Lazy staff - Deliberate bad service
Sep 23, 2012, 7:59 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: New York NY
Programs: UA Gold, CO Plat, CO Million Miler
Posts: 2,621
I had the complete opposite experience yesterday SFO-BOS with a legacy PMCO crew* as with the exception of being a little slow with the beverage service, I had no issues at all
Offer to take coats 'n jackets
PDB was offered (water or OJ)
Meal orders taken by GS and then front to back with a choice of eggs or cereal)
Hot towel service (towels were nice and hot ^)
Beverage service (like I said, a little slow in starting but refills were promptly offered ^)
Place setting promptly removed when folks finished eating
Coats & jackets returned 30 minutes prior to landing
"Thanks and goodbye" given upon deplaning
*this was my 2nd ever PMCO legacy flight and the first transcon and after hearing the horror stories, maybe I got lucky
or actually had a good crew (but now if someone can "do something" about the legacy PMCO 757-300's as this a/c totally re-defines the term "ghetto bird" 
)
Offer to take coats 'n jackets
PDB was offered (water or OJ)
Meal orders taken by GS and then front to back with a choice of eggs or cereal)
Hot towel service (towels were nice and hot ^)
Beverage service (like I said, a little slow in starting but refills were promptly offered ^)
Place setting promptly removed when folks finished eating
Coats & jackets returned 30 minutes prior to landing
"Thanks and goodbye" given upon deplaning
*this was my 2nd ever PMCO legacy flight and the first transcon and after hearing the horror stories, maybe I got lucky
or actually had a good crew (but now if someone can "do something" about the legacy PMCO 757-300's as this a/c totally re-defines the term "ghetto bird" )
Sep 23, 2012, 8:03 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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This was not a PMCO crew or aircraft. CO never operated non-stop SFO-BOS; UA did. CO didn't fly 757-300s, only 757-200s in a Business First Configuration and 757-400s with 24 FC seats. And CO had absolutely no ghetto birds. All their mainline aircraft are relatively new and kept in pretty good shape.
CO does currently have a couple 737s on this route (started late last year, IIRC).
Also not sure of where you got your info, as CO is an operator of the 757-300. Here's a picture of one....
Btw, no such thing as a 757-400. 767-400, perhaps?
Sep 23, 2012, 8:25 pm
#18
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I had the complete opposite experience yesterday SFO-BOS with a legacy PMCO crew* as with the exception of being a little slow with the beverage service, I had no issues at all
Offer to take coats 'n jackets
PDB was offered (water or OJ)
Meal orders taken by GS and then front to back with a choice of eggs or cereal)
Hot towel service (towels were nice and hot ^)
Beverage service (like I said, a little slow in starting but refills were promptly offered ^)
Place setting promptly removed when folks finished eating
Coats & jackets returned 30 minutes prior to landing
"Thanks and goodbye" given upon deplaning
*this was my 2nd ever PMCO legacy flight and the first transcon and after hearing the horror stories, maybe I got lucky or actually had a good crew (but now if someone can "do something" about the legacy PMCO 757-300's as this a/c totally re-defines the term "ghetto bird" )
Offer to take coats 'n jackets
PDB was offered (water or OJ)
Meal orders taken by GS and then front to back with a choice of eggs or cereal)
Hot towel service (towels were nice and hot ^)
Beverage service (like I said, a little slow in starting but refills were promptly offered ^)
Place setting promptly removed when folks finished eating
Coats & jackets returned 30 minutes prior to landing
"Thanks and goodbye" given upon deplaning
*this was my 2nd ever PMCO legacy flight and the first transcon and after hearing the horror stories, maybe I got lucky
or actually had a good crew (but now if someone can "do something" about the legacy PMCO 757-300's as this a/c totally re-defines the term "ghetto bird" )
Sep 23, 2012, 8:34 pm
#19
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: ual(1K), dl(plat), spg(plat), swa, hh, Hyatt(diamond)
Posts: 205
If you get bad service, you should let UA know. They need to hear about these sub par flight crews . if we complain enough, maybe someone will get the message.
