United No Longer ‘Friendly’ on the Ground

Posted on November 29, 2007
Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment

You’ve got to wonder where United Airlines gets its insights into customer service – or if management even cares about what works for customers, at least as they arrive at a United ticket counter.

We’ve just returned from a trip to California. The flights themselves were fine – cheers for the pilots and stewards. But the terminal experiences were ghastly – all because United apparently hasn’t taken a systems approach to checking in customers, starting with walking in their shoes.

My wife and I arrived at the United counter at Harrisburg International Airport at about 6 A.M. and were pleased to find ready access – no lines to wait on. That feeling, though, unexpectedly turned to dismay and upset.

There were three attendants behind the counter. One, a woman, was finishing up helping a customer, it appeared. Another was punching his computer keyboard. The third didn’t seem to be doing anything. We put our three bags on the scale, and stood before the attendant at the keyboard. That’s when our ordeal began. He ignored us for several minutes; so did the other two attendants.

“There are three of you,” I finally said, “can someone help us?” My voice had an angry tone – I acknowledge that. But things got worse. The third attendant came out from behind the counter and brusquely indicated we needed to use the automated ticketing machine. I started doing that; I’d used them before as a solo traveler, but not with my wife along. The “problem” was we had three bags between two people and separate tickets, rather than linked ones. I didn’t know how to allocate the bags between us, and wondered why that should even matter. In the “old days,” the attendant generated the tags for the bags, and that was that.

Not only were the bags at issue. The machine was asking if I wanted extra legroom, and was prompting me to decline if I didn’t. To me, that was selling when selling wasn’t welcome, and a bit confusing. I was getting increasingly irritated and signalled that to the attendant. He had some words of his own, and threatened to “refund” – rescind, actually – our tickets if I didn’t behave.

Finally, he took over operation of the machine and tagged our bags as an attendant of old would have, but it was truly a bad scene. And an unnecessary one.

If United wants passengers to use the machines, it should indicate that with a sign at the start of the “ropewalk,” with some basic guidance on the process for single and multiple passengers. Then, don’t have attendants on duty who don’t seem to feel that have to interact with customers. That may not be entirely their fault; it may well be a training issue for management. The point is, United seems to want to change customer habits, but is making no effort to assist in the process.

You arrive at the airport expecting the “friendly skies,” and feeling a bit apprehensive about the TSA screening process. But at Harrisburg that morning, the TSA was a breeze – we knew what to do there – and United was an ordeal.

Out in California, I asked the lady at United’s 800 number – as I attempted to get seat assignments before heading back home – whether we had to use the machines. She said, no, we had our choice between the machines and attendants. But when we got to the airport, the attendant again told us we had to use the machine. But this time she was more helpful – she virtually did the ticketing for us. Yet she was able to give us seat assignments only as far as Chicago. It was the end of the Thanksgiving holiday, and United was apparently hoping to sell more seats in the “Premium area” – whatever that is. There used to be only First Class and Cabin.

Again, no explanatory information from United. It was truly a dismal airport experience – outbound and in. Why should it be so hard to identify with customers on the ground if you can fly those big, beautiful jets so well? We’re looking at taking the train the next time.

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