I battle the Dulles RCC matron- you know who won! [Merged Threads]
#46
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 613
Excellent, thank goodness I've never had such an experience at the SFO lounges. They have all been very professional and knowleagable regarding this rule.
#47
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: SoCal
Programs: UA 1K 2Millon Mile Flyer, IC Diamond Royal Ambassador Inner Circle, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 479
Lucky, major kudos to you for standing up to this jerk!!!
Aside from the arrogance/incompetence issue, the thing that really stands out with me is the threat of security to enforce a business dispute where there is no violence or other need to escalate to a law enforcement response.
This is yet another example of the post 9/11 attitude of some airline employees that they can threaten any pax who dares to complain or call them on substandard performance.
IMHO, I'd skip the compensation request in my letter to WHQ and focus on the liablity issue that could have been had you actually been detained/arrested. If I were GT, I'd be jumping out of my skin after reading this employee's response to the new "focus on the customer."
Aside from the arrogance/incompetence issue, the thing that really stands out with me is the threat of security to enforce a business dispute where there is no violence or other need to escalate to a law enforcement response.
This is yet another example of the post 9/11 attitude of some airline employees that they can threaten any pax who dares to complain or call them on substandard performance.
IMHO, I'd skip the compensation request in my letter to WHQ and focus on the liablity issue that could have been had you actually been detained/arrested. If I were GT, I'd be jumping out of my skin after reading this employee's response to the new "focus on the customer."
#48
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,866
while i agree at the rcc agent was wrong, i can see exactly where the situation when south and then i'm going to pose a question
where it went south:
lucky: Hello
Agent: (It is worth adding she was actually friendly and smiling) Go ahead.
lucky: Thank you, could we please get some drink chits as well?
Agent: You are flying All Nippon, they have their own lounge, and you would only get chits there.
lucky: (put the rules on the counter) Maam, thats not what the RCC admit profile says. Would you mind reading that please?
folks, i have been in a front line service industry for 30 years and from an employee's side, the millisecond anyone starts flouting rules (whether they have the right rule or not or they are interpreting the rule correctly or not), the employee (or person being told what the rules are) IS going to get defensive. it's a natural reaction folks, and the key is to look at the situation with calm so it does not escalate. this situation escalated when it didn't and shouldn't have had to.
now the question i want to ask.....should this woman be fired? some of you have posted "yes". folks first off, it is only a drink ticket. yes, procedure wasn't followed but what if.......
this was an exemplary employee who got told by hubby that morning "i want a divorce" (or what ever bad thing you wan tan be inserted here). i'm not making excuses as something (and in this case, the rcc drink chit procedure at iad) needs to be fixed-i'm just saying that you need to look at the whole situation.
is it worth someone losing their job over this-would you want to be the one to lose your job if it was you instead of her? i have read too many posts saying "off with her head" waaaaay too quickly. if you truly think this woman should be fired, over a bloody drink ticket then write the letter demanding she be fired (n.b. demanding vs should).
just my 2 hockey pucks.
where it went south:
lucky: Hello
Agent: (It is worth adding she was actually friendly and smiling) Go ahead.
lucky: Thank you, could we please get some drink chits as well?
Agent: You are flying All Nippon, they have their own lounge, and you would only get chits there.
lucky: (put the rules on the counter) Maam, thats not what the RCC admit profile says. Would you mind reading that please?
folks, i have been in a front line service industry for 30 years and from an employee's side, the millisecond anyone starts flouting rules (whether they have the right rule or not or they are interpreting the rule correctly or not), the employee (or person being told what the rules are) IS going to get defensive. it's a natural reaction folks, and the key is to look at the situation with calm so it does not escalate. this situation escalated when it didn't and shouldn't have had to.
now the question i want to ask.....should this woman be fired? some of you have posted "yes". folks first off, it is only a drink ticket. yes, procedure wasn't followed but what if.......
this was an exemplary employee who got told by hubby that morning "i want a divorce" (or what ever bad thing you wan tan be inserted here). i'm not making excuses as something (and in this case, the rcc drink chit procedure at iad) needs to be fixed-i'm just saying that you need to look at the whole situation.
is it worth someone losing their job over this-would you want to be the one to lose your job if it was you instead of her? i have read too many posts saying "off with her head" waaaaay too quickly. if you truly think this woman should be fired, over a bloody drink ticket then write the letter demanding she be fired (n.b. demanding vs should).
just my 2 hockey pucks.
Last edited by goalie; Jul 8, 2007 at 12:11 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TUS and any place close to a lav
Programs: UA 1.6MM
Posts: 5,423
Lucky, you were so lucky to actually FIND an available customer service representative at the customer service counter! And lucky still that you found a Supervisor!
