Emailing Gordon
 

Does anyone have his new email address? It seems that [email protected] no longer works ALTHOUGH the nimwits at Continental still say that it should, even at the on-line desk. It seems that his inbox must have overflowed. I also tried all sorts of combinations w/ underscores and reversing to last name first but nothing.

first->[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Jim Phillips (edited 10-24-2003).]

I've heard that Gordon doesn't read emails from passengers. Anyone else hear that?

In mid-September, just before the new Elite qualification requirements were anounced, I mailed a letter "directly to" Gordon. Three weeks later, I received a reply from someone in customer care.

I guess billionaires can't read. Who says you need school?

I sent a letter to Gordon AFTER the elite changes were made and I too got a letter back from someone else telling me they forwarded my comments to the Customer Care Dept. I don't expect anything to come from it unless every elite member also sends a letter. If you haven't please send one!!

You can leave Gordo a "personal message" on the phone, but there's a catch, you gotta listen to Gordo's weekly message. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

Dial 877-324-6245, press 1 to listen to Gordo's message, then if you ain't barfing when he's done press 2 to leave Gordo your 2¢

I guess this is obligatory:
[email protected]

Or, if you're in the Houston area, stop by his home at 3340 Del Monte Drive in the posh Houston enclave of River Oaks. BTW,
his 6,152 square foot, 5 bedroom home is currently appraised at $2,588,100.

(This is all PUBLIC INFORMATION available via the Harris Country Appraisal District. See link below)

http://www.hcad.org/cgi-bin/AV/AVDet...=0601320000012

I didnt know that "posh" and "Houston" could be used in the same sentence. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Are you sure this is still his home after the divorce? Or is the former Mrs. Bethune residing here while her ex pursues "sex, scotch, and speed?"



------------------
"We will not cut benefits from OnePass, our industry-leading frequent flyer program, because we remain committed to rewarding our most loyal customers."

-- Gordon Bethune (Continental's CEO) two weeks before significantly cutting benefits of the OnePass program

According to the government link provided, this is still Bethunes' joint home.

Interesting to see a gap of 1 million dollars between assessed value and market value.

The property tax rate in Mr. Gordon's town is quite low http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cool.gif

Not a low as you would think. The difference is most likely due to the homestead cap in Texas. This law allows for a maximum of 10% *I think* per annum increase in appraised value on your homestead only. Homestead is determined by what your primary residence is as of January 1 of the tax year in question. My property taxes - including county, local, and school district - were acutually higer on my house in Houston than here in So. Jersey. But no state income taxes in TX, so....

K

It is interesting to see the property tax jurisdiction breakdown:

Taxing Jurisdiction Tax Rate Taxes
Harris County 0.388030 $4,457.38
Harris County Flood Control 0.041740 $479.48
Harris County Department of Education 0.006290 $72.25
Port of Houston Authority 0.020000 $229.74
Harris County Hospital District 0.190210 $2,184.98
Houston Community College 0.081333 $1,156.18
City of Houston 0.655000 $7,524.12

When everything is added up, the total tax rate is something like $14 per $1000 appraisal value. Still not bad http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Mr. Gordon's house appraisal value got a huge depreciation from $1.7 million in 2000 to $1.18 million in 2001. Wonder what happened......

Not so fast...Texas has a quirky real estate tax system that's different than most other places. The laundry list you note does NOT include school taxes (which is a big bite). School taxes are a separate levy. The annual Houston Independent School District Tax (per the HISD web page) is $1.58 per $1000 valuation (thus 1.58% of the value). This school tax is IN ADDITION TO the the 1.4% local taxes you noted. Thus, the effective tax rate on a Houston house (including Gordo's manse) is right at 3% of the appraised value. This rate is quite steep by national standards.
But what the he11 does this have to do with OnePass? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Could've been a flood damage "enhancement".

Maybe the City of Houston changed their qualification scheme for property valuations. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

There's a line of human decency to be drawn between complaining constantly about coach upgrades/elite status and violating the privacy of an individual. Everything is public information, but that doesn't make it reasonable. Step back for a minute, folks, and please realize what kind of freakish stalkers you sound like.

It may sound trite, but -- get a life.

As far as that goes -- you're not very cultured, are you?

[This message has been edited by dbaker (edited 10-26-2003).]

I thought it was quite entertaining to read!!

