July 06, 2007
Flying United: Customer Service Hitting New Lows?
Daily rant: I hope a United Airlines (uaua) spokeswoman was right when she told me United is aware of its customer service problems and that it's working on programs to improve the situation. As a longtime traveler on United, where passenger traffic is hitting new highs, the quality of customer service feels as though it's hitting new lows. I'd go so far as to say that at times many of United's flight attendants and others, such as the ticket agents at Los Angeles International Airport, act as though they might as well be working for the post office or the government.
I've noticed the "Aeroflot of old" nature of United increasingly over the past year, during which time I've probably flown around 100,000 "qualifying" miles, 57,000 of those over the past seven months.That's enough to give me more than a passing peek into the company's operations. Most of my travel has been from San Diego to the New York area, which means no non-stops (on United, that is) and plane changes in either Denver, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco or Los Angeles. That also means I've had contact with plenty of United personnel, much of it in first class, which means I should be seeing United at its very best.
Sometimes I do -- and when I do, it's as good as it gets. But the vast majority of flight attendants appear to have an us vs. them mentality. Many look bored, angry and, of course, tired. The latter is understandable, given the nature of air travel these days. But save for somebody having a bad day, the angry and bored is unacceptable, and strikes to the heart of a broken customer service system.
Is it too much to ask for a smile? Sounds crazy, but in the world of customer service, that usually goes a long way.
I shouldn't have a conversation like the one I had this morning with my daughter, who flew from Los Angeles to London on United.
"How were the flight attendants?" I asked.
"With the exception with one guy -- mean," she said. "Even the man in the seat next to me commented on it."
FlyerTalk, the popular message board for frequent fliers, even has a string of posts on how it can be increasingly tough for those in first class to get a flight attendant to hang up a jacket, one of the few remaining throwbacks to the days when customers were treated like customers. It's trivial, perhaps, but it underscores how uneven and uncaring the business has become.
You knew service, already on the decline, was going to fall even further a year or so ago when United announced it was laying off 1,000 "salaried and management" positions. (These, of course, are the people who make sure everything works right. Get rid of them, and while the company is saving money, the remaining "salaried and management" employees work harder, burn out sooner and pay less attention to detail. Why is it, for example, that United is still listing June's movies on its website? Last I looked it's July. But I digress...)
Yes, I know that United has maneuvered itself out of bankruptcy. And, yes, I know planes are running at near-capacity. And, yes, I know, the air traffic system is clogged and old, which on days when there are snowstorms or thunderstorms can fray anybody's nerves, especially exhausted flight crews that are trying to get home. I also know that morale has been terrible for years because of cuts in pay and benefits.
But don't take it out on me: That's the business its employees choose to be in, and they're working for the airline I choose to fly.
If I'm so unhappy with United, why do I continue to fly it? Other than a comfort level that comes with familiarity and the fact that I'm connected at the hip, via my United credit card -- two words: Economy Plus. On flights where I can't get upgraded, I know that in the very least I'll probably get five extra inches of legroom. That makes the difference between vacuum-packed sardine or just regular old sardine. And I'm a sucker for Channel 9, which lets you listen to pilot communications with air traffic control; it's great when there are delays or bad weather. (Assuming, of course, the pilot switches it on.)
My suggestion: In the very least, every flight should have a crew leader, preferably the plane's captain. Before every flight, when the crew goes over the passenger list -- even on tight turnarounds -- there should be a pep talk and reminder that they're in the business of serving customers. Someone needs to set the tone, and each flight is like a separate business unit. Ditto, on a regular basis, for customer service reps at the airport. Take a look, for example, at how Safeway (swy) turned around its mundane, low margin grocery store business. (Hint: Improved customer service.) And, in the airline business, don't ever forget how Gordon Bethune re-energized a demoralized Continental Airlines (cal).
It simply doesn't have to be this bad. Oh, and while we're at it: United might want to do something about using nose cones from airplanes with gray color schemes on airplanes with the newer blue-and-white color schemes, and vice versa. I realize parts are limited, but planes that look cobbled together don't quite convey the image of an airline where anybody cares.
P.S.: The spokeswoman says the only way the airline knows how well it's doing in-flight is if passengers fill out online surveys. I've done that, but figure that in a bureaucracy like United the chances of someone actually paying attention to my complaints or praise are about the same as my chances of winning the million-mile contest you automatically enter for filling out the form: Slim to next to nil.
End of rant.
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I think you elucidated the source of the bad service. You continue to fly because of 5 inches of leg room. That is far more important to you than the bad service. That is true of most of the public. Price is usually what matters most. So why spend on service or food or anything else? Exactly. There is no reason.
