Ber2dca

There's a big difference between simply acting normal and acting like a d*ckhead. No-one suggested it's okay to act like the latter. But there is no expectation for the customer to be anything other than civil. This is not the case for service staff because they get *paid* to be there, the customer *pays* to be there. There is no equivalence.

Plenty of passengers on planes have jobs where it is an integral part of their duties to be *nice* to clients. There is no reason why they shouldn't be able to expect to be treated nicely as the default mode of behavior when they're the ones paying for a service.

porciuscato

I am cordial, warm, and friendly. That's all I expect in return. I only get it about half the time.

I used to make it a challenge to warm up unpleasant flight attendants with flattery &etc. But it's actually selfish in a way because the time it takes to develop a connection that gets me better service detracts from the time and attention they should be devoting to the other passengers. It isn't possible for every passenger to engage in a banter and flattery session with each of the FAs.

weero

Can't answer that for your case. But the wonder-medicine for myself was not to fly UA anymore.

This also provides remedies against other agonies such as ultra-cheap meals with no red-meat options, one drink every 4 hours, seat-belt sign on for 10:45 minutes on a 10 hour flight etc etc etc.

Reading these accounts tells me that I can safely wait for a few more months before giving UA another try.

dmurphynj

Cordial, warm and friendly Should be true for ALL of us - passengers and crew both. It's not that hard. But when someone said they shouldn't have to smile, well, that's really where my 'you get what you give' comment comes in.

Honestly, I've encountered more self-entitled cold fish as pax in the F cabin than unfriendly FAs. But maybe that's just me. Or maybe I don't expect much. Not sure but I can't say I've had any really sour interactions - some very very positive ones - but nothing I'd be looking to file a complaint over, let alone ask someone be fired for.

PV_Premier

I disagree. There is a difference between being "civil" and being "friendly". Civility should be expected of all of us, but a bubbly warm friendly grin for all hours of the flight should not. It ain't easy for introverts to be that way, for instance.

Often when I am on the plane I am busy or don't want to be bothered for whatever reason, but I am always civil and polite toward FAs, making my requests with a "please" and my recognition of their service activities, however simple, with a "thank you". But sorry, I am not there to be the FA's best friend, and receiving a basic level of acceptable service without hostility should depend on my level of civility, not my level of friendliness on any given day.

Ber2dca

Yeah, again, customers don't have to be chummy with the staff. The staff is paid to be nice. As mentioned, that is by no means a rare or unusual expectation in employment.

ani90

I think it has to be made clear that what the OP experienced is very atypical and in no way is reflective of UA. Many of us travel tens of thousands of miles a year with UA and never experience that.

At the end of the day that FA is not reflective of their employee but rather their self. There may be a culture of poor service within UA but this is not it, as most people who work for UA are normal nice people so even if disinterested in their work still don't behave in such nasty manner. This is simply a poor individual or someone having a bad day (we have ALL been there and at least once behaved inappropriately under stress). Indeed I remember one such person who was very out of character and next day it became clear why as he attempted suicide. Sometimes poor behaviour needs help and understanding and not criticism.

But lets assume the FA is always like this, such people can be anywhere, in any airline and in any profession (I am sure we have all worked or lived around someone who is just mean).

Baze

Well, they are actually paid to do their job. Don't think "nice" is in their job description. I would much prefer an indifferent one who is an efficient reliable worker than a nice one who can't do their job. Now when you get both it is even better. And how you interact with them can make a big difference in the nice factor.

JVPhoto

Well "friendly" is in UA's motto.

brewdog11

Save for a few loose cannon FAs, this is immensely true. Treating others like they're subhuman generally yields negative results.

I applaud the FAs who routinely and cheerfully deliver good service while being berated by abusive and entitled passengers for nothing. Hopefully they don't burn out and return the favor too soon.

I agree the staff is paid to be cordial to a basic extent. According to their picket signs, they do too. After all, "friendly isn't free."

Ber2dca

It's a customer service role, being nice *is* at least 50% of the job.

bocastephen

I don't think it's a requirement to be nice in order to deliver excellent service - I can't recall very many NH FAs who I would call "nice", but at the same time I can't recall any NH FAs who delivered bad service.

The goal should be providing a standardized level of service, constantly aligning to company product goals, making customers feel welcome and appreciated, being helpful when needed, communicating well, and leaving your bad day at home. A bubbly smile for 14hrs doesn't help anyone when service delivery does not meet standards, or consistent across flights. Lack of consistency and adherence to standards is just one key metric that keeps UA behind its foreign competition, and bubbly smiles with hugs at the door won't fix that.

jsn55

I haven't had a bad experience with an FA for a long, long time, except for those sullen teenage FAs on the little planes. I agree that nobody ever knows what nasty things are happening in someone's life, but the bad attitude has to be left at home. This post brought back memories of how awful it is; you're just "trapped" and fairly helpless, since there's little you can do on the flight itself. Very sad that we are all concerned about retaliation, but that's reality. A concise, non-emotional communication is the way to go. Last time it happened to me, I was so angry I didn't even get her name so that I could complain.

Ber2dca

Maybe I have a different definiton of nice, but I know I don't feel welcome or appreciated if the staff aren't nice to me. Service delivery encompasses empathy and pleasantness.

I think UA's service is not necessarily failing because of 'horrific' FAs who are a small minority but because there is a general lack of attention to what makes a customer feel appreciated and welcome. And I guarantee you that a smile and apparent eagerness to make the customer happy is a big part of that.

A comparison to NH is pointless - NH is Japanese and their culture has different standards both in terms of defining appropriate behaviour for service staff and what constitutes excellent service. It's not uncommon for globally operating corporations to have entirely different service policies for different markets and I know from experience that Japan is approached differently than the U.S. or Europe.

Baze

Can you show me one union contract for a customer facing job where is says 50 of your job is to be nice? I doubt it. I want professional and courteous. Nice is a bonus.