luckypierre

That may well be true, I have certainly seen the power of CRM in complex sales prospecting..however, in the many conversations I have had with UA (and for that matter AA/WN/DL) I have never sensed that the front line agent has immediate access to that kind of information. As an example, they probably see xxx miles YTD, but have no idea without actually researching it that those xxx miles came from monthly TPACs in J or countless shorthops. However, since I have never pursued a pattern of chronic complaining like the good Rabbi (or really any persistent thread with the airlines), it is not clear to me whether the system would flag that category of customers and make available background information for the agent's benefit in dealing with them.

JVPhoto

Person of Complaint

Rather than the already used POS (size not, piece of...)

zrs70

She wrote in because the screen was visible to passengers around her. It was embarrassing.

Often1

I've never seen any evidence that first-tier agents at counters/gates/UC's or even what passes for supervisors, access CRM materials.

Why does it shock people that CRM which is used to entice HVC's with deal sweeteners is also used to flush the people you want to fire?

It's not about NW/DL firing the rabbi outright, it's about making life more difficult. People who write in about the thread count on the hot towels or the # of ice cubes in the PDB are not likely to be pleased. Or if they can be pleased and it turns out that their annual spend is minimal, they aren't worth the hassle. So, turning off the spigot makes sense.

Maybe the guy will jump to AA or DL. The CRM folks at AA and DL have their pack of people they're hoping to send through the maze toward UA.

tarheelnj

Probably the most famous FT'er to get fired by UA.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/...-free-20150720



Separate question. For credit and health data, there are laws that allow you to see what information is being held about you. While this different type of database (and visible only by one company), is there any way to request a copy of the data UA is holding about you? I've had multiple post-flight interactions, mostly positive, and it would be interesting to see what information they've retained about me.

Often1

Generally not in the US. This sort of information is actually proprietary and winds up being turned over in discovery in litigation only and then at the requesting party's (not insubstantial) expense.

Most CRM info. I've seen is in the form of drop-down menus and direct quotes so that employees aren't characterizing customers.

lincolnjkc

I'm sure they don't have access to the whole CRM dossier but they certainly have access to bits and pieces -- like PNR/Profile remarks (while one agent at ORD was having me help her with SHARES my PNR was plainly visible with something along the lines of "Pax is UA PLAT [at the time] VIP -- please extend all courtesies" remark auto-inserted). I'm sure if she wanted to she could have dug a bit more deeply... but would she be able to see every customer service interaction...probably not...but someone at United almost assuredly can.

In the age of big data it's just too easy to track every little detail about your customers and competition and any player in any industry is a fool not to leverage it; three non-airline examples:

• A local museum was courting me to become involved in a new project. On my first formal meeting with them the person across restaurant table from me lead with "According to your file you're a very interesting and special case..."
• I had trouble with an Apple product and called customer service. The gentleman who helped me was so awesome that after the call ended I called back and complimented him to a supervisor. About a year later I was in an Apple store and needed a just-out-of-warranty replacement. While the associate was making an exception for me he mentioned part of the reason he was doing that was because of my supervisor call way back and "we really appreciate you taking the time to do that..."
• About 20 years ago I was at a wedding reception and one of my tablemates worked for NCR. They had just installed a system for Walmart that, at the time, stored every line for every receipt generated at every store globally for the past 18 months and could run analytics based on those purchases, time of day, location, and, IIRC, shopper. I can just imagine as processing and storage have gotten cheaper that goldmine of information has just continued to get deeper

Boghopper

Oh, I'll bet they've made sure this one works just fine.

LHR Wannabee

I always thought that was the case. I wonder if they track compensation that they initiated. Unfortunately, my bad luck comes in waves. I had 2 recent long haul 787 flights in a row with no entertainment or wifi for the entire flight. The F/A gave us the certificates where we were given a choice of miles or a monetary amount. Most recently, I had a trip booked with a family member over the holidays when weather prevented the aircraft from getting from the East Coast to the West Coast. I received a text that my flight had been cancelled due to system problems so I thought there would be enough time to rebook. I could not get through to the 1k line for over 2 hours. Additionally, United.com had a message on the home page that I had been rebooked with other members of my party and to click the box for details. Upon clicking the box, I only received an error message and my original reservation still showed the original itinerary on schedule! I had no alternative, but to buy tickets on another airline or risk not getting out that day to meet other family members on vacation. I saved a screen shot of the website saying I had been rebooked that was not working and also had my call history on my phone. After my trip, I called 1k Customer Care and they said that it was not handled properly and they gave me a travel credit for the 2 tickets I had to buy on another carrier. They also asked me to send the screen shots to Customer Care so they could send it to the proper channels to fix the bug. I also received a very nice apology email after sending it in. As a side note, I frequently compliment people too-- so hopefully my "permanent record" shows that I take the good and the bad of the relationship. I just wish it was not so much bad in recent months.

JBord

I'm sure they track everything. I'd be shocked if a company this size with a huge amount of customer interactions didn't.

Not all notes or compensation are bad, they likely have categories and reason codes defined. CRM can also be used to identify trends or training needs. It's not just used on an individual level.

n198ua

I've been looking all over for it but can't find it; a long time ago I read an article that a UA flyer had posted where his account was audited and United basically warned him to stop making frivilous complaints or they would close his account. They also took back a bunch of good-will miles that were given over the years.

I thought it was the guy that runs untied dot com but I can't find it there....I'll keep looking

DWFI

In Europe, you might. I don't think the US has such a law.

Re: Ben Schlappig, he was fired because he was abusing the system like crazy. He would allegedly do "bump runs" - book flights likely to be oversold, collect bump vouchers - sometimes multiple in a day - and then cancel his ticket afterward. You can probably do that two or three times safely, but after that people will start to notice.

DCEsquire

WOW! Thanks for posting this. I never knew the backstory.

chavala

I was just reading an interesting thread in the AA forum. Apparently some of them (including my s/o) are getting their SWUs extended and other rules "bent" by having a 4 or 5 "eagle ranking" aka "helix".

I also remember hearing years ago that CO kept a 1-10 score on their customers.

Do we (UA elites) have anything like this?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...un-2014-a.html

http://theforwardcabin.com/2015/01/0...anking-system/

aCavalierInCoach

Yes, but it's a binary system. GS 1 everyone else zero.