MONTREAL (Reuters) – Pleased with workers who scored top marks on customer service, Air Canada recently picked 100 at random to give them a bonus — a $3.78 hamburger coupon that expires in five weeks.
Employees winning the award were sent a personal letter containing the coupon, redeemable until Dec 31 at the Harvey’s hamburger chain, Second Cup coffee shops or other restaurant outlet owned by Cara Operations Ltd., which provides food service for the insolvent airline.
Air Canada said the awards came at no cost to the carrier, mainly because the coupons will soon expire.
They couldn’t even get enough coupons for all their best people, but had to have a lottery. I don’t think I’ll be flying Air Canada anytime soon — I mean, aside from their disgruntled employees, I wonder where else they’re cutting corners.
6 replies on “How *not* to reward your employees”
I got a 15 dollar voucher for free food to be spent at Amsterdam Airport (where I was at that moment) when my Air Canada flight was delayed in the blackout this summer. Had I known that I was stealing 4 people’s Christmas bonuses, I would have paid for my lunch myself…
-Eva
And there’s a Webber’s in the airport, which makes the bonus even more insulting!
David Janes
Especially inslting: “The burger bonus comes as two groups bidding to control Montreal-based Air Canada through equity infusions have offered its chief executive and top restructuring manager multimillion-dollar stock or cash bonuses.”
The Webber’s is lovely, but alas, it’s only in Toronto International Airport. Webber’s coupons probably wouldn’t be any good for employees whose work doesn’t take them near good ol’ Accordion City.
For the record, the comments buried under the “Post/Read Msgs” link at the bottom of that story are just totally the greatest works of rhetoric in the history of thinking.
Ah yeah, good point. Been in Toronto for 12 years and now I think for one. Still, one of the great perks working for AC is flying around for free and mmmm .. Webers.
– dpj
Blogware needs a nicer way to enter user info.