US Airways To Tackle Complaints

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Nov 11, 2003
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US Airways To Tackle Complaints

By Keith L. Alexander
Tuesday, August 1, 2006; Page D01

Wanted: US Airways customer service agents.

Job: Responding to a backlog of e-mails and letters from US Airways travelers.

Airline Industry
Business Class columnist Keith L. Alexander was online to answer your questions about recent developments in the airline industry.

The correspondence, mostly complaints, is piling up at the airline's Tempe, Ariz., headquarters. Since its merger with America West last September, US Airways has attracted a flood of unhappy comments about its new merged Web site and frequent-flier program. The carrier has put out the word on its internal bulletin boards that it needs workers to respond to about 6,000 e-mails and 1,500 letters.

Since May, complaints have poured into US Airways' customer-service department as travelers have had difficulty navigating the Web site or found discrepancies in their frequent-flier account balances. Of the nation's top 20 airlines, US Airways received the most complaints filed in May with the Transportation Department, according to the agency's latest Air Traveler Consumer Report. A traveler who contacts the government is often one who had an unsatisfactory response from the airline itself.

"We got slammed," acknowledges Elise Eberwein, spokeswoman for US Airways. "We have a long way to go, and we'll get there. We have to establish ourselves as a customer-relations center that not only apologizes when things go wrong but also works hard to convince customers to give us another try."

The airline is aiming to add dozens to its staff of 140 customer-service workers. Offering pay of $8.50 an hour, US Airways is hoping to attract workers at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or the equivalent. Candidates need to have data-entry skills and excellent written and verbal communication skills.

While many frequent fliers applaud the carrier's new effort to respond to customer complaints, some travelers said they were alarmed that US Airways would not be relying on employees with greater seniority and airline experience to address their concerns.

"People who have been in the business longer have more understanding and can better respond to customer concerns," says US Airways frequent flier Andrea Williams of New Hope, Pa. "I wonder how an 18-year-old who was just hired by the airline can actually respond to my issues."

Ken Rinzler, a lawyer from the Wesley Heights section of Washington, said he became so frustrated with the lack of response from airlines that he stopped sending his complaints years ago. "My experience with airlines is that customer service is generally useless. They're generally not much empowered to make much of a difference," Rinzler said.


US Airways executives defend their hiring program and insist that the new employees will be fully trained and able to address travelers' concerns as needed.

The new staff will free senior workers to answer customer-complaint telephone lines. Only about 50 percent of customer service phone calls are now getting answered because of the amount of time, as much as 20 minutes per call, each worker spends on them, Eberwein said.

"I'm proud that we are putting a program like this together and that we are not going to try to spin our way out of a time when we can use the additional help," Eberwein said.

US Airways said the jobs are only temporary, lasting about two weeks to three months, or as long as the airline needs the workers. After their assignments are completed, the employees will then be "on call" to return during peak periods.
 
"I'm proud that we are putting a program like this together and that we are not going to try to spin our way out of a time when we can use the additional help," Eberwein said.
From what I have personally seen, this woman can run circles around Lime Boy and could teach him a thing or two. And that my friends is saying something. At least she hasn't being sending out enema kits yet. :lol:
 
US Airways executives defend their hiring program and insist that the new employees will be fully trained and able to address travelers' concerns as needed.

Its a start but in all honesty just how much is the newbie going to know after their extensive training class...what 3 or 4 weeks? Takes years to learn the in and outs of the systems. I pity their supervisor!! Just a shame with all the experience on the sidelines!!!(furloughed&seperated).
 
I think it is great to put a person who is just starting to get their life in order and obtained a GED on the front-line handling concerns from your best customers. Tempe is BRILLIANT!!!! This is a sure way to keep your loyal FF's. :rolleyes:
 
I think it is great to put a person who is just starting to get their life in order and obtained a GED on the front-line handling concerns from your best customers. Tempe is BRILLIANT!!!! This is a sure way to keep your loyal FF's. :rolleyes:


So I take it you fly through PHL quite often! :lol: LOL Let's just hope they don't post those job openings here in PHL. The place is a total embarrassment for those of us that actually care about our jobs. You can provide the best service possible and make the customer happy but as soon as they step off the A/C in PHL their ENTIRE great experience is shot to he77! I'm often amazed and embarrassed by the things I overhear being said to our customers there! :eek:
 
I'm sure they plan on doing exactly what they did in Winston-Salem when they got really backed up....the most experienced agents handle the phones and the top tier customers, and the newbies do mail....all they do is stick an apology and a $50.00 or $100.00 voucher in an envelope!
 