Thanks for the giggles! :P

Back on topic. Gordon's email is [email protected]. There is at least one woman who reads his mail and generaly shuttles it to customer serevice.
If you want a response, email Larry Kellner the President at [email protected]. He reads and answers his own mail. He is the only one I know at HQ thaT cares. One more thing. If you email him, be prepared to discuss your problem on the phone. The odds are high he will call you personally. I know one FTer that he called 15 minutes after he emailed Larry.

I didn't know knowledge of Houston was a requirement of being cultured. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Oh http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The tax rate of 3% is indeed quite steep!!! But, there is no state income tax.....

Regarding the question whether property tax rate in Houston is related to OnePass, maybe CO CEO got inspiration from the way various jurisidiction trying to squeeze few more cents on property tax and decided to squeeze more miles from OnePass members when they attempt to get a FC upgrade http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif



[This message has been edited by BOS-NWA (edited 10-26-2003).]

Thanks for the email addresses. Sent the letter to both. Perhaps those of us that are griping here should start sending some emails to show our unhappiness?

dbaker,
I would generally agree with you in terms of respecting either an ordinary persons privacy, or a famous persons, etc. However, given that there is no two-way communication even between CO Plats and their senior management, then because of these extenuating circumstances, I think the poster was justified in posting the proprietary information. I don't think CO Customer Care counts as two way communication between customers of the company and people in senior management positions who can affect change. Senior management of most US corporations hass alleniated their customers, and they don't openly talk to customers. Even the middle managers who hold FT chats (at least they did in the past).....the session is very controlled and moderated.

As far as I'm concerned CO should offer monthly exchanges between top executives and its customers. E.g. they should locate a room in an airport or hotel, and scheule a customer forum where the executive(s) can give a presentation, and then field questions and dialog with the customers. CO actually has these forums with employees. The inside terms for these are:
*CEO Exchange: Periodic forums where Gordon makes a presentation and fields questions from employees; and
OLI: Officer Local Involvement where an officer adopts a station or location and periodically visits the station to talk to employees.

Given how out of reach the senior management of CO (and most corporations) is to their customers, then because of that I support the (I don't know what the word is maybe covert) tactics of secretely trying to find and talk to them. Again this is not just CO, but probably 98% of big companies that do not effectively communicate even with their top customers except to have a letter department that sends nearly automated form letter responses to any question and really does not take action on customers inquiries. Bravo to the person also who posted the phone number for the CO employee news. It is interesting to listen to the propeganda (don't necesarily mean that in a bad way, but rather mean interesting to hear the company spin they put on things). FT has gotten so conservative and pro-industry (sometimes) that I would not be surprised if they edit out the internal phone numbers that get posted so if you want them write them down. Another interesting number is:
(800) 231-6723
which is a number that will re-play the call with analysts about the last quarters financial results. After the CO executives give their presentation, they take and answer questions from the press and financial analysts on the phone. Questions typically are both about strictly numbers as well as any key service decisions. Also this telephone number is usually used quarter to quarter.

One tactic I read about in a "gorilla" consumer handbook was to write the spouse of a big company CEO if you were not getting good service from middle management.

One final story I met someone once with a millitary background. This person was having trouble with a big big company, the size of CO or Citibank. THe person called a buddy in the millitary, and got the top CEO's personal phone# and called him, and bravo, the persons issue that was impossible to fix before got fixed.

Again "corporate America," has put themselves in this situation largely by not having basic respect for their customers in general. How many very large corporations really respect their customers, and will try to do whatever it takes to resolve a customer issue. Companies like Ritz Carlton come to mind, but not most companies.

Perhaps it would be better to Fedex a letter to Gordon's house rather than just visiting him unannounced. After all he might be trying to rest or he might be busy thinking of more enhancements http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif. But I definetely think some kind of what you might term "gorilla" tactics are often needed based on this corporate executive alleniation.

Believe it or not I got a response from Larry Kellner today, SUNDAY. Here it is:

Dear Mr. XXXXXX -- thanks for your note and business. I apologize where we have delivered less than appropriate service. I would point out a couple of things with regard to our frequent flyer changes -- we did not reduce the number of seats available for a first class upgrade and we still allow full elite credit for all fare classes bought on our web site.

We are very focused on bringing our best customers closer and an example of that is our recently introduced EliteAccess service which puts further emphasis on providing our Elites a higher level of service. The changes in our Elite qualifying will allow us to more consistently provide upgrades to Elites and based on your current Platinum status, I would be surprised if you get upgraded less frequently in the future.

Thanks again for your perspective and business.

Best
Larry Kellner

Unfortunately, based on Larry's email (and like some people have said, Larry is probably the most pro-consumer person in CO's senior management) as well as what I heard on the quarterly earnings call, I think that, like DL, they take the changes in elite qualification to be gospel. Like DL, I think that no amount of arguing, logic or reason could convince them that they went too far.