Posted by: tt | July 06, 2007 at 01:32 PM
I think the frequent flyer loyalty is part of the reason as well. My preferred airlines are Alaska and American. Even though Alaska employees seem to be maintaining good attitudes, they keep taking away things that used to make the experience bearable. On American, first class service has been okay, but coach service is just passing.
I always, always say hello when I interact with the employees. I actualy got a grump gate agent to stop scowling the other day.
Posted by: Mike | July 06, 2007 at 02:46 PM
Brings back memories, this does. Or is that flashbacks?
I flew United to London twenty years ago on a vermin infested, leaking plane with a hostile cabin crew. There was a mouse running loose in the galley area, water leaking from overhead where there was condensation in delaminating insulation (!), and a flight attendant snapped at a passenger for asking for a pen.
Posted by: Fred | July 06, 2007 at 02:59 PM
Herb:
Well at least the airlines which are perennially losing money and heavily shorted are not crying, "It's the naked short sellers to blame."
Respectfully,
Sam E. Antar (former Crazy Eddie CFO & convicted felon)
Posted by: Sam E. Antar (former Crazy Eddie CFO & convicted felon) | July 06, 2007 at 03:55 PM
United is the worst of the worst. Remember, you could fly on Southwest or JetBlue and get the EconomyPlus legroom in every seat...plus your flights might actually arrive on time.
Posted by: Lothar Zardon | July 06, 2007 at 04:45 PM
Herb,
I used to be a loyal United customer, too. I was way up there in their frequent-flyer program as I was literally commuting back and forth to Australia fairly regularly. Then my father died and I had to quickly arrange a flight from Seattle back to Des Moines, explaining the circumstances and receiving assurances that I would get their 'bereavement' fare. On the way back to Iowa, they managed to totally destroy a very expensive Samsonite aluminum-framed bag, squashing it in on both sides and actually knocking a big hole in it to boot. When I came to the airport to return home, I was informed that I had been sold a ONE-WAY ticket, not a round-trip and I had to cough up another 600 bucks to get home. I asked if they did this because they thought I was the guest of honor at this funeral but apparently they, like the FBI, have no identifiable sense of humor. It took me over a year to get a refund of HALF of my return ticket fare, no mention made of the outbound fare and no apology. Needless to say I haven't set foot on a United flight since then (1999), and I'll hitchhike before I ever do again.
Flying United: Customer Service Hitting New Lows?
Daily rant: I hope a United Airlines (uaua) spokeswoman was right when she told me United is aware of its customer service problems and that it's working on programs to improve the situation. As a longtime traveler on United, where passenger traffic is hitting new highs, the quality of customer service feels as though it's hitting new lows. I'd go so far as to say that at times many of United's flight attendants and others, such as the ticket agents at Los Angeles International Airport, act as though they might as well be working for the post office or the government.
I've noticed the "Aeroflot of old" nature of United increasingly over the past year, during which time I've probably flown around 100,000 "qualifying" miles, 57,000 of those over the past seven months.That's enough to give me more than a passing peek into the company's operations. Most of my travel has been from San Diego to the New York area, which means no non-stops (on United, that is) and plane changes in either Denver, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco or Los Angeles. That also means I've had contact with plenty of United personnel, much of it in first class, which means I should be seeing United at its very best.
Sometimes I do -- and when I do, it's as good as it gets. But the vast majority of flight attendants appear to have an us vs. them mentality. Many look bored, angry and, of course, tired. The latter is understandable, given the nature of air travel these days. But save for somebody having a bad day, the angry and bored is unacceptable, and strikes to the heart of a broken customer service system.
Is it too much to ask for a smile? Sounds crazy, but in the world of customer service, that usually goes a long way.
I shouldn't have a conversation like the one I had this morning with my daughter, who flew from Los Angeles to London on United.
"How were the flight attendants?" I asked.
"With the exception with one guy -- mean," she said. "Even the man in the seat next to me commented on it."
FlyerTalk, the popular message board for frequent fliers, even has a string of posts on how it can be increasingly tough for those in first class to get a flight attendant to hang up a jacket, one of the few remaining throwbacks to the days when customers were treated like customers. It's trivial, perhaps, but it underscores how uneven and uncaring the business has become.
You knew service, already on the decline, was going to fall even further a year or so ago when United announced it was laying off 1,000 "salaried and management" positions. (These, of course, are the people who make sure everything works right. Get rid of them, and while the company is saving money, the remaining "salaried and management" employees work harder, burn out sooner and pay less attention to detail. Why is it, for example, that United is still listing June's movies on its website? Last I looked it's July. But I digress...)
