A reason for hope...? Is something in the air...?

well, in argentina anyway...

yesterday at ezeiza airport in buenos aires, while waiting in line to present my passport at immigration, i noted that the argentine "citizens only" line had cleared and that the agent at the window was checking out the long line of foreigners remaining... he stood up and left his booth... at first i thought he was going for a break, but then i noticed that he had not only left the booth door open, but had walked over to the foreigner line and was looking over the people there... he finally motioned to one couple further back in the line, opened up the restraining strap, and directed them over to his booth... i wondered what had caused him to pick out those particular people until i saw the woman cradling a small baby in her arms... accustomed as i am to uninspired and insensitive customer service, i have to admit i was both surprised and pleased... then, after taking care of the couple with their baby, he continued right on to help clear the foreigner line, definitely not the indifference i've come to expect from argentine government employees...

a few minutes later, after loading my stuff into a taxi, the driver, a pleasant older gentleman, announced that he needed to stop for gas and wanted to know if that would be ok with me... i'm always honored by a considerate request, so of course i said "no problema"... he pulled into the petrobras service station on the airport grounds where all the pumps were occupied by other cars, so he held back a bit to wait his turn... another car jumped ahead of him and, when the space at the pump had cleared, the driver pulled right in... the attendant (yes, they still have gas station attendants in argentina) had obviously made note of the situation and, when the line-jumper got out of his car, spoke to him while gesturing to my taxi driver, clearly indicating that he should give way and let my taxi driver go first... my driver simply smiled and waved for the man already at the pump to go ahead... the man, somewhat bemused at this point, graciously accepted the kindness with a nod and a smile of his own... and, as if that wasn't enough of a display of decency, when we were out on the toll road into the city, the taxi driver offered me a butterscotch toffee...! needless to say, he got a handsome tip, a tip he accepted with his own indication of bemused surprise along with a modest smile...

now that i think about it, maybe it's not just argentina...

i've learned to always check my various frequent flyer accounts online to make sure the proper mileage credits have been posted... possibly because they know i hate them passionately, it seems the airline that consistently fails in this area is united...

a couple of years ago, i carried on a running battle with united for damn near a year to get lufthansa mileage credits posted... because it involved two flight legs, one from belgrade to munich and the other from munich to jfk, it was a considerable chunk of mileage, and i was damned sure they were going to give me the proper credit which, after much hell-raising on my part, they finally did...

so, after arriving in afghanistan, i checked to see if the extremely large number of miles from buenos aires to dubai had been posted... sure enough, the leg between sao paulo and dubai was there but the leg from buenos aires to sao paulo was missing... i followed the instructions for claiming mileage credit from a partner airline by sending them the original boarding pass and all the pertinent itinerary information, and then checked regularly to see if it had been posted... nothing... when i got back to the u.s., i checked to see if the equally large number of miles from dubai to reno had been posted... sure enough, the jfk to reno legs were there but the massive chunk from dubai to jfk wasn't... shortly thereafter, i received a letter from united announcing that the buenos aires-sao paulo leg couldn't be credited for some damn reason or another...

i was now not only very pissed but also dreading another lengthy pitched battle... i girded my loins and called the customer service center where, naturally, the nested set of automated options DIDN'T include the option to speak to a live person... fortunately, i know enough to press "zero" which takes me to a live service rep... when she came on the line, i dispensed with all formalities and immediately asked to be connected with a supervisor... when she asked the nature of my call, i simply said "no," that i just wanted to speak directly to a supervisor... when the supervisor came on the line, i slowly explained the situation and made it clear that any bureaucratic nonsense would be completely unacceptable... the supervisor was looking at all the information i had sent on her computer screen, but patiently explained that they didn't have a ticket number and that, without a ticket number, they wouldn't be able to credit the mileage... i pointed out that, as a contractor, the ticket had been purchased for me, and that i didn't HAVE the ticket number... i also inquired as to why three legs of a five-leg itinerary had been posted but not the other two... much to my surprise, the supervisor told me that she would take it upon herself to get everything resolved and would call me back within a week to ten days... somewhat stunned at this offer of genuine customer service, i accepted and thanked her before ringing off...

now, in argentina at least, if ANY business or service person promises to call you back about ANYTHING, you can pretty well assume it won't happen, so let's just say, even though it was the u.s., i was dubious about ever hearing from the united customer service person again... i had basically put it out of my mind until two days ago when, son of a gun, i answered the phone and it was the very same united customer service person calling to tell me that everything had been taken care of... when i finished picking my jaw up off the floor, i thanked her profusely...i told her what i always tell everyone these days who gives me good customer service - i NEVER take good customer service for granted... what i take for granted is BAD customer service and i'm always delighted and amazed when someone treats me righteously...

do you suppose i'm seeing a trend...?

