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Feb 11, 2024, 11:45 am
#46
zombietooth
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,057
Originally Posted by tennessetom
Call people dragons and heck they might breath fire at you,
[mod edit]
OP sounds like he behaved deferentially while attempting to get an empathetic response that would allow him to be re-booked. The problem is that all UA CS agents now regard us paying customers as adversaries. Their goal is to get the best outcome for the company, not to get us to our destinations in the most timely and convenient fashion.
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Last edited by l etoile; May 29, 2024 at 10:53 pm
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Feb 11, 2024, 11:55 am
#47
zombietooth
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,057
Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
The thread title is unmodified from the OP's submission.
Sorry, my statement was imprecise. In order for a person to respond negatively, you would have to call them a "dragon" to their face. So, the agent, unless they are here on FT, has no idea that OP referred to them in this way and, therefore, could not have treated OP worse because of name calling.
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Feb 11, 2024, 12:07 pm
#48
seanp7
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,403
Originally Posted by halls120
I have a phone. Having one shouldn't be a prerequisite for access to customer service.
This.
Count me in the camp that thinks a staffed UA Customer Service Counter should be able to provide customer service in a reasonable amount of wait time. Not everyone is an Accenture / BCG guru millennial who doesnt want to talk to a human and can self-serve their way out of every issue in life. I cant imagine what my 70 year old Aussie mother, without data roaming, would have done here.
Final straw: OP, after calling, had to talk to an airport human anyway so
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Feb 11, 2024, 12:42 pm
#49
mander
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 1,295
Originally Posted by AsiaTravel2019
Unfortunate situation. A few observations, from a very frequent flier on multiple airlines the last 6 year, including the US3:
1.) All of the planes are sold out. UA knows they can do (or not do) whatever they want. Demand is endless. Don't like their customer no-service? Go pound sand and someone else will take your place.
2.) Customer service doesn't make money, so you are officially overhead.
3.) Frequent flier status doesn't mean anything anymore. See #1.
4.) The US3 only do the bare minimum of what they need to do to keep the cash rolling in.
I'm not saying it's right, but it is what it is.
CS may not make money but it can certainly lose it -- like when my flight is cancelled I can't get CS so I cancel the refundable ticket and hop on another airline.
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Feb 11, 2024, 1:08 pm
#50
stevendorechester
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: ba silver
Posts: 741
Pathetic!
I wonder if their CEO asked to see a CS agent after a cancelation would he be stopped by the low-level employees?
Or a captain who was deadheading and had a flight cancelled? Then again I'm sure staff who need to get rebooked have access to secret phone numbers not available to the paying public.
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Feb 11, 2024, 2:03 pm
#51
fwfdan
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: NOVA
Programs: IHG Rewards Platinum, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, UA/DL/AA Back of the plane...
Posts: 4,642
Originally Posted by halls120
You have to have cell phone to get service on United? That is a new low, even for Kirby.
My parents would be SOL. Making phone calls is a challenge for some people let alone scanning a QR code and dealing with a remote agent (though to be honest I am started down the side of the hill identified by the label "elderly")
IMHO lots of excuses for UA here. If UA really wants to have agents dedicated to helping via an app or kiosks then those agents should NOT be out in full view at the airport with no customers at a Customer service desk! Refusing to help a customer who was directed by the agent on the phone to see an airport agent it just inexcusable.
the days of walking up to a random gate agent asking for information is long gone.
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Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 11, 2024 at 2:53 pmReason: merged consecutive posts by same member
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Feb 11, 2024, 2:27 pm
#52
cmculp
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Honolulu / DC
Programs: UA 1K /2mm / Marriott Lifetime Titanium , Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,059
This thread does seem to have struck a raw nerve.
I think a major part of the OPs beef is that we pay a heavy nickel for club membership, and a big part of the value proposition is the CS available to members. It has been invaluable to me over the years, and I would be upset if it suddenly simply wasnt there when I needed it.
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Feb 11, 2024, 2:40 pm
#53
ani90
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC, LON
Programs: *
Posts: 2,854
Originally Posted by cmculp
This thread does seem to have struck a raw nerve.
I think a major part of the OPs beef is that we pay a heavy nickel for club membership, and a big part of the value proposition is the CS available to members. It has been invaluable to me over the years, and I would be upset if it suddenly simply wasnt there when I needed it.
OP never mentioned club membership in the original post. This discussion is (or should be) about unmanned customer service desks, unhelpful UA staff around the customer service desk, and broken 'agent on demand' substitution, if I read the original post correctly. The other issues being brought in are mostly hypotheticals and different, sometimes extreme, views on the problem, alternatives and solutions.
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Feb 11, 2024, 2:47 pm
#54
Lux Flyer
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,304
Originally Posted by zombietooth
Sorry, my statement was imprecise. In order for a person to respond negatively, you would have to call them a "dragon" to their face. So, the agent, unless they are here on FT, has no idea that OP referred to them in this way and, therefore, could not have treated OP worse because of name calling.
