Interview with UA VP of Customer Service Barbara Higgins
Aug 26, 07, 7:35 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Yinzburgh
Posts: 183
Interview with UA VP of Customer Service Barbara Higgins
Today's Denver Post has a interesting interview with VP of customer experience Barbara Higgins:
Q: What are the areas where United Airlines has the most work to do to improve the customer experience?
A: It's really being able to individualize the experience while still managing the large volume of guests that we greet on a daily basis, recognizing that an occasional traveler has pretty different needs than a frequent traveler or business traveler....
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_6715543
A: It's really being able to individualize the experience while still managing the large volume of guests that we greet on a daily basis, recognizing that an occasional traveler has pretty different needs than a frequent traveler or business traveler....
Aug 26, 07, 9:06 am
#2
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Since the BoSox and ChiSox won it, now it is the Cubs turn to take the Series. Go Cubs Go!
Posts: 3,685
I hope that the excellent Disney customer service will be used for aspects of United's operations. Disney understands that loyalty and good service will create committed customers, and it tries to remedy any issues.
Aug 26, 07, 9:07 am
#3
Join Date: May 2001
Location: RDU
Programs: UA1K 2MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott cardboard
Posts: 1,691
words = good
deeds = ?
deeds = ?
Aug 26, 07, 9:29 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Greater DC
Programs: UA plus
Posts: 12,940
She's been here for awhile now, I don't see any changes worthy of note. Can any UA employees identify something that's changed on their end?
Aug 26, 07, 9:44 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA and everywhere else
Programs: VX Gold, UA MM, SPG Plat
Posts: 707
That article sucked. (Not because of Ms. Higgins, but because the Denver Post put about as much effort into writing it as I did.) Fluff piece.
Aug 26, 07, 9:58 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2004
Programs: AA 'kettle', Marriott Gold, ICH Gld, Hertz 5*
Posts: 5,258
The flight attendant was on the same flight and remembered him.
Of course, it's bravo sierra that makes the big bucks in many jobs today...
Pat
Aug 26, 07, 10:02 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Programs: Sometimes known as [ARG:6 UNDEFINED]
Posts: 25,804
Memo to Ms. Higgins: The 80's called. They want their pantsuit back.
Aug 26, 07, 10:05 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2006
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 1,154
Maybe a bottle of water and an apple will show up on INTl F menu as a Charlie Trotter specialty item?
She's not been in the position long so let's see what happens over the coming months. The nuts and bolts are starting to change (premium cabin upgrades for example) and hopefully a newfound sense of pride in working for UA will start to filter along the ranks.
Next time there is a major mechanical, or serious weather delays, how about coming around the snaking CS lines in the terminals delivering apples and bottles of water?
She's not been in the position long so let's see what happens over the coming months. The nuts and bolts are starting to change (premium cabin upgrades for example) and hopefully a newfound sense of pride in working for UA will start to filter along the ranks.
Next time there is a major mechanical, or serious weather delays, how about coming around the snaking CS lines in the terminals delivering apples and bottles of water?
Aug 26, 07, 10:06 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2004
Programs: AA 'kettle', Marriott Gold, ICH Gld, Hertz 5*
Posts: 5,258
Originally Posted by DenverBrian
Memo to Ms. Higgins: The 80's called. They want their pantsuit back.
Pat
Aug 26, 07, 10:06 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2006
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 1,154
Originally Posted by DenverBrian
Memo to Ms. Higgins: The 80's called. They want their pantsuit back.
(but have you ever been to Celebration FL!?)
Aug 26, 07, 10:29 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,764
Originally Posted by transpac-canuck
That article sucked. (Not because of Ms. Higgins, but because the Denver Post put about as much effort into writing it as I did.) Fluff piece.
One specific Higgins did mention is the post-flight customer surveys--though those surveys mean nothing unless they translate into improved CS.
One thing she didn't mention, frequently discussed and debated in this forum, is whether UA will find a way to encourage and get more feedback re great personnel such as the "water and apple" FA and re the occasional bad apples who can lose it a lot of business. And again, such feedback means nothing unless it translates into UA rewarding the great personnel and improving or ridding itself of the lousy ones who cause customer frustration. Also important is letting customers know that it actually hears them and acts on such information, which could go a long way toward alleviating frustration.
Aug 26, 07, 10:34 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,513
This article gets 
particularly for this:
pax: my flight has been cancelled
GA: sorry, you'll have to find a new flight....next
That is how you get more efficient with fewer people.
particularly for this:Q: How do you deal with the challenge of improving the customer experience when there are fewer employees in call centers and other areas of the company?
A: Not everything is really related to the amount of staff you have, but it's really what processes you have in place. Certainly reducing staffing and not changing a process may not necessarily lead to a good outcome, but in many cases there are ways to do things a lot more efficiently and more productively that don't necessarily require as many people.
What this means is there won't be more CSR's during irrops, no effort to reduce lines at checkin and gates, etc. Only more 'processes'. My read on the process: A: Not everything is really related to the amount of staff you have, but it's really what processes you have in place. Certainly reducing staffing and not changing a process may not necessarily lead to a good outcome, but in many cases there are ways to do things a lot more efficiently and more productively that don't necessarily require as many people.
pax: my flight has been cancelled
GA: sorry, you'll have to find a new flight....next
That is how you get more efficient with fewer people.
Aug 26, 07, 10:43 am
#13
In memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: Kimpton IC, Hyatt Diamond, Gold Marriott, Lifetime Platinum Starwood
Posts: 8,664
I wish UA would make their execs do a monthly experience as a customer. Not calling ahead of time and saying that they're a VIP or anything but experience UA the way the rest of us do. Perhaps then we would see some changes. As far as her not being there long, saying that they need more processes, etc. It's not that there are too many people at this company - it's that there are too FEW (too MANY in management; too FEW on the front lines).
Not recognizing what the REAL issues are seems to be the hallmark of UA these days.
Not recognizing what the REAL issues are seems to be the hallmark of UA these days.
Aug 26, 07, 10:44 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,513
Originally Posted by ldsant
I wish UA would make their execs do a monthly experience as a customer. Not calling ahead of time and saying that they're a VIP or anything but experience UA the way the rest of us do. Perhaps then we would see some changes. As far as her not being there long, saying that they need more processes, etc. It's not that there are too many people at this company - it's that there are too FEW (too MANY in management; too FEW on the front lines).
Not recognizing what the REAL issues are seems to be the hallmark of UA these days.
Not recognizing what the REAL issues are seems to be the hallmark of UA these days.
Aug 26, 07, 11:08 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+), now an Elite Peon
Posts: 23,000
Originally Posted by ldsant
I wish UA would make their execs do a monthly experience as a customer. Not calling ahead of time and saying that they're a VIP or anything but experience UA the way the rest of us do. Perhaps then we would see some changes.
(On a related note, does UA have private jets for their execs, or do their execs fly in F?)
