From The Associated Press
—UNITED TO UNPLUG PHONE NUMBER FOR COMPLAINTS—
United is dropping an Indian customer call center that handled compliments or complaints, telling customers to send a letter or e-mail instead. United informed workers that it would stop publishing its customer relations phone number, and will turn it off altogether at the end of April. A United spokesperson said the airline is able to respond better to customers who write, since they often include more detail, making it possible to provide a more specific response.
Are these guys smoking crack? Using this same logic, they should tell Congressmen and Senators to please send all questions about airline operations and funding requests by email, “since they often include more detail, making it possible to provide a more specific response.”
Perhaps all United Red Carpet Room help should be provided by email and small kiosks that will check membership and then allow the most-frequent-of-fliers to type in their questions about changing reservations, making seat changes, allowing a friend to join them in the club room? That would also work far better “since they often include more detail, making it possible to provide a more specific response.”
United Airlines should tell their bankers, bondholders and shareholders to only send email so that the airline can “repond better to” owners. We’ll see how much that system helps the airline “provide a more specific response.” I think the stakeholders will provide the imperious airline a “specific response.”
“Shove it.”
Who need someone asking questions for clarification? Who needs communications? When could there possibly be a problem that might need immediate action? Who carries a computer around with them at all times so that they can communicate with the Pooh-Bahs at United?
Email might be a part of the customer service process, but it is a poor substitute for human interaction, especially when time is of the essence.
Who do they think they are fooling. Is this really the airline that paid Walt Disney hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve their customer service and that hired a former Disney executive to head their customer service team?
United should get their money back for the Disney training if this is the result. And, United should keep their customer service phone plugged in. And, they should answer it.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
