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Smisek article on loyalty in Hemispheres Magazine

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Smisek article on loyalty in Hemispheres Magazine

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Old Feb 1, 2013, 7:26 pm
  #46  
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Originally Posted by uber1K_Flyer
Although this was likely printed before the 787 issue, but seems pretty sad that he's still focused on the grounded 787 as a key feature of keeping our loyalty.

spectacular new aircraft like the 787 Dreamliner

From what I've hear the loyal fliers have some beef with the layout questioning how spectacular it is. And if it isn't flying, its not gonna pull the loyal crowd to it (if anything, push us away until we are confident that its perfect).

Given the awful configuration of the 787, it is indeed spectacular that its use has been delayed.

My next 787 was replaced with a 762. I am much happier with my 762 exit row seat than I would have been in my 787 E+ seat.
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 7:31 pm
  #47  
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I hope you guys know / understand how speeches and articles are written. Speeches and articles have nothing to do with what a given person or organization intends to do. They are written by professional speech-writers who write about things important to the audience. Sometimes, when speech-givers are really arrogant, they write their speeches themselves, usually in the morning, with a hungover from the previous night's party.
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 8:05 pm
  #48  
 
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For every incident of good service I get from UA, I get back 3 incidents of bad service from UA. This include being berate by staff!

The fact that UA compensate you for reporting good service on the one hand, and just say sorry and we will do better when you experience bad service makes on the other: make me wonder if they really understand what service is at all.
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 8:11 pm
  #49  
 
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Originally Posted by DHalltheway
For every incident of good service I get from UA, I get back 3 incidents of bad service from UA. This include being berate by staff!

The fact that UA compensate you for reporting good service on the one hand, and just say sorry and we will do better when you experience bad service makes on the other: make me wonder if they really understand what service is at all.
Seriously? After all this, you are still wondering?
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 8:40 pm
  #50  
 
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McDonalds provides a consistent clean product, and has historically done well. That seems to be the model for UA. Its fine for what it is, but its not international F
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 8:41 pm
  #51  
 
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Originally Posted by fivevsone
Loyalty isn't driven by 'customer service', per se, in my opinion. It is driven by delivering a product, and added benefits that have value to the consumer.
I think that it is kind of tricky and probably more complex than this.

Let's take the example of a sports franchise loyalty

(and I think that airline loyalty is pretty similar to because there is the "home team" or "home airport" factor as well)

Your home team can be crappy (i.e crappy product) but you still follow it and root for it because you do not have many choices and once a fan always a fan. And if you happen to live in Brooklyn and your Dodgers move to LA, you will still root for them because you are not about to root for the Yankees.

This is loyalty.

Of course, there are fair weather fans who are jumping on the bandwagon only when the product on the field is winning and would be more than happy to go with the competition if the product of the field is not winning. This is not loyalty.

What have you done for me lately mindset, is not loyalty. And about 90% of the conversation among self proclaimed "loyal" United or Continental customers here is of this sort. And this is not loyalty.

just my 2 cents...
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 8:52 pm
  #52  
 
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Focus training on premium cabin FAs - we spend far more time with them than anyone else. Especially the pmCO ones with almost universally awful attitudes.
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 8:53 pm
  #53  
 
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Interesting take, Abe. There is a transactional aspect of the flying relationship that is different from being born and raised a Red Sox fan. I never had a choice with regards to the Sox, but did get to experience 2004, which was priceless.
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 8:56 pm
  #54  
 
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Originally Posted by uastarflyer
Serfs
Co-widgets. Or more appropriately, CO-widgets.

FAB
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 10:10 pm
  #55  
 
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Originally Posted by mitchmu
Seriously? After all this, you are still wondering?
Well of course I do!

I wonder how they could possibly believe that the service they are providing customers is good.

Last edited by DHalltheway; Feb 1, 2013 at 10:31 pm Reason: sentence structuring
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 10:35 pm
  #56  
 
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Originally Posted by mitchmu
A very well reasoned and well written analysis.

Response: Competitors are offering clean, safe, and reliable transportation too. Just FYI. That is not a competitive differentiator nor is it a customer retention strategy.
And that is dead on accurate. ^
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 10:46 pm
  #57  
 
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Originally Posted by u2vox
Whatever he's saying, I don't believe him.
+1
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 10:57 pm
  #58  
 
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Originally Posted by mitchmu
There's a lot of money to be made on the c/c side. It's a portfolio. If it wasn't profitable in aggregate, they wouldn't be doing it.
It's revenue, but whether it's "profitable" depends on costs, both direct costs and opportunity costs. The direct costs might be allocated elsewhere, and the opportunity costs (of lost loyal flyers) they will never see and might not want to imagine, even when pointed out to them on their earnings calls.

Whether UA is profitable in aggregate is up in the air. Many of their financial measures are looking a bit peaked.
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Old Feb 1, 2013, 11:54 pm
  #59  
 
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FlyerTalk is the perfect place to start to still get the feedback they'll need to make/keep loyalty high. Keep it up, all, we all do our part here to make their lives and our lives better both.
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Old Feb 2, 2013, 12:07 am
  #60  
 
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Too bad...

Too bad his message is missed by all those who left United for good.

My GS status turned to GM today. Good riddance. The United that I was 100% loyal to ceased to exist in early 2012. I feel sorry for the employees who are stuck with such a poorly managed company. They're trapped. At least we can fly other carriers.
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