US Airways looking to bring call center back to US 
04:36 PM EST on Wednesday, December 7, 2005
By JEFF SONIER / 6NEWS
The new boss at US Airways has responded to a 6NEWS Investigation about overseas operators, who sometimes give out wrong information to customers on the airline's 1-800 number.
US Airways CEO Doug Parker talked to 6NEWS just as new government numbers show his airline is worst for customer service.
US Airways tops the list of all airlines in customer complaints this year. It is not exactly something to brag about for Parker.
"We won't accept unacceptable service," Parker said.
6NEWS caught up with Parker at the airport after flyers and workers complained to 6NEWS about who is answering the phone on the US Airways 1-800 line.
Union leaders said the airline laid off hundreds of experienced phone agents at the Winston Salem call center and replaced them with overseas operators who don't have a clue.
6NEWS also received a lot of e-mails after our story last month. One US Airways customer called the Philippine operators "a nightmare" and another wrote, “So long US Airways" after she was left on hold for an hour and 20 minutes.
"We've heard some complaints from customers as well, so we're working to get those individuals ramped up and trained," Parker said.
But the agents in Winston Salem told 6NEWS even after a year of training, the overseas operators hired to save money, still don't get it.
“You can't put a dollar amount on your passengers. Because without them, you don't have anything else," said union leader Becky Gerald.
And even the airlines new CEO now seems to suggest that US Airways' experiment with overseas call centers simply isn't working.
“We're doing our best to provide a level of service that our customers desire. If we can't get that done...we have to have people who will communicate with our customers and we'll make sure that happens,†Parker said.
Parker said US Airways is now looking at bringing those call center jobs back to the US and that the airline has no plans for more outsourcing in the future.
04:36 PM EST on Wednesday, December 7, 2005
By JEFF SONIER / 6NEWS
The new boss at US Airways has responded to a 6NEWS Investigation about overseas operators, who sometimes give out wrong information to customers on the airline's 1-800 number.
US Airways CEO Doug Parker talked to 6NEWS just as new government numbers show his airline is worst for customer service.
US Airways tops the list of all airlines in customer complaints this year. It is not exactly something to brag about for Parker.
"We won't accept unacceptable service," Parker said.
6NEWS caught up with Parker at the airport after flyers and workers complained to 6NEWS about who is answering the phone on the US Airways 1-800 line.
Union leaders said the airline laid off hundreds of experienced phone agents at the Winston Salem call center and replaced them with overseas operators who don't have a clue.
6NEWS also received a lot of e-mails after our story last month. One US Airways customer called the Philippine operators "a nightmare" and another wrote, “So long US Airways" after she was left on hold for an hour and 20 minutes.
"We've heard some complaints from customers as well, so we're working to get those individuals ramped up and trained," Parker said.
But the agents in Winston Salem told 6NEWS even after a year of training, the overseas operators hired to save money, still don't get it.
“You can't put a dollar amount on your passengers. Because without them, you don't have anything else," said union leader Becky Gerald.
And even the airlines new CEO now seems to suggest that US Airways' experiment with overseas call centers simply isn't working.
“We're doing our best to provide a level of service that our customers desire. If we can't get that done...we have to have people who will communicate with our customers and we'll make sure that happens,†Parker said.
Parker said US Airways is now looking at bringing those call center jobs back to the US and that the airline has no plans for more outsourcing in the future.
