United Mentioned at Global Leadership Summit
Aug 10, 2012, 4:04 pm
#1
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United's Embarrassing Moment at the Global Leadership Summit
Amazing... I have been at a live simulcast of the Global Leadership Summit. This is a live event broadcast from Willow Creek Church (Chicago area) that is watched live by tens of thousands of people around the world.
This morning one of the key speakers was leadership guru Patrick Lencioni. He was using Southwest as an example of the importance of clarity around core values that should permeate every organization. He mentioned how employees at many levels are empowered (on the spot) to make many decisions (such as allowing people to easily change flights) if the decision aligns with their company values.
He then spoke about United as modeling the opposite of this value. In an example to which so many of us can relate in the awful era of SHARES, he explained how agonizing it is to request any kind of change from a gate agent, only to watch them spending the next five minutes typing on a keyboard (he said, "What are they doing? Playing Frogger? Refinancing their home?"). He made additional comments about the abysmal customer service as a contrast from what other successful companies value.
Of course the agents are often doing their very best. I feel bad that they are so encumbered by horribly outdated technology. I flew a week ago and the poor GA must have spent 10 minutes typing just to get me on an earlier flight.
For me this is yet another sad illustration that things have suffered such an unfortunate decline. It's sad to see my favorite airline used in one of the largest global leader gatherings as an example of what an organization should not be.
This morning one of the key speakers was leadership guru Patrick Lencioni. He was using Southwest as an example of the importance of clarity around core values that should permeate every organization. He mentioned how employees at many levels are empowered (on the spot) to make many decisions (such as allowing people to easily change flights) if the decision aligns with their company values.
He then spoke about United as modeling the opposite of this value. In an example to which so many of us can relate in the awful era of SHARES, he explained how agonizing it is to request any kind of change from a gate agent, only to watch them spending the next five minutes typing on a keyboard (he said, "What are they doing? Playing Frogger? Refinancing their home?"). He made additional comments about the abysmal customer service as a contrast from what other successful companies value.
Of course the agents are often doing their very best. I feel bad that they are so encumbered by horribly outdated technology. I flew a week ago and the poor GA must have spent 10 minutes typing just to get me on an earlier flight.
For me this is yet another sad illustration that things have suffered such an unfortunate decline. It's sad to see my favorite airline used in one of the largest global leader gatherings as an example of what an organization should not be.
Last edited by xevious; Aug 10, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Aug 10, 2012, 7:16 pm
#2
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This is sooooooooo sad to see what was one of the best airlines in the country(CO) become one headed down the tubes and the path of AA!
Aug 10, 2012, 7:23 pm
#3
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You have it wrong! CO leaders brought it down by being stubborn and not willimg to take the good from UA. Shares is awful and is bringing the airline down. CO flight crews who love to mention CO on every flight.
Aug 10, 2012, 7:39 pm
#4
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Perhaps because they remember with pride how good an airline we had.
Shame that sUA crews can't do the same thing - not because they don't have reason to feel pride in what was, but because of language.
Had the merged airline been called something else altogether then emoloyees from each legacy airline could make similiar reflections on the past.
Problems at the current UA are not the fault of pmCO nor pmUA, they are the fault four things -- a particular fool who was briefly in charge of pmCO and is now in charge of UA; the fundamentally different cultures of each legacy airline, their employees, and customers; investors and lenders who foolishly like what SMI/J does; and regulators who allowed too large of an airline to be formed.
Shame that sUA crews can't do the same thing - not because they don't have reason to feel pride in what was, but because of language.
Had the merged airline been called something else altogether then emoloyees from each legacy airline could make similiar reflections on the past.
Problems at the current UA are not the fault of pmCO nor pmUA, they are the fault four things -- a particular fool who was briefly in charge of pmCO and is now in charge of UA; the fundamentally different cultures of each legacy airline, their employees, and customers; investors and lenders who foolishly like what SMI/J does; and regulators who allowed too large of an airline to be formed.
