OK, So I used to be 1K for several years and due to work changes I slowly slid back to 2P. Now thanks to a new assignment I am moving back up. This week I crossed into 1P territory.

When I was a lowly Premier member I always dreaded calling for any questions as I knew that not only would I suffer a long wait but I would be directed to some call center in a far off land where even the simplest request from me would take several explanations to the agent. Or even worse the agent's double-speak answer (with made up words, or at least words not commonly used outside of their country) would drive me to drink.

Today when I was printing my boarding pass my old Premier status showed up. So I called in hoping that the old re-entering of my MP number would update the OLCI system (it didn't... I will still get my 100% bonus, right?). Well, to my surprise, not only did the agent pick up on the first ring, pronounced my name correctly (its a very common name), did not challenge me to provide my confirmation number and, to top it off she spoke a native version of English!

Wow, I now remember what I miss. She was polite, very friendly and I was just so excited to talk to her. Now I know there are bad/poor US CSR's too but this just proved to me how small things can really make a difference in customer perception and satisfaction.

All in all, I'm glad I am moving back up.

Just my 2 cents.


PS - Does anyone know why there are less voice menu questions for higher status levels? I think once the system recognizes you as 1P or better, there is at least 1 less question to answer.

It may be you are calling from the phone number registered with UA. When I call from home, Hal asks if I am Pat89339 and when I respond yes, it skips the key in the MP# and say the name portion and goes directly to Domestic/International.

Even as a lowly Premier I've had excellent and courteous service from all the phone reps I call (as well as airport staff). I don't recall ever really waiting to get someone on the phone and they seem well briefed when I speak with them. I know when calling from my "home" phone, the call goes right through and IDs me by name before passing me along to an agent.

No never discourteous service ... just confused and sometimes conflicting information. I've found in some cultures that it is the norm to add additional "big" words in an attempt to make the answer (which is usually just no or sorry, I won't/you can't do that) sound more official.

At any rate I was just happy that instantly noticed a difference and it sort of reaffirmed my decision to go for higher UA status as earlier in the year I had to choose between that or splitting my travel between a couple carriers.

Agreed. Not that I had too many opportunities to call as a 2P, but I never had any trouble when I did. I guess its luck of the draw, as well as time of day and strain on the system.

It get the 'cold shower' about 30+ times a year - make all the reservations with the US 1K line but then have to transfer to the SYD or SIN 1K desk to pay for the bloody ticket. As for 2 years now, UA doesn't allow their US agents to take foreign credit cards anymore .

Then the struggle begins .. if it's the MCC after an endless wait a well educated but cheeky person will answer your call and interrogate you for all the habits you ever had. Repeating the credit card info 3 times over is not an obstacle to customer service for them.

After everything that deems them worthy to know is really, really confirmed, I get the " the ticket will be issued in 72/96 hours from now"...
Any effort to insist that I am a 1K and want it to be issued now are thwarted by a public holiday I never heard of.

If it's the ICC, they generally will find a flaw in the booking that keeps them from issuing it - in descending likelihood "the line has static / credit card invalid / ticket deadline exceeded / cannot have codeshares in there". It's maddening.