United to close HNL & DTW reservations office & DTW GS office {work from home option}
Sep 2, 2015, 4:37 pm
#16
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This is very sad news for the employees.
It will also mean a substantial degradation in customer service quality, particularly for elites.
This management just plain sucks.
It will also mean a substantial degradation in customer service quality, particularly for elites.
This management just plain sucks.
Sep 2, 2015, 5:04 pm
#17
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I have a relative who was in TPA res and got moved to work at home years back.
She's been cool with it.
I guess the cost save is in supervisors? Or is there hard evidence these are pure attrition moves?
The one call center that has yet to be beat is the Iron Range center for the old Northwest, now Delta.
They were pretty vocal and got mgmt to commit to keeping it open.
(want a reliably clueless one...remember Cincinnati with Delta - wonder if that is still around)
JetBlue is proud of being all work from home. And they had no legacy agents, which leads me to believe attrition is not the main cost save.
She's been cool with it.
I guess the cost save is in supervisors? Or is there hard evidence these are pure attrition moves?
The one call center that has yet to be beat is the Iron Range center for the old Northwest, now Delta.
They were pretty vocal and got mgmt to commit to keeping it open.
(want a reliably clueless one...remember Cincinnati with Delta - wonder if that is still around)
JetBlue is proud of being all work from home. And they had no legacy agents, which leads me to believe attrition is not the main cost save.
Sep 2, 2015, 5:23 pm
#18
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A good company would not reduce supervisors, and some would actually increase the number if they move some of the agents to their homes. In that industry, it's usually necessary to supervise more closely so CS agents are actually working when they should be.
Sep 2, 2015, 5:30 pm
#19
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You can certainly remove "Rumor" from the title and add HNL GS to it.
Just spoke with a GS agent in DTW. It's all true. They have the option to move or work from home. And United, in their generosity, will not provide them with computers. They will provide them a loan to purchase them. And their hourly rate will go down considerably if they chose that option. How cheap can you get, United?
Huge bummer. Bad move, United. How else can you tick off your elites?
Just spoke with a GS agent in DTW. It's all true. They have the option to move or work from home. And United, in their generosity, will not provide them with computers. They will provide them a loan to purchase them. And their hourly rate will go down considerably if they chose that option. How cheap can you get, United?
Huge bummer. Bad move, United. How else can you tick off your elites?
Sep 2, 2015, 5:43 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2001
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Just spoke with a GS agent in DTW. It's all true. They have the option to move or work from home. And United, in their generosity, will not provide them with computers. They will provide them a loan to purchase them. And their hourly rate will go down considerably if they chose that option. How cheap can you get, United?
Sep 2, 2015, 5:52 pm
#22
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You can certainly remove "Rumor" from the title and add HNL GS to it.
Just spoke with a GS agent in DTW. It's all true. They have the option to move or work from home. And United, in their generosity, will not provide them with computers. They will provide them a loan to purchase them. And their hourly rate will go down considerably if they chose that option. How cheap can you get, United?
Huge bummer. Bad move, United. How else can you tick off your elites?
Just spoke with a GS agent in DTW. It's all true. They have the option to move or work from home. And United, in their generosity, will not provide them with computers. They will provide them a loan to purchase them. And their hourly rate will go down considerably if they chose that option. How cheap can you get, United?
Huge bummer. Bad move, United. How else can you tick off your elites?
They will find new ways.
One of the few areas where they have shown any imagination is irritating "overentitled" elites.
Sep 2, 2015, 5:57 pm
#23
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I'll tell you how.
I was told by one of the agents on the chopping block that if you write a complaint to Smisek directly, those emails are routed to the GS team in DTW that he's firing, and it's that team in DTW who actually responded to those emails.
Now what? My guess is the personal responses hand-written by senior sUA employees will be replaced with either an auto-reply boilerplate, or no response at all.
I was told by one of the agents on the chopping block that if you write a complaint to Smisek directly, those emails are routed to the GS team in DTW that he's firing, and it's that team in DTW who actually responded to those emails.
Now what? My guess is the personal responses hand-written by senior sUA employees will be replaced with either an auto-reply boilerplate, or no response at all.
Sep 2, 2015, 6:23 pm
#24
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I haven't gotten a HNL agent in years (even when I call at weird times from the East coast). I've gotten quite a few DTWCC agents though, they always answer GS and they have done some amazing things for me! sCO agents on the other hand require a bit of finesse 
Sep 2, 2015, 6:41 pm
#25
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You can certainly remove "Rumor" from the title and add HNL GS to it.
Just spoke with a GS agent in DTW. It's all true. They have the option to move or work from home. And United, in their generosity, will not provide them with computers. They will provide them a loan to purchase them. And their hourly rate will go down considerably if they chose that option. How cheap can you get, United?
Huge bummer. Bad move, United. How else can you tick off your elites?
Just spoke with a GS agent in DTW. It's all true. They have the option to move or work from home. And United, in their generosity, will not provide them with computers. They will provide them a loan to purchase them. And their hourly rate will go down considerably if they chose that option. How cheap can you get, United?
Huge bummer. Bad move, United. How else can you tick off your elites?
The computer thing is not all that unusual, unless special equipment is required (other than what a home user would already have). But pay cut? I half way hope they all quit, but I have a feeling that's what UA wants. I guess this is somehow flier friendly?
Edit to add:
Maybe the great new website will result in fewer calls? Maybe by way of fewer customers?
Sep 2, 2015, 7:59 pm
#26
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it is almost like the management team's goal document reads "accomplish at least 15 things this FY that will, without a doubt, alienate good customers and piss off elites"
every day i sit and watch this train wreck is another day i'm so glad to be on someone else's 737 these days.
every day i sit and watch this train wreck is another day i'm so glad to be on someone else's 737 these days.
Sep 2, 2015, 8:57 pm
#28
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Very sad, but not surprising. AFAIK, there was a special deal between the Hawaii government and pm/current UA extending through 2015. Looks like this deal (tax break?) has expired, so UA is now ready to bail on HNL.
Definitely a bummer. I didn't have much experience with HNL, but heard that most employees there were very, very good and went above and beyond to help customers/elites. I believe HNL has a dedicated thread; too lazy to search for the thread now, but that will be major news if true.
After SLC being closed down earlier this year, and DTW/HNL presumably being closed, the only proper call centers left would be IAH/ORD/TPA, right? (SLC/DTW/HNL work from home only)
Definitely a bummer. I didn't have much experience with HNL, but heard that most employees there were very, very good and went above and beyond to help customers/elites. I believe HNL has a dedicated thread; too lazy to search for the thread now, but that will be major news if true.
After SLC being closed down earlier this year, and DTW/HNL presumably being closed, the only proper call centers left would be IAH/ORD/TPA, right? (SLC/DTW/HNL work from home only)
Sep 2, 2015, 9:09 pm
#29
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This one is particularly disheartening because it shows so clearly the degree to which current management will sacrifice customer service and satisfaction to save a few bucks.
Not to mention the willingness to callously jettison some its best, most customer-service oriented employees.
Sep 2, 2015, 9:23 pm
#30
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Just spoke with a GS agent in DTW. It's all true. They have the option to move or work from home. And United, in their generosity, will not provide them with computers. They will provide them a loan to purchase them. And their hourly rate will go down considerably if they chose that option. How cheap can you get, United?
Working from home provides tremendous flexibility; and I don't know of any company that buys employees computers for their homes. Unless the paycut is large, most employees are going to come out ahead financially ( no commuting cost) and will definitely get a lot of lifestyle benefits.
In years past, the option would be 'move or quit', so 'move or WFH' doesn't seem that bad.