Not trying to dig too much into OP's mindset, but I think the inferred point is if someone's description of the employee is a dragon on an online forum, it may bias their interaction with and how they approach that employee, regardless if they explicitly called them a dragon in person or not.
Originally Posted by stevendorechester
I wonder if their CEO asked to see a CS agent after a cancelation would he be stopped by the low-level employees?
Or a captain who was deadheading and had a flight cancelled? Then again I'm sure staff who need to get rebooked have access to secret phone numbers not available to the paying public.
No because neither of those are within the CS agent's purview to handle. "The CEO" and other executives have executive assistants who handle their affairs, and the captain who is deadheading would be reaccommodated by crew scheduling.
Originally Posted by cmculp
I think a major part of the OPs beef is that we pay a heavy nickel for club membership, and a big part of the value proposition is the CS available to members. It has been invaluable to me over the years, and I would be upset if it suddenly simply wasnt there when I needed it.
Not sure if I missed something, but this had nothing to do with the UA clubs - OP is talking about the mid terminal CS center, which it sounds like was closed at the time based on the reported interactions.
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Feb 11, 2024, 3:42 pm
#55
fwfdan
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: NOVA
Programs: IHG Rewards Platinum, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, UA/DL/AA Back of the plane...
Posts: 4,642
Originally Posted by ani90
OP never mentioned club membership in the original post. This discussion is (or should be) about unmanned customer service desks, unhelpful UA staff around the customer service desk, and broken 'agent on demand' substitution, if I read the original post correctly. The other issues being brought in are mostly hypotheticals and different, sometimes extreme, views on the problem, alternatives and solutions.
That clearly is not an unmanned customer service desk. It is a manned desk that either has access blocked or they are refusing to help. They are not "around the cs desk" they are clearly working at a position that is marked "customer service". None of the comments seem extreme. And the were no alternatives or solutions offered to the OP by CS at the airport if I am reading correctly. It was "use the QR code" even though they did and were directed to airport staff who refused to help.
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Feb 11, 2024, 4:07 pm
#56
JDJuice
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: DL 3MM DM / UA 1K / AC 75K / F9 100K / Hilton Diamond / Marriott Platinum / Hertz Presidential
Posts: 39
They're closing the last DEN CS help center. Right now is a test. They plan to send agents out on the A/B Cons during IROPS with mobile devices to help. UA DEN customer service has told service partners to just go see a gate agent and ask for help if delayed or canceled.
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Feb 11, 2024, 4:24 pm
#57
halls120
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 58,178
Originally Posted by JDJuice
They're closing the last DEN CS help center. Right now is a test. They plan to send agents out on the A/B Cons during IROPS with mobile devices to help. UA DEN customer service has told service partners to just go see a gate agent and ask for help if delayed or canceled.
More Kirby Kwality Kutbacks. 
I seem to recall that UA tried to pull the "use the QR code" nonsense in a couple of UC's recently and customer response was not positive. I don't think it's going to be any different out in the terminals.
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Feb 11, 2024, 4:27 pm
#58
zombietooth
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,057
Originally Posted by Lux Flyer
Not trying to dig too much into OP's mindset, but I think the inferred point is if someone's description of the employee is a dragon on an online forum, it may bias their interaction with and how they approach that employee, regardless if they explicitly called them a dragon in person or not.
I run a small business and have to negotiate deals with clients every day. Some of them are loathsome creatures who unfortunately regularly confide in me details of their personal and business lives that I find disgusting (e.g. bragging about cheating on their taxes or spouses). Some even call me "stupid" when negotiating with them and hurl other insults. I always remain calm and deferential and am almost always able to close a deal advantageous to me because I am able to convince them that I am empathetic to their situation/position and am doing my best for them. I believe that all successful business people have this skill set, and that it's unlikely that OP treated the CS agent with anything but respect. The old saying that, "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar", comes to mind.
Last edited by zombietooth; Feb 11, 2024 at 6:06 pm
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Feb 11, 2024, 6:00 pm
#59
FlyfromDenver
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1MM, MP 1K, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 468
Originally Posted by seanp7
This.
Count me in the camp that thinks a staffed UA Customer Service Counter should be able to provide customer service in a reasonable amount of wait time. Not everyone is an Accenture / BCG guru millennial who doesnt want to talk to a human and can self-serve their way out of every issue in life. I cant imagine what my 70 year old Aussie mother, without data roaming, would have done here.
Final straw: OP, after calling, had to talk to an airport human anyway so
I am a 69 year old woman. Getting older doesn't mean giving up learning new things. This is totally non-snarky but if people need extra help traveling, it's time to add the extra service piece. If you have family that you think will have problems traveling on their own, it's time to step in.
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Feb 11, 2024, 7:12 pm
#60
fwfdan
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: NOVA
Programs: IHG Rewards Platinum, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, UA/DL/AA Back of the plane...
Posts: 4,642
The lack of customer service actually does not surprise me.
Poor United. being expected to help passengers who paid to get from A to B when UA says we cannot get you to B. /s
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Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 11, 2024 at 7:29 pmReason: Discuss the issue, not the poster(s)
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