Sep 23, 2012, 8:43 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Not sure if this was a training or like you say a lazy staff but there are thousands of people who would want those jobs, the ones they do hire go through intensive interviews and training. I would report this to UA as the lead FA should be held responsible for this lack of service.
Sep 23, 2012, 10:57 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2008
Location: 3951'31"N 10440'23"W
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Posts: 1,071
Good for me to read this thread, re-energizes me to actually write in. I had/have actually given up. I don't speak to UA employees when I travel (I know that sounds crazy). I've just had enough. Look at it this way- I just need to get from point A to B. I bring my own food into F, I never ask for anything and unless directly and politely addressed I just keep my noise canceling headphones on. I fly hundreds of thousands of miles every year on a variety of carriers. UA is the worst, followed by F9.
I used to be a different flyer- tried to engage, be cheerful, make the best of, etc. But no more- I'm sick of the attitudes, the dirty planes, the lame meals, the condescending attitude of gate agents. Maybe I just travel too much.
Here is another way to say it- UA planes used to be where the relaxation started...after the parking, the TSA, the terminal, the gate, etc...get on board and relax. Now I consider the plane to just be another hassle of the trip honestly. The service, attitudes, treatment of "elites" is just awful. I guess I am "elite" based on how many miles I fly, but who really cares. Not United!
I used to be a different flyer- tried to engage, be cheerful, make the best of, etc. But no more- I'm sick of the attitudes, the dirty planes, the lame meals, the condescending attitude of gate agents. Maybe I just travel too much.
Here is another way to say it- UA planes used to be where the relaxation started...after the parking, the TSA, the terminal, the gate, etc...get on board and relax. Now I consider the plane to just be another hassle of the trip honestly. The service, attitudes, treatment of "elites" is just awful. I guess I am "elite" based on how many miles I fly, but who really cares. Not United!
Sep 23, 2012, 11:21 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Izamal, Yucatan
Programs: Previously 5 year AS Gold 75, UA MM Lifetime Gold
Posts: 787
Good for me to read this thread, re-energizes me to actually write in. I had/have actually given up. I don't speak to UA employees when I travel (I know that sounds crazy). I've just had enough. Look at it this way- I just need to get from point A to B. I bring my own food into F, I never ask for anything and unless directly and politely addressed I just keep my noise canceling headphones on. I fly hundreds of thousands of miles every year on a variety of carriers. UA is the worst, followed by F9.
I used to be a different flyer- tried to engage, be cheerful, make the best of, etc. But no more- I'm sick of the attitudes, the dirty planes, the lame meals, the condescending attitude of gate agents. Maybe I just travel too much.
Here is another way to say it- UA planes used to be where the relaxation started...after the parking, the TSA, the terminal, the gate, etc...get on board and relax. Now I consider the plane to just be another hassle of the trip honestly. The service, attitudes, treatment of "elites" is just awful. I guess I am "elite" based on how many miles I fly, but who really cares. Not United!
I used to be a different flyer- tried to engage, be cheerful, make the best of, etc. But no more- I'm sick of the attitudes, the dirty planes, the lame meals, the condescending attitude of gate agents. Maybe I just travel too much.
Here is another way to say it- UA planes used to be where the relaxation started...after the parking, the TSA, the terminal, the gate, etc...get on board and relax. Now I consider the plane to just be another hassle of the trip honestly. The service, attitudes, treatment of "elites" is just awful. I guess I am "elite" based on how many miles I fly, but who really cares. Not United!
Sep 24, 2012, 12:04 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Expat in SIN
Programs: UA Plat, TK Gold, *G
Posts: 1,452
I can't wrap my mind around about why UA can't enforce it's own standards and policies?
Staff can simply pick and choose which standard operating procedures they like? Cookie or no cookie?How pathetic is that?
Labor unions are also strong in Europe, yet LH and BA crews don't get the luxury to do whatever the heck they fancy.
