Bad Day At Pit

[Light Years]

In addition to placing the blame on customers, she asserts that they are lying.

Does anyone know who would have authorized these comments? Do they come from someone at PIT or Crystal City? I heard on TV last night that a CSR would be calling each and every customer to personally apologize for what happened. How does that square with these comments?

This turns my stomach. They lay off thousands to a point where the operation and the product is a downright embarrassment, and then they blame the travelers they are lucky to still have.

When I read CSR I understand it to mean agents- they cannot be having front line employees call homes to apologize for this! If I were a customer I would want someone responsible for the staffing issues to not only apologize, but also to clarify what will be done to assure it doesnt happen again.

 

[tadjr]

Instead of turning this into a bash-management thread (don't we have enough of those), could someone explain:

1) Why checking in at a kiosk with luggage takes ten times as long as checking in without luggage
2) What can be done (besides the obvious throw-out-the-kiosks-and-hire-more-people one) to fix that?

1) It shouldnt. You have the same number of screens since if you arent checking bags, you have to hit the 0 key instead of a 1 or 2. Then the computer spits out the bag tags behind the counter and the agent tags them, checks ID and you're done. If it was taking 4 or 5 mins per transaction instead of the usual 30 seconds, it was a computer problem. Normally by the time the computer has finished printing out the boarding passes, the bag tags are done as well.

Now as far as having someone available to TAG the bags and check ID, thats another story. We often times have 1 agent to work 8 kiosks. Someones gonna wait.

2) Not a clue, but even if I knew, no one listens to those of us WORKING THE PROBLEMS on a daily basis anyway. :down:

 

[local 12 proud]

if i were a customer i would simply tell them to "kiss my arse" and take my buisness elsewhere!

 

[funguy2]

W:EXCH:INVOL:

Thanks for the perspective. I have never used one for international travel... prefer the agent touch on those, and I don't travel int'l very frequently anyway.

It definitely sounds like the IT people need to consider the passenger and the process a little more, rather than put in some "cool things" which might be practically useless.

 

[tadjr]

If the customers are on the same record and come up on the screen together AND thereare seats together, once you assign the first person it asks if you want everyone else to sit together, BUT if there are no seats together, you have to keep going back to the first screen to assign all the seats individually instead of being able to say (for this group checking in we want 6A, 8F, 12C, etc) No, pick a seat, go back to first screen, bring up second name, select flight, pick a seat, go back to first screen, etc.

Also MANY people do not want to put a CC in the machine or they dont have one or anything else the machine can read (AAA, Debit, Credit, FF, Giant Eagle, etc). They are supposedly working on a way to get the records up without having to swipe something in the machine. They dont want to be charged again since they've already paid.

It would also be helpful if someone has more bags than allowed for free, to check them at the kiosk as long as they have a CC and can swipe it for the charge of the extra bag. If someone has more than 2 bags then an agent must check the extra bag and do the Excess Baggage charge. This might have been part of the problem with people checking more bags than normal. Otherwise as long as everyone was within their 2 bag limit, it should not have taken extra time on a normal basis.

Once again though, we present problems of why people arent using the machine and are basically told to deal with it. I know many agents who just do it themselves because its easier so the people will never learn.

Also if you are on a UA ticket on US, it will print the BP for you, provided the UA eticket came through in the system. Otherwise, it cant find the eticket and checkin will fail.

 

[Hello Newman]

Like no one realized that the summer travel season is here??????

The last time I non reved out of PIT, an agent was working the line, pushing people
toward the kiosk , when they replied they'd rather have a live agent she said even louder " LET ME SHOW YOU HOW TO DO THIS" , stopping short of dragging them over
herself. I guess she was off duty last Sunday.

 

[networking]

Almost had a similar situation in our station this a.m. Understaffed by 2 or 3 agents. Had 126 to check in with 2 agents and a floater near the kiosks. People were getting very, very nervous in line. The computers and kiosks automatically cut off checking bags 30 minutes before. We had to override this because so many people were left in line. After the last 10 people ran through security everyone made it, but not everyone's bags. This was NOT the passenger's fault. It was a staffing issue, which I am sure happened in PIT. Supervisors are not to blame. This is June, and load factors are up 40% over last year. We just don't have enough agents in our station. We need more to take into consideration all the ones out sick, all the ones on vacation, all the ones burnt out, and all the ones who do not want to come in on their days off to cover the ones out. You can't blame them. Usairways need to quit being so CHEAP with their labor numbers before it is too late. It is going to come around to bite them in the end. They are being penny wise and dollar foolish.

And on the kiosk issues...let the ones who want to use them use them. Let the Grandma's who have never been to a drive through go to an agent. Move the international's through an agent. I heard that we are the only airline forcing most of our passengers through the kiosks. I have much to say on this issue, but that this a start.

 

[mweiss]

I heard that we are the only airline forcing most of our passengers through the kiosks.

You heard wrong. NW is too.

 

[Finish or Ignore]

RE KIOSKS:

We were told the beatings would continue until morale improves.

 

[ClueByFour]

You know what's amusing about the kiosks?

If I'm checking in for a domestic flight (alone), I use them and prefer to use them (or online check in). I don't like to bug an agent for something that simple.

International? Agent (ya'll can type on the keyboard faster than I can key that screen, and I typically have bags anyway).

With anyone? Up until e-upgrades, I could never check in with a companion, as the programming (at the time) had no way of supporting their upgrade. The last time I tried this on a dometic itinerary that had two different PNRs "joined" by res for upgrade purposes, it did not work. I've heard this may have been fixed.

With luggage? A toss up.

The problem is that US sees the kiosks as total people replacement. They don't work that way, and they got burned in PIT because of it.

 

[ACrazy8]

Deleted

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

Well, I guess it's my turn.

Kiosks are great if you are:

1) pre-booked and (preferably) pre-paid,
2) traveling without checked baggage,
3) familiar with modern electronic automation, and
4) responsible enough to arrive at the airport early for check-in.

If even one of the above does not apply to your travel, then a HUMAN BEING should be handling your check-in at ticketing. IMO, this means staffing should be high enough to handle a bazillion pax with 43 bags a piece if necessary. This is a no-brainer to anyone who knows what it's like to live in the modern world.

If an airline's bread and butter comes from passengers, they should have interaction with employees, not machines. There is no substitute for the human touch - never was - never will be.