No Ticket Agent - Only Kiosk

May 19, 2003
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Well my long awaited fear has finally occurred.

I was flying from CMH yesterday and when arriving at the counter, there was no Preferred line (this is NOT an express station). The only line that resembled a preferred line was one with a sign saying first class Kiosk. So as my companion and I were moving over to what I thought was the regular line, the agent standing by the kiosk motions to an open kiosk and says "this kiosk is open", to which I reply "I don't do kiosk". The agent then replies "we no longer have ticket agents and you must use the kiosk." Now I'm beginning to get just a little irritated. I reply "No I don't, and if you try to make me use the kiosk, then I'll just move on down to DL and fly them, because I don't do kiosk" This guy was serious and so was I.

At this point I tell him I have a companion upgrade and the @%$@#% kiosk will not process this type of transactions nor 90% of the other reasons that you need an agent for, so now what am I going to do? The other agent behind the desk, but placing bag tags on the bags processed by the kiosk, looks at the other agent and tells him that I'm right and an agent must process this ticket. The other agent, now also slightly miffed motions me to the other agent.

The agent behind the counter tells me that management has made a decision to go 100% kiosk and that they will assist you only with checking in via kiosk. When I pointed out that the kiosk works only slightly better than the web site, and the kiosk could only perform the most basic of procedures, just exactly was a passenger supposed to do during irregular ops. The only answer was when that happened it is a mess.

Several things are not sitting well with me at this point. One if we all become sheep and play this ridiculous game, then when we need an agent, there will be none. The next time your flight cancels you may just be looking at your only option, a $%## kiosk. Two, this little jewel is worthless for all but the most basic check in process. My guess is they will get outsourced to San Salvador next. So when you have trouble getting the kiosk to do anything for you, you will pick up a phone, talk to some one with a heavy Spanish accent, and you will spend the next ten minutes trying to explain what a kiosk is.

Two, I fly this airline because of the service and the way I'm treated as a preferred member. It is sure isn't much of anything else. A benefit promised to me is a preferred/first class check in line, not a first class kiosk.

I am truly concerned that we are beginning to see the "enhancement" of our preferred benefits. Many of us have been concerned that when the got finished getting all they could from the employees of this airline, they were going to start cutting back on the benefits. Between this trend and the way phone calls are being handled by the CP desk, I'm convinced they are now coming after us in ways that they hope we will just sit back and take.

So for the US lurkers on here, just remember we do have a choice in who we fly and we have proven we have a voice that can and will be heard by an audience larger than this forum. Think twice before you continue down this path.
 
Does any of what you wrote suprise you?

They are cutting over 1/2 of the workforce because they need
to burn the furniture to stay alive.

They don't give a crap about you or your problems.. Just buy your
ticket and shut up. You want help go fly someone else.. That is
management's position..

And people on this board think this place is going to survive.

I talked with a F/A friend of mine today.. She told me her flight took a
3 hour delay in PHL the other day due to baggage not being loaded. They put
passengers on, closed the door and made them wait 3 hours before departure.

They are supposed to do a water service but she could not because they had no
bottled water on the aircraft. When she does do her service and the passenger
wants a drink mentioned in the inflight magazine she has to tell them "Sorry, we don't have any of that today".. Great service..

My advice to you and the rest of the flying public.. Fly JetBlue, Southwest, AirTran or Spirit.. They want your business.. US Airways just wants employee paycuts.. Customer service is not even in the top 10 things that they want.
 
longing4piedmont said:
Well my long awaited fear has finally occurred.


Your long awaited fear is management's long awaited goal: Agentless airports and self-reservations on .com. If you must must talk to an agent there will be some struggling college student in some third world country to help you muddle through- as long as you have the time and patience to wait a half hour to get through to them.

And if the flying public puts up with this long enough- just because we wave cheap tickets at them, well then management will get what is truly their ultimate goal: a big fat bonus check.
See it is all about them, not about the customers or the employees.
 
Where is the surprise here?....the public wants 69.00 fares to everywhere every airline flies to....this is an enhanced taxicab service with fares lower than most cab fees in New York......Wait until the cockpit becomes automated.....cheap fares cheap service....no mystery here......wake up!.....
 
Please just remember that when you do speak with an agent, try to not take out your frustrations on us. We only are the pawns in this game that management is playing. We get ordered also to force the customers to kiosks, and when our station stats for kiosk usage are not up to minimum, we get yelled at by our station manager. For us it's a lose/lose situation. We get yelled at by customers and then by management. Believe me, it's no joy to go to work and deal with irate customers and then have an irate manager dump on us also.
 
longing4piedmont said:
Well my long awaited fear has finally occurred.

So for the US lurkers on here, just remember we do have a choice in who we fly and we have proven we have a voice that can and will be heard by an audience larger than this forum. Think twice before you continue down this path.
[post="243473"][/post]​

Think you know my response to this? Yup Take the other path and take your complaining with you.

Your voice has been heard loud and clear yes it has "Its the fares stupid" You get what you want to pay for so why are you in the least bit surprised?

name change will be in order in the future and yours is reserved as longing4Usairways. Nothing ever satisfies you twits and never will. You wish for the old days of piedmont and higher fares but beg for the airlines to fly you for free. You have gotten what you justly deserve. Enjoy my friend. What is the old saying? Be careful what you wish for?

