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United Cares About [Insert Customer Name]
We don't know whether to shake our heads in disappointment or fall off our chairs laughing about this letter "giantreesemar" from Flyertalk posted. Evidently, the flier sent a letter of complaint to United Airlines, and received this incomplete form in return.
The background story, according to giantreesmar, is he had set up a fairly complicated award itinerary, with United promising to hold it for three days. The traveler then made another change with a separate agent, who didn't mention the hold time. Looking it up online, the traveler saw it would be held until midnight. At 5 p.m., however, giantreesmar checked on the reservation and found all of the segments deleted. Straightening everything took another hour on the phone and added frustration.
Apparently the situation was eventually resolved, and United tried to send a letter of apology. But it looks like they forgot a few key components.
Reached for comment, United spokesman Charles Hobart acknowledged the error:
"We mistakenly sent the customer an unfinished response letter. We've reached out to the customer to apologize for the inconvenience and address the customer's concerns."
Giantreesmar, didn't seem too worried, quipping online, "I will really enjoy my (SPECIFIC ITEM)."
In fact, he later followed up on the thread with an update:
We're glad everything got straightened out in good spirits.Just got a call from United HQ and spoke to a nice woman who was very apologetic and noted that it is indeed "embarrassing." I was laughing, and really do hope I didn't get anyone in too much trouble because I've made mistakes like this myself and would be terrifically mortified if someone posted it on flyertalk
Either way, she noted that this was supposed to be the letter that accompanies some form of compensation for my prior complaint email, not necessarily the only thing I'd receive on the matter (as I noted earlier, I did get an email in about 4 days that was sort of standard boilerplate apology, but my complaint didn't really call for a specific action other than fixing their site). Somehow the letter went from generating the template to sending before the agent got to fill in the blanks. Whoops.
Either way, she did say that SPECIFIC ITEM is on the way (although I didn't ask what it was). I think this whole thing is more funny than frustrating, so the suspense will have to dog me a bit longer!
Also to her credit, she did listen to me explain my issue with the bug on their site (she referred to them as the dot com department) that mis-displays how long reservations are "held" until. We'll see if it actually gets fixed now!
[Via One Mile At A Time]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ra Sep 10th 2012 11:38PM
just amazing how United took a world-class brand and over the course of a dozen years utterly destroyed it. There isn't a big Asian, Mid-East or Euro carrier that doesn't make look completely 3rd world.
joe Sep 11th 2012 10:05AM
without a doubt the worse airline out there, after twenty five years of being one of their flyers, decided that this company has forgotten what customer service is about
Barbara Sep 11th 2012 11:25AM
If you ever flew Alitalia you would know United is not the worst. Lost luggage that may or may not get to you while you are away, ours arrrived at our home 5 days after we got home. Everything of value was gone. Refuse to reimburse any monies. Pay extra so shorter layover, cancelled & no explanation & no refund, cancelled return flight, overbooked flights for over 24 hrs. No compensation, no appology. Weather was no a factor in any of the cancelled flights. So be warned, never fly alitalia even if they show cheaper fares. You will pay dearly in time money, and peace of mind.
ray allen Sep 17th 2012 1:34PM
Experiences like this are why I learned the hard way to use a free PDF printer driver like CutePDF to save the confirmation page as a PDF file for documentation, especially considering how often web pages get changed or updated.
Snooz Sep 11th 2012 2:28PM
Not only was the letter incomplete, but did anyone else notice the word 'specific' is misspelled the first use of it?
Michael Baer, PhD, ScD Sep 11th 2012 10:33AM
When was it exactly that the stupid airlines decieded to make the paying customers (public) its enemey? Whendid the morons who run this company like so many other large corparations take aim at those who feed them. They took what used to be a pleasant experience -FLYING, and turned it into a nightmare for most of us. We are ignored, treated badly, and you would think those at the counter and on board were doing us a favor. They took away our food., pillows, blankets and pleasure, not to mention our dignity.
Instead of seeing us as the people who pay for the services they provide, they see us as the enemy that interupts their day.
When will we have enough and boycott one airline and scare them into being decent again?
Heather Stesin Sep 11th 2012 10:58AM
Just ask Obama...those of us that have worked hard and achieved the"American Dream", are now seen as the BAD GUYS !!! That's the tone of this country now unless we get him out of office,
tie Sep 12th 2012 6:14AM
Love the way people who cannot put two sentences together with a dictionary and a flash light have to turn every article on the internet into a polictical argument with bashing the President. Tell me ...what does Obama have to do with this?????????????? stay on topic...I know that's hard to do for Republicans but try..ok?