I do think that they need to thin the elite ranks at CO. Upgrading is becoming ridiculously hard even as a plat whereas, looking in the archives, it seems that a few years ago it was almost unheard of for a plat not to be upgraded. Of course, my preferred solution would be to increase the size of the FC-cabin but we all know that that ain't gonna happen. I do wish, though, that they would stop handing out elite status like candy to everyone and his brother. IMHO, that would be a start to resolving the lack of FC availability.

Cheers,
Brooklynflyer

The biggest problem w/Elite is that you can BUY Silver status. That may be where they are getting too greedy.

This forum is like a bad relationship where one person doesn't get it.

Continental dumps customer, no longer wants business.

Cust tries furiously for months to rectify situation, even discussing home addresses of executives, how things went wrong, what mistakes were made, what should be done.

Continental doesn't care about the T fares customer is usually buying. Doesn't want to change business model to lose more money by gaining more passengers.

Customer finally says, "I'm leaving you" and feels victorious.

CO could have done that by not comping status just because people had a pulse or a telephone.

But culling from the pool of bona fide elite-mileage flying and fare-paying customers is cutting off the nose to spite the face.

Customer then reads a year later Continental goes into bakruptcy a third and final time due to epidemic defection of customers to competitors arising from dissatisfaction following historical deceptive marketing practices and disincentivizing changes to loyal program.

Customer feels gloriously vindicated. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

If any of you call in to the analyst call, there are some interesting things particularly in the questions and answer section. They discuss the % of elite passengers, and the % these pax contribute to revenue. Also one of the reporters asks that the elites are not booking high enough fare buckets, etc. They break out the business vs. leisure revenue, etc. Some very interesting dettailed information particularly again in the ending q&a part of the call.about elites, and I think Gordon jjokes

nolan ryan probably doesn't live in a non-posh shack. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

doesn't he live in houston or thereabouts?


[This message has been edited by fly co to see the yanks (edited 10-27-2003).]

I can buy any status I want. A few trips to Europe, Asia and some transcons and I am plat. If I has the time Icould spend about 14to 1700 and make plat.

I actually did get a phone call from the executive office of Continental based upon my email to Gordon. She spoke at length offered ways to make my future trips more comfortable.

Care to share their lame suggestions about how make our trips more comfortable?

This is what I can see them saying:

1. Just buy F tickets for all of your flights--that way you never have to worry about upgrades.

2. If you're too much of a low life to afford F, buy Y-tickets so that you can upgrade immediately into F (except we always zero out F, but at least you'll get our no middle seat worthless guarantee).

3. If you are really, really cheap, book something less than a Y ticket. As a valued elite member, you sit in our elite section in coach which is absolutely identical to the rest of coach except that it shows up as blue colored seats on our website. You can enjoy meals at mealtimes in coach (which usually consists of a micrscopically small ham or turkey sandwhich if we're feeling generous, if not you get peanuts as your meal).

4. Buy a PC membership. You'll enjoy comfortable surroundings in the fewer and fewer lounges we still have.

5. Celebrate obtaining your elite seat in coach by buying some alcohol from us. Profits from our alcohol sales will be used to fund our CEO's pension fund, er, I mean better salads.

6. If you're travelling internationally, buy a seat in our award winning BF cabin (that is still nowhere near what Singapore, BA, Virgin or CX offer). If you or your employer is too cheap to drop $6-7K on our product, buy a coach seat where you can enjoy our award winning* 31-inch pitch. You can also try to upgrade but, good luck, with our award upgrade policy more complicated than the federal income tax code, hell, we don't even understand it.

We hope these suggestions will help you enjoy our award winning service. Work Hard, Fly Right.

*"Airline Most Likely to Cause Deep Vein Thrombosis--1st place" from the American Medical Association

[This message has been edited by brooklynflyer (edited 11-01-2003).]

LOL!!! Great Stuff!!!

Okay I admit it... I am shallow.
I'm just thrilled my house is 500 square feet BIGGER THAN GORDO'S!!!
He he he http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

But I doubt it's in River Oaks. And I believe the saying is, "location, location, location."

[This message has been edited by dbaker (edited 11-02-2003).]

I think its pathetic that you people, out of one side of your mouth, rail your envy and jealousy on what Bethine makes and where he lives for running a multi-billion dollar business, and then, out of the other side of your mouth, you ***** that you didnt get upgraded on the 7 legs of your $195 transcon.