I've been Global Services for 5 years and I'm looking elsewhere. Anyone else?
#136
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
Not sure I follow the logic - are you saying it is okay to dump poorly performing employees on general members and lower level elites? An airline should aim to have good customer service for all passengers, and expedited or concierge-type service for the most valued customers. I don't think the examples of poor service we have seen here are acceptable for anyone flying the airline. Many of us work in corporations that do not favor or discriminate amongst clients based on how much they spend - the aim is to treat everyone well and to minimize such gross variations in service. It should really not matter how much you spend to get the correct response to a question or problem. It is wrong that anyone needs to call 3 times to get something done - doesn't matter if one is GS or GM. I suppose it is still down to the management for poor training or not firing poor performers, but I don't think the solution to this problem is allocating the best agents to 1K and GS.
Just as a business matter, having agents who have worked long enough, and are well paid enough, to really know their job, costs 3-4-5x as much as just sending the calls to India, and costs 2x what having less senior and well paid agents take the calls. A smart company ought to - within reason - prioritize calls from existing valuable customers as well as those it IDs as valuable potential customers. United seems to have lost this basic understanding of how to succeed as to those below GS, but also at times has lost it with GS as well.
#137
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Colorado
Programs: Lifetime UA 1K, Lifetime Hilton Diamond, Lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,261
Continuing my rant (sorry) - this is the behavior United is encouraging. Flying tomorrow on an expensive refundable coach ticket. T-24 and I'm not upgraded even though there are seats left. So I went on to the web site and changed my flight to the same flight, except searching for first class. Confirmed in P and I get a $200 refund since it is cheaper than my coach ticket.
This is business analytics at its worst and is going to cost United profit. This is probably the 15th time this year I've done this.
This is business analytics at its worst and is going to cost United profit. This is probably the 15th time this year I've done this.
#138
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Rowley, MA / Edgartown, MA / Christiansted, St. Croix (USVI)
Programs: UA LT GS/4.96MM, Marriott LT Titanium, IHG Platinum, Global Entry, TSA Pre✓, Korea SeS, APEC
Posts: 579
Last night, trying to get an RPU reinstated. Over an hour and fifteen minutes debating whether I used it for the 4th leg LAX-LAS on an RJ, which I did not have applied to the itin. Lady was cool, but you would have thought that I was stealing all of United's Halloween candy for just asking for what I was entitled to get back. I knew she was in Houston because she told me so, and I agree with the above statement that they are trained to say, "NO" to everyone, from the get-go! Just before I ended the call because my family wanted to go out for dinner, I told her that these things were worthless anyway and after flying over 210,000 miles this year alone and only 40K away from a 3MM flyer, I know how to apply an RPU, and not apply an RPU. I explained that this entire conversation was {redacted} because I was getting hassled over a trivial matter that could be taken care of instantly if they trusted their loyal customers. I finally hung up after 40 mins on hold waiting for a super that was probably never to to pick up and talk to me anyway. Ten mins later, the RPU appeared, but I'm probably in the "BIG BOOK" in the sky reserved for trouble makers from the Old UA class.
#139
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC, LON
Programs: *
Posts: 2,771
It's funny but at McDonalds if you walk up to the counter and say they made a mistake with your order they, without hesitation, will make it right. This is customer service correctly implemented, and yes McDonalds isn't an airline but they understand customer service, which is fundamental in any highly rated consumer facing business. An RPU has virtually no cost to UA so there is only downside in not immediately giving you a credit to your account. Based on the amount of time you spent on the phone, this was a lose-lose for bot UA and you.
#140
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: RDU
Programs: AS MVP 75k, *G LT, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 62
Back to the original thread - while I'm not looking to another airline I really don't think the benefits of GS are that great anymore. Upgrades have basically disappeared (at least for me on the routes I fly) and if there are any seats left within 24 hours, GS means absolutely nothing and anyone can snag them with an RPU or miles.
With a few exceptions (e.g. converting T, boarding priority), the benefits of GS and 1K are the same.