Aug 10, 2012, 7:47 pm
#5
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...a fool who was conditioned by CO for over a decade! You forget that Smisek has been with CO since the beginning of the globe regime.
The fact was that UA was improving itself year after year, while CO was degrading ever since Bethune left.
The fact was that UA was improving itself year after year, while CO was degrading ever since Bethune left.
Aug 10, 2012, 7:52 pm
#6
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Blame the regulators? 
Funny, when DL and NW merged to create the then-largest airline, that seemed to work out just fine.
Some people keep working extra hard to look for answers everywhere except for the source - the current leadership of United Continental Holdings.
Funny, when DL and NW merged to create the then-largest airline, that seemed to work out just fine. Some people keep working extra hard to look for answers everywhere except for the source - the current leadership of United Continental Holdings.
Aug 10, 2012, 8:07 pm
#7
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Perhaps because they remember with pride how good an airline we had.
Shame that sUA crews can't do the same thing - not because they don't have reason to feel pride in what was, but because of language.
Had the merged airline been called something else altogether then emoloyees from each legacy airline could make similiar reflections on the past.
Problems at the current UA are not the fault of pmCO nor pmUA, they are the fault four things -- a particular fool who was briefly in charge of pmCO and is now in charge of UA; the fundamentally different cultures of each legacy airline, their employees, and customers; investors and lenders who foolishly like what SMI/J does; and regulators who allowed too large of an airline to be formed.
Shame that sUA crews can't do the same thing - not because they don't have reason to feel pride in what was, but because of language.
Had the merged airline been called something else altogether then emoloyees from each legacy airline could make similiar reflections on the past.
Problems at the current UA are not the fault of pmCO nor pmUA, they are the fault four things -- a particular fool who was briefly in charge of pmCO and is now in charge of UA; the fundamentally different cultures of each legacy airline, their employees, and customers; investors and lenders who foolishly like what SMI/J does; and regulators who allowed too large of an airline to be formed.
Aug 10, 2012, 8:12 pm
#8
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And if you re-read my post, you will see that I specificaly faulted the current leadership.
Besides that there is no logic betwen pride and your drink, I can think of many things more important to me than getting a refill.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Aug 10, 2012 at 8:54 pm Reason: merge
Aug 10, 2012, 8:22 pm
#9
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I did not travel much on PMCO so I can't pass judgment on the experience. I can say that I spent many happy years on PMUA during which I was treated wonderfully overall as as a 1K. I've had many less than great experiences since the HouCrew took over. As a result I would theorize that PMCO flyers did not know how much better it really was on the other side (PMUA).
Aug 10, 2012, 8:31 pm
#10
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Amazing... I have been at a live simulcast of the Global Leadership Summit. This is a live event broadcast from Willow Creek Church (Chicago area) that is watched live by tens of thousands of people around the world.
This morning one of the key speakers was leadership guru Patrick Lencioni. He was using Southwest as an example of the importance of clarity around core values that should permeate every organization. He mentioned how employees at many levels are empowered (on the spot) to make many decisions (such as allowing people to easily change flights) if the decision aligns with their company values.
He then spoke about United as modeling the opposite of this value. In an example to which so many of us can relate in the awful era of SHARES, he explained how agonizing it is to request any kind of change from a gate agent, only to watch them spending the next five minutes typing on a keyboard (he said, "What are they doing? Playing Frogger? Refinancing their home?"). He made additional comments about the abysmal customer service as a contrast from what other successful companies value.
Of course the agents are often doing their very best. I feel bad that they are so encumbered by horribly outdated technology. I flew a week ago and the poor GA must have spent 10 minutes typing just to get me on an earlier flight.
For me this is yet another sad illustration that things have suffered such an unfortunate decline. It's sad to see my favorite airline used in one of the largest global leader gatherings as an example of what an organization should not be.
This morning one of the key speakers was leadership guru Patrick Lencioni. He was using Southwest as an example of the importance of clarity around core values that should permeate every organization. He mentioned how employees at many levels are empowered (on the spot) to make many decisions (such as allowing people to easily change flights) if the decision aligns with their company values.