Yes, I know that United has maneuvered itself out of bankruptcy. And, yes, I know planes are running at near-capacity. And, yes, I know, the air traffic system is clogged and old, which on days when there are snowstorms or thunderstorms can fray anybody's nerves, especially exhausted flight crews that are trying to get home. I also know that morale has been terrible for years because of cuts in pay and benefits.
But don't take it out on me: That's the business its employees choose to be in, and they're working for the airline I choose to fly.
If I'm so unhappy with United, why do I continue to fly it? Other than a comfort level that comes with familiarity and the fact that I'm connected at the hip, via my United credit card -- two words: Economy Plus. On flights where I can't get upgraded, I know that in the very least I'll probably get five extra inches of legroom. That makes the difference between vacuum-packed sardine or just regular old sardine. And I'm a sucker for Channel 9, which lets you listen to pilot communications with air traffic control; it's great when there are delays or bad weather. (Assuming, of course, the pilot switches it on.)
My suggestion: In the very least, every flight should have a crew leader, preferably the plane's captain. Before every flight, when the crew goes over the passenger list -- even on tight turnarounds -- there should be a pep talk and reminder that they're in the business of serving customers. Someone needs to set the tone, and each flight is like a separate business unit. Ditto, on a regular basis, for customer service reps at the airport. Take a look, for example, at how Safeway (swy) turned around its mundane, low margin grocery store business. (Hint: Improved customer service.) And, in the airline business, don't ever forget how Gordon Bethune re-energized a demoralized Continental Airlines (cal).
It simply doesn't have to be this bad. Oh, and while we're at it: United might want to do something about using nose cones from airplanes with gray color schemes on airplanes with the newer blue-and-white color schemes, and vice versa. I realize parts are limited, but planes that look cobbled together don't quite convey the image of an airline where anybody cares.
P.S.: The spokeswoman says the only way the airline knows how well it's doing in-flight is if passengers fill out online surveys. I've done that, but figure that in a bureaucracy like United the chances of someone actually paying attention to my complaints or praise are about the same as my chances of winning the million-mile contest you automatically enter for filling out the form: Slim to next to nil.
End of rant.
July 06, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Save & Share: Del.icio.us | Digg it | Facebook
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TrackBack
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Flying United: Customer Service Hitting New Lows?:
Comments
I think you elucidated the source of the bad service. You continue to fly because of 5 inches of leg room. That is far more important to you than the bad service. That is true of most of the public. Price is usually what matters most. So why spend on service or food or anything else? Exactly. There is no reason.
Posted by: tt | July 06, 2007 at 01:32 PM
I think the frequent flyer loyalty is part of the reason as well. My preferred airlines are Alaska and American. Even though Alaska employees seem to be maintaining good attitudes, they keep taking away things that used to make the experience bearable. On American, first class service has been okay, but coach service is just passing.
I always, always say hello when I interact with the employees. I actualy got a grump gate agent to stop scowling the other day.
Posted by: Mike | July 06, 2007 at 02:46 PM
Brings back memories, this does. Or is that flashbacks?
I flew United to London twenty years ago on a vermin infested, leaking plane with a hostile cabin crew. There was a mouse running loose in the galley area, water leaking from overhead where there was condensation in delaminating insulation (!), and a flight attendant snapped at a passenger for asking for a pen.
Posted by: Fred | July 06, 2007 at 02:59 PM
Herb:
Well at least the airlines which are perennially losing money and heavily shorted are not crying, "It's the naked short sellers to blame."
Respectfully,
Sam E. Antar (former Crazy Eddie CFO & convicted felon)
Posted by: Sam E. Antar (former Crazy Eddie CFO & convicted felon) | July 06, 2007 at 03:55 PM
United is the worst of the worst. Remember, you could fly on Southwest or JetBlue and get the EconomyPlus legroom in every seat...plus your flights might actually arrive on time.
Posted by: Lothar Zardon | July 06, 2007 at 04:45 PM
Herb,
I used to be a loyal United customer, too. I was way up there in their frequent-flyer program as I was literally commuting back and forth to Australia fairly regularly. Then my father died and I had to quickly arrange a flight from Seattle back to Des Moines, explaining the circumstances and receiving assurances that I would get their 'bereavement' fare. On the way back to Iowa, they managed to totally destroy a very expensive Samsonite aluminum-framed bag, squashing it in on both sides and actually knocking a big hole in it to boot. When I came to the airport to return home, I was informed that I had been sold a ONE-WAY ticket, not a round-trip and I had to cough up another 600 bucks to get home. I asked if they did this because they thought I was the guest of honor at this funeral but apparently they, like the FBI, have no identifiable sense of humor. It took me over a year to get a refund of HALF of my return ticket fare, no mention made of the outbound fare and no apology. Needless to say I haven't set foot on a United flight since then (1999), and I'll hitchhike before I ever do again.