It is funny that GS started going down the tubes about the time Scott Kirby joined United. Maybe a coincidence, but AA CK started getting better after he left and now appears to be a much better level than United GS. Everyone seems reluctant to criticize Oscar, but he is going to be the reason we all leave or stop spending to get to GS. Even Smisek understood the value of the GS fliers.
Given how few GS fliers there are, and the amount they spend (it is way harder to get to GS than CK), I think Scott and Oscar have completely lost their minds.
With a few exceptions (e.g. converting T, boarding priority), the benefits of GS and 1K are the same.
It is funny that GS started going down the tubes about the time Scott Kirby joined United. Maybe a coincidence, but AA CK started getting better after he left and now appears to be a much better level than United GS. Everyone seems reluctant to criticize Oscar, but he is going to be the reason we all leave or stop spending to get to GS. Even Smisek understood the value of the GS fliers.
Given how few GS fliers there are, and the amount they spend (it is way harder to get to GS than CK), I think Scott and Oscar have completely lost their minds.
1) Economy saver tickets through T conversion were less and less available on UA metal (and almost impossible to find on non-stop TATL/TPACs) and increasingly only on partner airlines where they are not upgradable with GPUs. So my choices usually were 70k mls for a GPU wait-listed std. economy on UA metal or 70k mls for a business saver on a partner airline. I do not need to be a GS to get those choices.
2) The GS agents became very restrained in what they were allowed to do. When I needed award tickets to be changed because the system generated intl. connections of 8+ hours or less than 1h and I wanted a reasonable connection time in the hub, then this was either not possible for them to do or "the system wanted another 20k mls from me", either for increasing the connection time from 1h to 3h or for reducing it from 8h to 3h. I found myself using my few Delta miles instead for the domestic legs. The last straw was a GS agent who did not want to wave the change fee for upgrading to a higher fare class.
3) CPU success rates dropped markedly. I can live with that and I am happy to pay for domestic upgrades. What I cannot live with and feel insulted bt is that those are available for less to customers with a lower status/loyalty.
I am now *G through 1MM, fly TATL/TPAC J on LH/SQ/CX and pay domestic upgrades on UA but mostly on VX/AS.
These were the only reasons why I paid UA for a TATL/TPAC J, which was more a premium economy plus through the 8-abreast lie flats and could otherwise not hold a candle against J products from CX/SQ/LH.
I am wondering if UA thinks that Polaris will improve the competitiveness of their J product materially enough to make up for the dilution of GS status. Not for me !
#141
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Colorado
Programs: Lifetime UA 1K, Lifetime Hilton Diamond, Lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,261
I've talked to several people at United recently (not agents but much more senior people) and everyone is saying the same thing about Scott Kirby. Basically he says all this great stuff but really is only interested in cutting costs (e.g. GS benefits) and maximizing revenue. Obviously they need to run a business and can do whatever they want, but United has a lot of competition and not really that great a product, so for people who spend a lot, there are many options.
#142
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,439
I've talked to several people at United recently (not agents but much more senior people) and everyone is saying the same thing about Scott Kirby. Basically he says all this great stuff but really is only interested in cutting costs (e.g. GS benefits) and maximizing revenue. Obviously they need to run a business and can do whatever they want, but United has a lot of competition and not really that great a product, so for people who spend a lot, there are many options.
#143
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
I've talked to several people at United recently (not agents but much more senior people) and everyone is saying the same thing about Scott Kirby. Basically he says all this great stuff but really is only interested in cutting costs (e.g. GS benefits) and maximizing revenue. Obviously they need to run a business and can do whatever they want, but United has a lot of competition and not really that great a product, so for people who spend a lot, there are many options.
United is not going to win back lost HVFers and "unmanaged traffic" with a bunch of service and product cuts.
#144
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,455
I don't know... converting T, priority security, priority boarding, and tarmac transfers pretty far outweigh just about all the other benefits for me. 2/4 of those are UA only (at least I don't think AA flagship spits you out at the front but maybe it does -- would matter, anyway, at SFO).