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Aw, poor United Airlines... Boo-f&*^%$#@-hoo...

i was on the merger team for the FIRST attempt to join united with us airways, and i can tell you it was an unmitigated disaster well BEFORE the government declined to give its blessing...

dealing with united's senior management is not something i would wish on my worst enemy... they're predatory, heartless and totally dedicated to their own personal enrichment at the expense of anyone who gets in their way... i doubt seriously if the upper management gang over at us airways is any different... the only force that keeps these crooks in check is their pilots' union, and THAT'S only because the self-centered behavior of pilots is even MORE excessive than that of their management...

no surprise here...

Talks between United Airlines and US Airways appear to have fallen apart, marking the second time in a month that United failed to reach a deal with a rival airline and putting the future of industry consolidation in question, people with knowledge of the discussions said Tuesday night.

United’s board, and its chief executive, Glenn F. Tilton, raised questions about the arrangement in the past few days, according to three people who were briefed on the decision making but spoke on condition of anonymity

There has been little to no contact between United Airlines and US Airways in recent days and the internal teams of senior executives at both companies, as well as external bankers and lawyers assigned to the project, have put it on “permanent hold,” one person involved in the talks said. While it remained possible the talks could be revived, people involved in the most recent discussions said they had never advanced to final negotiations.

the biggest tragedy here for both airlines is that, as always, whatever negative consequences accrue will fall directly on the shoulders of the employees, the ones least equipped to deal with them, and the ones who must, on a day-to-day basis, deal with people like you and me, the passengers... when you're paying to check that bag and voicing your displeasure to the agent who's collecting your money, remember that the problem doesn't lie with that person...

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Citigroup, Citicorp, credit cards and outright customer abuse

having to spend any time whatsoever on this kind of crap is, imho, totally inexcusable...

18 May 2008

Steven Freiberg
Chief Executive Officer
Citigroup Global Consumer Group
399 Park Ave
New York, NY 10043

Cc: Vikram Pandit, CEO, Citigroup Inc.
Cc: Vice President, Citicard Customer Service

Re: [Name and credit card number redacted]

Dear Mr. Freiberg:

I am writing you because I believe you need to know my truly appalling tale of perhaps the very worst customer service it has ever been my misfortune to experience.

Before I begin, you should know that I am currently working on a project in Afghanistan. I live part-time in Argentina and the U.S. As with many travelers, I rely on my ATM and credit cards to provide me with necessary funds in a timely manner rather than traveling with large amounts of cash-on-hand. I travel extensively and have done so for most of the past twenty-five years.

Let me now outline the chain of events which includes the facts of the egregious and totally unacceptable treatment at the hands of your customer service “professionals.”

(Note: All dates are based on Afghanistan time which is 8 ½ hours ahead of U.S. eastern time.)

6 May 2008

I withdrew a $200 cash advance from an ATM machine owned by a local bank here in Afghanistan.

12 May 2008

I attempted to withdraw another $200 from that ATM and was rejected. Subsequently, I phoned the Universal Card customer service center where I informed the representative that I was calling from Afghanistan. When I had gone through the identity verification process, I was told that customer service had attempted to contact me but, as a result of not being able to reach me, my card was scheduled for cancellation. I asked why it was being canceled and was told that “the customer database had been compromised.” I asked for additional information about the “compromise” but that was all the representative could – or would - tell me. I said that I didn’t want the card canceled but was told that if I left the account open, I would be liable for any charges incurred through fraud. At that point, I was only told that the card must be canceled, not that a new account number would be assigned and a new card provided. When I expressed my concern about losing my card and my account, I was then told that I would receive a replacement account number and that a replacement card would be mailed to my billing address. I said that I needed the card now and was told that a new card could be express delivered to me here in Afghanistan. I carefully spelled out the address of the project here (I live and work in the same building). Since there is no street number, I was careful to point out that both DHL and Federal Express make regular deliveries here and that our location is in both of their databases. I also provided my local cell phone number. The representative carefully verified all of the details and assured me that the card would arrive in only a few days. I thanked her for her help and rang off.

14 May 2008

I phoned customer service to find out the name of the express company and the tracking number so that I could make sure that delivery was in progress. After providing my old account number, but before going through the identify verification process and communicating my request, I was asked by the representative if I could provide my new account number. When I said that I couldn’t because I hadn’t received the new card yet, the representative informed me that the new card had been sent to my billing address in the U.S. She also expressed concern that I hadn’t received it yet. Needless to say, I was taken aback. I basically went through the entire drill of the previous call, providing the address and phone information for Afghanistan. The representative placed me on hold during the call for 3-5 minutes at least four times while she conferred with either her supervisor and/or technical assistance people. She told me that the account number and card that had been mailed to the U.S. would have to be canceled and a new one issued. Finally, when we were almost finished with the call, she asked me if I wanted my billing address changed to Afghanistan and my statements mailed here. I said absolutely not (I had already told her I was on a temporary assignment here), that I received my statements by email, that I didn’t want them mailed anywhere, and that I wanted the billing address in the U.S. and the phone number to remain the same. She said that I could call back the next day to find out the name of the express company and the tracking number.