The stars have aligned in your favor... buy a lotto ticket
The stars have aligned in your favor... buy a lotto ticket
#50
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Programs: AA EXP, UA *S, Hyatt DIA, *W/IC Plat, HH Gold, A3 *G, Sixt Plat
Posts: 1,218
True, goalie, but I think the situation started going downhill quickly when the lounge dragon mentioned calling security. Totally unnecessary, and the situation could have been resolved by her simply reading the paper lucky brought with the rules printed out.
Not reading it, IMO, tells me she didn't want to deal with providing any type of customer service and just wanted to get this young-looking 1K frequent flyer out of her face. She probably didn't know that lucky knows more about the UA program than most people at United!
Not reading it, IMO, tells me she didn't want to deal with providing any type of customer service and just wanted to get this young-looking 1K frequent flyer out of her face. She probably didn't know that lucky knows more about the UA program than most people at United!
#52
Moderator: Mileage Run, United Airlines; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: The City/Honolulu
Programs: UA 3MM; Hyatt Glob*****; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,472
For those of you asking for the S*RCC/ADMIT rules, this is the one on the Sticky thread from 8/10/05. Lucky is that the one you carry around?
#53
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: UA 2.5MM; HH Diamond; Hyatt Platinum; MR Gold
Posts: 1,354
what if.......
this was an exemplary employee who got told by hubby that morning "i want a divorce" (or what ever bad thing you wan tan be inserted here). i'm not making excuses as something (and in this case, the rcc drink chit procedure at iad) needs to be fixed-i'm just saying that you need to look at the whole situation.
this was an exemplary employee who got told by hubby that morning "i want a divorce" (or what ever bad thing you wan tan be inserted here). i'm not making excuses as something (and in this case, the rcc drink chit procedure at iad) needs to be fixed-i'm just saying that you need to look at the whole situation.
#54
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Melbourne, FL
Programs: UA 1K 2MM
Posts: 158
I doubt that was UNIQUE passengers, but rather [passenger,trips] or even [passenger,segment]. When you consider the number of those represented by flyertalkers, the 0.01% might even be a bit low!
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 20,404
the millisecond anyone starts flouting rules (whether they have the right rule or not or they are interpreting the rule correctly or not), the employee (or person being told what the rules are) IS going to get defensive. it's a natural reaction folks, and the key is to look at the situation with calm so it does not escalate. this situation escalated when it didn't and shouldn't have had to.
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
#58
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,866
Originally Posted by goalie
what if.......
this was an exemplary employee who got told by hubby that morning "i want a divorce" (or what ever bad thing you wan tan be inserted here). i'm not making excuses as something (and in this case, the rcc drink chit procedure at iad) needs to be fixed-i'm just saying that you need to look at the whole situation.
this was an exemplary employee who got told by hubby that morning "i want a divorce" (or what ever bad thing you wan tan be inserted here). i'm not making excuses as something (and in this case, the rcc drink chit procedure at iad) needs to be fixed-i'm just saying that you need to look at the whole situation.
it is the program and how it is overseen. if employees are not given the resources they need to adequately do their job and are poorly trained, guess what? you get poorly trained employees and when you have poorly trained employees, guess what? you get very ugly situations. ua @iad is a dump and we all know it and how many of you have worked in a location with inadequate faciltites or where folks shudder when they find out where you work? i believe it is a training issue where he blame needs to fall on corporate and not the employees. if you want to write a letter, address the issue of training. train (and re-train if applicable) first and fire later.
#59
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Programs: UA GS; Former Alaska MVPG75/DL Diamond/NW Platinum/BA Gold
Posts: 942
Lucky,
You, sir, are doing the lord's work.
I don't know how many times I was mistreated in the IAD RCCs back when I was a 1K. If everyone steps up like you did, perhaps things will finally change.
Thanks,
Chris
You, sir, are doing the lord's work.
I don't know how many times I was mistreated in the IAD RCCs back when I was a 1K. If everyone steps up like you did, perhaps things will finally change.
Thanks,
Chris
#60
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Missoula, MT
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 363
Sadly, the behavior of the matron (and like) doesn't encourage passengers to travel UA, join the RCC, fly through IAD, or seek out *A itineraries. How, then, is it in anyone's best interests to continue to allow problems like this continue?
Now, I know that FT folks are a bit obsessive about what these programs provide to their loyal customers, but if you hang out in the terminals for a while you hear similar stories from many, many customers. All the marketing in the world won't save a company if their customers are complaining to one another.
Now, I know that FT folks are a bit obsessive about what these programs provide to their loyal customers, but if you hang out in the terminals for a while you hear similar stories from many, many customers. All the marketing in the world won't save a company if their customers are complaining to one another.