Again I ask why are you posting to the smaller audience of this forum?
 
IM afraid you get what you pay for .... the whole industry is going to the $69.00 model. The bussiness traveler has spoken, there is no future in the USA for anything else. Its going to be the same from one end of the airport to the other, you can fly DL, AA, UA, WN they will all look alike a like very soon.....sad but true.
 
Here's a suggestion. Fiddle around the kiosk like you have no idea what your doing or your having all kinds of trouble trying to figure out how to work the thing. You'll have an agent rushing to help you just to get you through the line to make way for the next user.
 
WestCoastGuy said:
Please just remember that when you do speak with an agent, try to not take out your frustrations on us. We only are the pawns in this game that management is playing. We get ordered also to force the customers to kiosks, and when our station stats for kiosk usage are not up to minimum, we get yelled at by our station manager. For us it's a lose/lose situation. We get yelled at by customers and then by management. Believe me, it's no joy to go to work and deal with irate customers and then have an irate manager dump on us also.
[post="243484"][/post]​
WestCoast
The front line people of this airline are the best. How you have managed to keep up the attitude that I see ever time I fly is beyond me. And like others, I think this has only improved in the last couple of months. CCY does not get it. Most of us who fly know it. I am constantly amazed at how many of you can turn a pig's ear into a silk purse, with little or no support from CCY.

And don't worry, I didn't take it out on the agent. My irritation was with management over the decisions that were made in this station and for putting an agent in this situation in the first place. I did not take it out on the agents or even suggest that I was upset with them.

And for those who have asked what I expected, I posted this here, because I know it will be read by a number of people in CCY. The message was directed to them and was meant to be in support of the ticket agents who are losing their jobs. I, as a customer, am simply expressing my anger over what is happening and in my own way issuing a warning that at some point this all has to stop and some one in CCY has to decide that building is the better choice to tearing it all down. Please don't read anything into this post other than support for the front line folks who have become good friends over the years.
 
Yeap, but the flip side is bussiness travelers rake us over the coals for pricing higher than WN. The only reason JetBlue can price with WN is cause they have all JR employees. The only way legecy carriers will be able to meet your pricing demand is to go with the no touch model. Buy your ticket online, check yourself in and take your seat.
 
deltawatch said:
IM afraid you get what you pay for .... the whole industry is going to the $69.00 model. The bussiness traveler has spoken, there is no future in the USA for anything else. Its going to be the same from one end of the airport to the other, you can fly DL, AA, UA, WN they will all look alike a like very soon.....sad but true.
[post="243486"][/post]​

I bought a $69 fare on LUV once, and there was an agent to help me if the kiosk failed.
 
usairways_vote_NO said:
Think you know my response to this? Yup Take the other path and take your complaining with you.

Your voice has been heard loud and clear yes it has "Its the fares stupid" You get what you want to pay for so why are you in the least bit surprised?

name change will be in order in the future and  yours is reserved as longing4Usairways. Nothing ever satisfies you twits and never will. You wish for the old days of piedmont and higher fares but beg for the airlines to fly you for free. You have gotten what you justly deserve. Enjoy my friend. What is the old saying? Be careful what you wish for?

Again I ask why are you posting to the smaller audience of this forum?
[post="243485"][/post]​
I know that you are just trying to push a few buttons. I'm not much in the mood to play today, so I will be serious in my response.

My voice has been for reasonable fares, not low fares, not go fares. I am willing to pay more. I find $238 RT fares from CLT/SEA almost sickening. I have had conversations with the revenue management of US. I and a couple of others suggested a plan that is almost identical to what DL introduce with simplyfares. US had already tested a version in a couple of markets and had proven that it was both successful and profitable. Why US gave up the opportunity to be the first with "simplyfares" in the market place is beyond me.

I'm flying DL on 18 segments in the next 11 days. DL has a fare structure that basically breaks down into three categories, full fare (expensive, (upgradeable at booking), restricted (middle of the road, but upgradeable), and cheap (but little chance of upgrading). So to prove to you that I am willing to pay for it, read on. Next week I paid almost $250 more for a ticket class that gave me a decent but not guaranteed chance at an upgrade. The week after the premium was $400 more and I paid it. So before you spout of at the mouth, try having a basic knowledge of what you are talking about before you post. To do other wise only makes you to appear ignorant.

And if you really want to know what I wish for..... it is that the owners of this board ban trolls like you. Maybe I will get what I wish for.

Have a great weekend
 
Be like Mikey.....

Take the edited EO. This operation is for the likes of USA320Pious, and UselessFlyBoy and Kiosk Kremllin.

Unfortunately the EO is peanuts compared to the money wasted at HQ..aka The Crystal Palace, or Wolf's Den.
 
PineyBob said:
I for one will no longer use the kiosk and one day when the timing is right and I can get someone from CCY on the phone I'll make a point to REFUSE to USE the kiosk.
[post="243508"][/post]​
I'm guessing that there is at least one, if not more, member of management who remembers my conversation with him on this subject. B)