Originally Posted by
EWR764
A little bit of recognition to top-tiers in Y is such an inexpensive and easy perk to execute... doesn't even have to be a giveaway, although that would bring UA in line with its direct competitors. To be sure, lately I feel that there has been a change in strategy at UA, and I have been pleased with it (it's as if they realized that the endless pursuit of cuts caused the product to become so cheap and degraded that it was actually costing them business) but it still baffles me why UA seemingly can't get many of the simple things right.
I don't think there has been any change in strategy, I just think that they have been hit by so many defections of elites, and their NPS score is so bad, that someone has been able to make the case
on a spread sheet for a few extra pennies being spent on the clubs/food. The link between poor product/service and people cancelling their club cards and not flying UA has become clear to even the folks in Willis Tower.
United will still be below the competition in every way in
quality (the "savvy" hunter keay strategy) the goal is to spend as little $$$ as possible while making it slightly less obvious how far behind United is. But the strategy (monetize upgrades, cut elite benefits) while maintaining a sub-par OT performance ("diminishing returns above 80% OT" was how Jeff put it) and cut capacity remains the same.
CS gestures are looked at for their costs, not their benefits, and as long as people get tracked and punished (the flip side of Fly's "as long as its not too much" comment) few will stick their necks out. Its why people on this thread are so surprised to see even a single instance of this. Things like prohibiting agents from adding a "protection" leg to GS and 1K reservations in potential IRROPs (recent thread) are obviously crazy to anyone with any sense, but the impact of crazy policies causing losses in sales don't get added into spreadsheets.
p.s. I might add that United's "savvy" strategy is the same strategy that GM used for years. Don't make a great car, just make one has been cut enough in quality that you can undercut on price and still have a lower cost to make it (via cost cutting, sourcing) leading to higher profits on sales to your captive markets. Like United GM would try to adjust their "quality" when the gap became too great, but no one every aspired to excellence.
Originally Posted by
1k-all-the-way
This is the lesson UA needs to learn but can't. That a nice gesture by a few individuals have made meaningful experiences for enough elite travelers to generate many responses here. The buck or two it costs for a glass of whatever and a customer friendly policy would go very far and cost very little. But clearly marketing and customer service are not covered in law school......
or at the second or third tier business schools where UAL execs went...