The Refund web site advised that there "may be some correspondence or other activity associated" with my request.

On December 14, I received an e-mail from Pat Reeves addressed "To Whom It May Concern" (even though I put my name on all contacts with the company) and it requested a written explanation along with a copy of the death certificate.

It took a week to send an e-mail?

On December 15, I let the American Refund Department know they were incompetent, as they had received the death certificate on November 21 and had finally begun processing the request, I also called them inconsiderate and insensitive.

What the hell kind of written explanation is needed regarding death?

I had copied Customer Relations on the December 15 correspondence and received an automatic response on December 19 that included a reference number and stated, "The Customer Relations team are eager to resolve issues that arise in the hope of seeing you fly American Airlines again and again".

On December 29, I received the same exact correspondence from Pat Reeves as I received on December 7.

That's further proof of incompetence and is likely a canned response with a fictitious name.

My wife put the story on the American Airlines Facebook page and has not received a response there, even though American has responded to almost every other post after hers, even to people that called them "...holes".

Because I've done time in the customer service industry, I go out of my way to compliment people who do a good job in their service to me. I often ask for their manager to let them know how pleased I am, most managers don't know how to react because they only hear the negative.

I was originally advised it would take 4 to 6 weeks, but I have received no further communications from American.

I am extremely disappointed in American Airlines, but this is not over!