2. Unlike the Elite lines, Customer Relations is not segmented by status. What that means is someone like Art of US1YFARE or myself can call in with a legitimate concern and be handled by some 3 week wonder who's primary agenda for the day is to find someone over 21 to buy him/her beer after work.

Hey, at least the kid has a plan. It's a better start then putting out untested software.
 
Well I'm glad you have confidence! I think you're a committee of one. Trust is a funny thing. I knew there would be problems with the merger. Heck there were problems all along, always will be in a company the size of US.

How ever the measure of a good company is how they respond when things go wrong. Let's look at how US Airways chose to respond.

1.Customer Relations is no longer focused on Customer Satisfaction but rather on Complaint Resolution. Who they chose to hire to address the backlog proves this. This may seem a subtle difference but it isn't. Calling into Customer Relations is like shouting into a Black Hole.

2. Unlike the Elite lines, Customer Relations is not segmented by status. What that means is someone like Art of US1YFARE or myself can call in with a legitimate concern and be handled by some 3 week wonder who's primary agenda for the day is to find someone over 21 to buy him/her beer after work.

3. US Airways can talk all they want about valuing loyal business travelers but how do items 1 & 2 support those contentions? Simply stated, THEY DON'T!

I've pardoned your dust, put up with your website but could someone please explain to me just exactly how putting your best customers into a phone queue where they may reach a Customer Relations Rep who earns less than a typical elite pays US Airways over the course of a year by a factor of 4 AND has been on the job for 3 days is a sound business decision?

Elise is very good at spin but this turd won't even float much less fly. Calling this move more lipstick on a pig is an insult to pigs everywhere. Good thing the pigs aren't organized. :D :D :D

Piney,
You have turned into pineyartus1bobyfareatisplongingforpiedmont. :blink:
(sorry if I forgot anyone.)
 
I wonder why USAirways isn't looking into hiring some remote workers for this. There are a ton of ex-USairways res agents out there who could do this job from their home computer. Nice little part time job, could fit in any time of the day or night. I wonder why you would have to work in Tempe to so this?
 
I wonder why USAirways isn't looking into hiring some remote workers for this. There are a ton of ex-USairways res agents out there who could do this job from their home computer. Nice little part time job, could fit in any time of the day or night. I wonder why you would have to work in Tempe to so this?
They haven't finished running the Kool-aide pipeline to the east coast yet, that's why.
 
I've pardoned your dust, put up with your website but could someone please explain to me just exactly how putting your best customers into a phone queue where they may reach a Customer Relations Rep who earns less than a typical elite pays US Airways over the course of a year by a factor of 4 AND has been on the job for 3 days is a sound business decision?

Bob:

This is the primary reason only two (that's 2 out of 48) East Customer Relations agents took the bait to move to Tempe. AWA didn't offer any raises to make it worth the move. So, now instead of offering a 5 or 6 percent raise to keep experienced reps with an average of 7.5 years assisting customers, they are starting from scratch with McWages for the new hires. It was clearly AWA's choice to let the experienced agents walk out the door. They get what they pay for and the customer suffers. Sorry man.

Oh, and by the way, you'll never see work from home agents at AWA/US. For one, it would make economic and business sense, and US track record of doing sensible things is poor.
Also, Al Kremlin would not have 100% oversight of the agents working at home, and he would be unable to wield the hammer as has been traditional at US. It's too bad, because extra agents working on a contract basis from home would be a lot cheaper than full-time paid employees working in expensive call center properties.

As I once noted, you can't teach a pig to sing (Kremlin). It frustrates the pig, and wastes your time.
 
Spin: The correct average seniority number in Winston-Salem Consumer Affairs was something more like 17.5 years, not 7.5.

AP Tech: There were no furloughs from the old Consumer Affairs office. The employees have no recall rights and are no longer part of US. The only word to use is "separated" (that's fancy talk for fired).