15 May 2008

I phoned customer service last evening prior to going to bed to find out the name of the express company and the tracking number. The representative informed me that a new card had been mailed to the U.S. because policy dictated that it could not be sent to Afghanistan. At this point, I was stunned. I explained the full details of the situation to the representative, emphasizing that I understood the policy, but expressed deep frustration over not having been told that in the first place. I also told her that, while I appreciated her apology and realized that the fault was not hers, I expected and deserved some consideration from the company for what was fast becoming a monumental level of disservice. I stated that, although I had no idea of what that consideration might be, I would like to speak to her supervisor, not to complain about her, but to satisfy myself that someone in higher authority would at least be made aware of my circumstances.

An account manager came on the line. I explained my situation and acknowledged that I both understood and accepted the policy that a card could not be delivered to Afghanistan. That notwithstanding, the account manager must have repeated at least 6-8 times that, “Sir, there is nothing I can do about getting your card to you in Afghanistan.” I became increasingly frustrated as she repeated that statement while I repeated that, yes, I understood and accepted that, but was only interested in what she could offer as consideration for my trouble in acknowledgment of the company’s high level of disservice. Finally, she offered to place my account on an introductory offer status, interest-free on all purchases for six months. Since some small consideration was all I was interested in, I agreed that was satisfactory, thanked her for her help, and prepared to end the call. Prior to that, however, I had one final question. This is where things got truly interesting.

I asked the account manager if she could verify that the second card was being mailed to my billing address in the U.S. Amazingly, she told me that it was being sent to my billing address in Afghanistan, the same address where my statements were to be mailed. I could scarcely believe my ears. I related my previous instructions to the other representative on 14 May and demanded that she immediately correct the mistake. I provided the U.S. billing address and contact information and re-affirmed that I wanted to continue receiving my statements via email. In conclusion, out of curiosity, I asked how, since my billing address had been changed to Afghanistan, my card would have been sent here if the policy was not to deliver to Afghanistan. Her answer was the final straw. She informed me that the card would have been MAILED - not couriered - to the address in Afghanistan. I told her that trusting a credit card to a virtually non-existent Afghanistan postal system would be tantamount to guaranteeing that it would not only never arrive, but that it would also be stolen. As that point, I asked to speak to someone higher up the food chain. She took my number and told me that someone would be getting back to me in twenty-four hours. That was approximately sixty hours ago.

I understand that you are the senior executive of Citigroup’s card business and have many layers of managers working under you who are specifically tasked to attend to seriously dissatisfied customers such as myself. I do, however, have a request for you personally, and it is a simple one. I want nothing less than a written letter from you, under your signature, not that of a subordinate, that re-caps the details of my horrendous experience at the hands of your company, and offers a most sincere apology. I require your personal assurance that you have been apprised of and fully understand this example of abysmal customer service.

I also want to inform you that I will be posting this letter on my personal weblog as well as forwarding it to my extensive list of personal and business contacts.

I will await your response.

Sincerely,

[name redacted]

i shared this with a friend... his comments...

That chain of events is simply ridiculous. How on earth can customer
service get so bad... what kind of recruitment policy did they have? 'Hire the rudest most unsympathetic people on the planet'???

my response...

no, "they" don't "hire the rudest most unsympathetic people on the planet"... "they" hire generally well-meaning, ordinary folks like you and me... but, with "their" stilting, uncompromising, totally inflexible rules, regulations, policies and procedures that do not make allowances for any deviation from the norm that "they" have defined, combined with the constant threat of firing for the slightest mistake, "they" seriously limit "problem-solving" to the recitation of scripted boiler-plate... and, if the script doesn't contain precisely "their" senior management approved recipe for your particular unique problem, you are s.o.l. (shit outta luck)...

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Evidently, I'm not the only one that thinks United Airlines sucks

i posted on this obscene move the other day... not surprisingly, i'm not alone in how i feel about the disgusting fleece job perpetrated by my former employer...

United Airlines said on Tuesday its new USD$25 fee to check a second bag offers "customers choice, flexibility and low fares," but travelers were not buying the explanation and took to blogs to protest.

The airline's new policy -- the first of its kind among major carriers -- has raised the ire of travelers who already feel fleeced by carriers that charge for in-flight goods and services that used to be included in the fare.

The new bag check fee likely will be matched by rival carriers that currently check two bags for free, experts said.

Within hours of United's announcement on Monday, travelers began registering their displeasure.

"I totally agree this is going to hurt the people that can least afford it and who don't know how to play the system. Kind of like the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer," read one flyertalk posting.

"offers 'customers choice, flexibility and low fares'...??" what a load of crap... i usually do at least 8-10 price comparisons when i'm buying an airline ticket, and united is NEVER in the running at the end... in fact, they're ALWAYS the first to be crossed off my list because their ticket prices tend to be 30% higher than the carrier i end up booking my ticket with... unfortunately, i also know way too much about the inner working of the place, and, if they want me to shut up, they're going to have to kill me...

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