He then spoke about United as modeling the opposite of this value. In an example to which so many of us can relate in the awful era of SHARES, he explained how agonizing it is to request any kind of change from a gate agent, only to watch them spending the next five minutes typing on a keyboard (he said, "What are they doing? Playing Frogger? Refinancing their home?"). He made additional comments about the abysmal customer service as a contrast from what other successful companies value.
Of course the agents are often doing their very best. I feel bad that they are so encumbered by horribly outdated technology. I flew a week ago and the poor GA must have spent 10 minutes typing just to get me on an earlier flight.
For me this is yet another sad illustration that things have suffered such an unfortunate decline. It's sad to see my favorite airline used in one of the largest global leader gatherings as an example of what an organization should not be.
Now if we could only get the BOD cerebrally up to that same level, we could see some changes we would like.
Aug 10, 2012, 9:58 pm
#11
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[QUOTE=Brasila;19098991]They have so much pride that this is what the FC cabin was mostly served on UA 1224 KOA/LAX 7/13/2012 after the captain announced they were a "CO Legacy crew and best in the business!" Service was pathetic and nothing like I had ever seen before.
[/QUOTE
Do you think, just maybe, that the food served was chosen by someone other than the crew? Perhaps, they have someone - a committee even - that chooses what food to order. Perhaps they have an on the ground contractor who is either delivering the food chosen by headquarters or jipping them by delivering something else. Or do you really think that the prideful flight attendents went over to food catering office before take off and said lets get this stuff?
Their pride is in what was at CO - not what currently is at UA.
[/QUOTEDo you think, just maybe, that the food served was chosen by someone other than the crew? Perhaps, they have someone - a committee even - that chooses what food to order. Perhaps they have an on the ground contractor who is either delivering the food chosen by headquarters or jipping them by delivering something else. Or do you really think that the prideful flight attendents went over to food catering office before take off and said lets get this stuff?
Their pride is in what was at CO - not what currently is at UA.
Aug 10, 2012, 11:20 pm
#12
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[QUOTE=Indelaware;19099283]
Brasila was saying the service being pathetic and none like he has seen before. And this service was being provided by "CO legacy crew" being the "best" in the industry...
They have so much pride that this is what the FC cabin was mostly served on UA 1224 KOA/LAX 7/13/2012 after the captain announced they were a "CO Legacy crew and best in the business!" Service was pathetic and nothing like I had ever seen before.
[/QUOTE
Do you think, just maybe, that the food served was chosen by someone other than the crew? Perhaps, they have someone - a committee even - that chooses what food to order. Perhaps they have an on the ground contractor who is either delivering the food chosen by headquarters or jipping them by delivering something else. Or do you really think that the prideful flight attendents went over to food catering office before take off and said lets get this stuff?
Their pride is in what was at CO - not what currently is at UA.
[/QUOTEDo you think, just maybe, that the food served was chosen by someone other than the crew? Perhaps, they have someone - a committee even - that chooses what food to order. Perhaps they have an on the ground contractor who is either delivering the food chosen by headquarters or jipping them by delivering something else. Or do you really think that the prideful flight attendents went over to food catering office before take off and said lets get this stuff?
Their pride is in what was at CO - not what currently is at UA.
Aug 11, 2012, 1:32 am
#13
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May I ask that so-called guru, if he is not CHI-based, does he travel on WN or other airlines to CHI.
Without listening or reading the speech, it is difficult to tell what he exactly means.
But I think that in the business world, there is a consensus that does not compare with WN with any major airlines (even FTers will not do this simple mistake).
So I guess he does not really understand the airlines industry
?
Without listening or reading the speech, it is difficult to tell what he exactly means.
But I think that in the business world, there is a consensus that does not compare with WN with any major airlines (even FTers will not do this simple mistake).
So I guess he does not really understand the airlines industry
?
Aug 11, 2012, 9:55 am
#14
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How is the current downturn in service a fault of the regulators?
Aug 11, 2012, 11:12 am
#15
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