notquiteaff

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that it's illegal (hence my comment about it being negotiated). But it doesn't seem like a wise choice, since it leads to situations like this where any reasonable person would say the FAs are working and yet they don't get paid and thus themselves don't consider themselves working.

I don't disagree with the gist of your argument, but the clothing part is rather strange, given that I hear there are well-respected airlines that provide their F passengers with pajamas (I've never experienced that myself). Given that UA doesn't, I don't consider it rude when passengers wear comfortable clothing when traveling. The primary reason for to try and fly C/F is comfort, after all.

You're welcome to continue to wear your tux on the way to Europe, though

aluminumdriver

This thread is weird in my opinion! Here you had some FA's who were willing to stay onboard without being paid and off the clock so that some passengers who wanted to sit in the cabin versus in the terminal didn't have to get off, they had a choice. That was a NICE thing to do, and not REQUIRED. Geez, the things folks complain about here is just amazing. This was an example of United employees doing something nice for the passengers, and you get folks here complaining about how they mentioned it and shouldn't have, how this is standard overseas (which it isn't) and blah blah blah. And folks wonder why employees eventually just give up trying to please passengers or do anything extra? People constantly complain here that they think the employees don't try hard enough. Here, you had some go the extra bit to make a situation a little nicer, and you still get people complaining.

DenverBrian

This was both an excellent example of proactive customer service and an excellent example of poor customer service.

Excellent: Information that gave pax a choice - stay on the plane or deboard if you like. Any time you can provide a choice, it gives people control of their own situation.

Poor: The "inside baseball" information "they get paid only when the plane pushes back." Always avoid "behind the curtain" remarks; when you're in customer service, like Disney says, you're really "on stage." This kind of remark is considered an "off stage" remark and shouldn't be broadcast over a PA or said to a large group of pax.

PanHam

Exactly. It's the post-9/11 airline industry attitude of making passengers feel like nuisances and potential burdens just for being present.

RS250Racer

Flying UA is a nice thing to do and NOT required....

Are you kidding me? Give up trying to please passengers??? When, back in 1975?

Don't feel bad, it is not just UA, which is what many of us are saying, it is our whole service culture in the states.

I can not even begin to tell you the difference between my Star Alliance flights I took in Asia over the last few weeks and then getting back on UA...

I will NEVER forget being in F from SF0-FRA and halfway thru the flight they hand me a sandwich in a plastic wrapper, same as they give out in Y...when I didnt eat it the FA came back in about 10 mins and asked: " what you don't want that?"

I just flew in F on NH from Narita to Frankfurt...blown away by the food and service, just unreal...they served me a cheeseburger halfway thru the flight that was better than many I have had on the ground.

The only quality, professional service I see from UA these days comes from the cockpit...I got nothing but respect and praise for those UA employees!

aluminumdriver

The complaint you are talking about is what the employees have been complaining about, the nickel and diming of our passengers, and subsequent decrease in the UAL product. That is a management decision, we have no say on what you get for a meal, or how many drinks you get or that you can't have the soda can or whatever. Believe me, United FA's were not the ones who came up with selling items in the back. That is made from up high on Mt Tilton. Ryan Air just announced pay toilets onboard, I can only imagine this getting talked about at WHQ.

To be fair, in your post you are comparing two services that we have no control over. If you were to say the FA's were better on NH than UA, that would be fair. But to compare the food product, seats, plane, whatever, really isn't since we as employees don't control that.

This really wasn't a thread about the United product, but about the FA's doing something nice for the passengers and yet still getting ridiculed for it because the GA mentioned it? I mean, really.

Glad you are pleased with your cockpit crews, but you are dealing with the FA's a lot more than the cockpit crews too.

Javan69

I'm not saying that there should be dress codes and the PJs are for changing into mid-flight. I'm just saying that as our society has become more and more casual you can't expect service, in general, to reflect otherwise. If you look at U.S. carriers in that light, it becomes understandable.

Goes2Oz

+1
Th GA probably said it so there wouldn't be complaints on FT about the "lazy" FA's. Gee, wonder who it is that would complain...

RS250Racer

Ok, you still don't get it...let me try one more time.. I could actually not care less about the food, it is the attitude. Yeah the food was great on NH, but it was the service that was the made the experience.

By and large the FA's are not only NOT friendly they are downright SURLY!

Many times I do not feel welcome but that I am inconvenience to the FA's...it is a complete joke...
I don't care what is going on with your management, if you don't like your job, go get another one....like picking up trash.

Each and every employee can be nice and helpful, that COSTS NOTHING!!

I will also say again, this is NOT just confined to UA, it is a major problem in all areas of service in the US, it is just that UA employees seem to excel at it.

If one good thing can come out of the depression we are entering and that will be an improvement in customer service!

goalie

here here ^ and i had a quite similar situation at lax (tho no "g/a announcement" ). we were told that we could stay on the a/c or wait in the gate area and and where the captain offered up a flight deck visit, your didn't have to say "goalie sit, goalie stay" a second time . way cool as i got to sit in the "boss's seat" complete with headset and the f/a's offered up chocolate chip cookies from the galley ^ to all of those who stayed (regardless of whether you were sitting in f or y)

cyber1k

Tacky. And shows the problem with the U.S. labor pool.

What's wrong:
1) employee first
2) customer last

What's more effective at creating an experience everyone loves:
1) customer first
2) employee nearly first

We all would do well to treat each other better.

Potreroflyr

What hyperbole. In my experience UA employees are no worse at customer service than any other airline or business for that matter.

That's not to say service in the U.S. is perfect. Far from it. But that is our country's culture. To compare US F/As to other F/As who come from a different culture is misguided.

Asian airlines also discriminate more than US airlines based on age, appearance, marital and family status. Maybe that doesn't bother some people, but it conflicts with our core values. @:-)

Thunderroad

^^Exactly. Passengers were better off for being given the option of staying on board rather than having to deplane. The announcement was inappropriate, but much less important than the option itsefl.

I wouldn't be so fast to generalize about customer service in the United States. Sure, it's worse than parts of Asia (though better than some other parts). But it's far better than in parts of Europe and some other parts of the world. Plus those of us who travel internationally, especially flying in premium cabins (such as NH F) and staying in nice hotels, can get a distorted view of customer service in those countries. I definitely prefer the customer service I usually get on Asian carriers to those on American ones, but am reluctant to generalize beyond that to draw conclusions about the decline of American civilization.

As for improved customer service coming out of the coming depression, that would be nice but there might be higher priorities to hope for.

fastair

Well, the CEO mentioned it, but it was "denied" by the official spokesperson. RyanAir's CEO is known for making off the cuff profanities and BS statements just to get his airline in the press.

The great "European" carriers clearly do not include RyanAir, and any comparison between US service being low compared to European carriers if you include ALL the Euro carriers, which includes the Brittish isles LCC's.