I am a UA Plat and refuse to fly UA on longhaul (NH on transpacific and LH on transatlantic, exclusively). More flyers need vote with their dollars and send the lazy old hags home.
Staff can simply pick and choose which standard operating procedures they like? Cookie or no cookie?How pathetic is that?
Labor unions are also strong in Europe, yet LH and BA crews don't get the luxury to do whatever the heck they fancy.
I am a UA Plat and refuse to fly UA on longhaul (NH on transpacific and LH on transatlantic, exclusively). More flyers need vote with their dollars and send the lazy old hags home.
Sep 24, 2012, 12:52 am
#25
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Sep 24, 2012, 5:04 am
#26
Join Date: May 2007
Location: variously: PVG, SFO, LHR
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Posts: 1,678
I suspect that it's the same at UA as in any union workplace. If there is a clear violation of company rules, the company will be swift with the discipline. If there is a well-worded and appropriate complaint about customer service, it will go in their file.
However, most people don't bother to complain when receiving bad service (or even when they see employees explicitly breaking the rules), and when they do complain, their complaints are a mess to read and make sense of what happened. That just makes it easy to brush them off as he said/she said.
Moral: short, concise complaints detailing the exact failing will get UAs attention, especially if the employee is specifically violating the rules.
Sep 24, 2012, 5:29 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: W29
Programs: It's Complicated...
Posts: 6,839
This is the kind of experience that I had too many times on PMUA. If I had four segments, I would have one like the OP described, two average and one fantastic. When I first started flying UA a lot several years ago it was very few and far between but they seemed to increase in frequency year after year.
Sep 24, 2012, 5:44 am
#28
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: New York NY
Programs: UA Gold, CO Plat, CO Million Miler
Posts: 2,621
You're correct on the 757, but I don't think PMCO ever flew that route.
Sep 24, 2012, 6:05 am
#29
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Washington, DC
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Posts: 2,530
Sep 24, 2012, 7:12 am
#30
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: UA MP 1K 1MM
Posts: 50
Two things that disturb me:
1. Lack of service consistency
2. Willingness of staff to complain about their jobs
Re the first, on last week's trans-PAC flight in business class:
-cold nuts
-warm Champagne (FA comment: "it's hit and miss on this run". Passenger reply "don't you have ice you can put the bottle in?)
-no amenity kits (FA blamed the ground crew)
-no newspapers
On the positive side, coats were taken, FAs were polite, meals were handled well. But I have seen incredible variation in the above services, depending on the flight and crew. All front line staff in any service industry should be consistent, and this is definitely not the case on UA.
Economy shows the same variation. Some crews have manners and service attitude matching a greasy spoon diner. Others really shine considering the difficult circumstances (increasingly full flights with fewer amenities to offer).
On the second point, for better or worse, an employee should never badmouth the employer who feeds them. We customers may enjoy getting a peek at the inside situation but it's not professional. Apologizing and bad-mouthing are not the same thing. Fairly often the employees cross the line, which shows just how bad it is.
1. Lack of service consistency
2. Willingness of staff to complain about their jobs
Re the first, on last week's trans-PAC flight in business class:
-cold nuts
-warm Champagne (FA comment: "it's hit and miss on this run". Passenger reply "don't you have ice you can put the bottle in?)
-no amenity kits (FA blamed the ground crew)
-no newspapers
On the positive side, coats were taken, FAs were polite, meals were handled well. But I have seen incredible variation in the above services, depending on the flight and crew. All front line staff in any service industry should be consistent, and this is definitely not the case on UA.
Economy shows the same variation. Some crews have manners and service attitude matching a greasy spoon diner. Others really shine considering the difficult circumstances (increasingly full flights with fewer amenities to offer).
On the second point, for better or worse, an employee should never badmouth the employer who feeds them. We customers may enjoy getting a peek at the inside situation but it's not professional. Apologizing and bad-mouthing are not the same thing. Fairly often the employees cross the line, which shows just how bad it is.