The following appeared in an Avia Airlines departmental memorandum:
“On average, 9 out of every 1,000 passengers who traveled on Avia Airlines last year filed a complaint about our baggage-handling procedures. This means that although some 1 percent of our passengers were unhappy with those procedures, the overwhelming majority were quite satisfied with them; thus it would appear that a review of the procedures is not important to our goal of maintaining or increasing the number of Avia’s passengers.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
While this argument contains some compelling observations regarding the satisfaction of passengers, it is not as valid as it may seem. The premise that 9 out of 1,000 passengers were dissatisfied is questionable for several reasons. First, the 9 out of 1,000 figure is compiled from complaints only, and that, in itself, is questionable. Avia Airlines may have received complaints, but the company’s policy for recording such complaints is haphazard at best. Since the company is in the business of transporting passengers, it makes sense that its primary concern is for them to arrive safely at their destinations. If so, then its packing and handling of baggage would reflect that priority. Second, even if Avia Airlines did receive complaints, the complaints may have been valid. The complaints may have had to do with the condition of the baggage, the delay in the delivery of baggage, or some other problem. Third, and most important, the 9% figure is obtained by dividing the total complaints by the number of passengers transported. If only one complaint out of a thousand of passengers is legitimate, then Avia Airlines is probably doing quite well. However, if 10 complaints out of a thousand are legitimate, then the company’s baggage handling procedures might be in need of an overhaul. Finally, even if Avia Airlines received a large number of complaints, it is important to remember our earlier point about the company’s primary goal: to transport passengers safely to their destinations. If Avia Airlines were to improve its baggage-handling procedures, it might negatively affect the company’s ability to accomplish this goal. Thus, Avia Airlines should study its complaints carefully and take appropriate actions to improve service.