Oscar Esteban Sep 11th 2012 10:32AM
I wrote United Airlines a very disappointing letter in May of this year about an experience that made me decide not to fly with them any longer. I am not a rich man but I am willing to pay higher airfare for better service with another airline than what United provided my wife and I the last time we flew with them. I do believe that they are the worse airline in this industry.
inkydew Sep 11th 2012 11:35PM
I agree! United lost me as a customer 2007 when I bought a round trip ticket FIRST CLASS to Egypt and Israel and... the audio and movie feature in my seat didn't work the entire trip to Egypt and the return trip....delayed one day due to malfunctioning plane...switched plane to the NON Pod seats. I wrote to United and was given a $100 credit as an apology for $3500 tickets???? I don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
slrwal Sep 11th 2012 10:37AM
absolutely the worst airline flying. I sent in a complaint and got a form letter on a different topic. pitiful! they just don't care and it shows
Sherylynne Sep 11th 2012 10:51AM
I knew that letter looked familiar! Last year, there was a 24-hour period when federal taxes could not be charged. During that time, I bought a ticket on United on-line. At the airport kiosk, I swiped my credit card to access my boarding passes. I did not look at the receipt until I returned back home and noticed the total I paid was greater than what appeared on line when I submitted my CC info. I sent an e-mail of complaint and, even though my form letter had the requisite information inserted, it was the SAME, but did not have the sentence, "As a gesture.." blah blah blah. I got nothing! Being a "person of principle" (code words, of course, for no matter how petty, you won't screw me!), I called to politely request my refund be credited back to my credit card. First, just a statement telling me they paid the tax to the government so "no can do." I'll just tell you what time it is instead of dragging you through the watch factory here. Forty-five minutes later after reminding them of my "loyalty," and threats ranging from a call to my local paper to witness me cutting up their "loyalty card" as part of the "human interest" story I would give them to contacting my Attorney General and plastering it all over the internet, I got my money back! With an extremely overt apology and statement of how much they "valued my business." I hope they remember my years of "business" because they haven't gotten any since!
kathe Sep 11th 2012 8:39PM
feel that as the mergers occur, we will have fewer airline options...the upside is that perhaps we will see more foreign airlines sell space in the US. need that competitive edge for things to happen in our (travelers) favor.
Tom Sep 11th 2012 11:14AM
What a bunch of boobs.
Someone needs to be thrown to the street for that letter.
Russ Davis Sep 11th 2012 11:19AM
I'm amazed that there was a response to the writers complaint. The one time I wrote a complaint letter to United Airlines (one to customer service and a courtesy copy to the main office) about a rude telephone rep., I never heard a word back. That was also the last I flew United.
Robert Caldwell Sep 11th 2012 11:25AM
The should just include this system generated form letter along with your ticket. It will save lots of people the time and energy of having to write a letter to the company - you already have thier responce in your hand as you board! I used to work as a programmer and coding these letters into the computer system at a massive worldwide company. When the complaint letter comes in, it is read.....skimmed. Then, the worker in the correspondence department would hit a button that would send a letter back - system generated of course, and mailed from the printing department, which was located 2,000 miles away. In the letter it says pretty much the same verbiage as the United letter along with an 800 number to call if you have questions regarding the apoligy. I switched jobs years later with a competitor and their correspondence department had actual people, reading the letters, and then actually picking up the phone to discuss the issue with the person, then sending a follow up apology letter!! Opened my eyes to real customer service.
Barbara Sekulski Sep 11th 2012 11:30AM
I've been waiting one year for a refund on a seat-upgrade that was charged on a ticket that I never purchased. I am seriously considering suing for fraudulent business practices!
W. Ramirez Sep 11th 2012 11:47AM
It is funny. However, it is typical of something we all have lost. A lot of customer service people seem to have forgotten that we, the customers pay their salaries & that without us, they most likely would be unemployed.
Jim Sep 12th 2012 8:43PM
Last year we went to Europe and i booked the flight months in advance. Even had all seat assignments there and back. Not only did we not get those seats but a couple flights we didn't even sit together. As a 100% disabled vet
i would of hoped to get a little better treatment. Also originally i booked Coninental which United bought out. They had a 2 bag limit. ....so when we got to the airport we found out we had to pay $70 each way for 1 additional bag because United had a 1 bag limit. They responded to this but blew it off like it was nothing. Never again United.
RBP Sep 11th 2012 10:11PM
For your information, Jim, United did not buy Continental. It was in effect a takeover by Continental, the smaller carrier. Today there is almost nothing left of legacy United - everything is Continental, i.e., computer system called Shares (old and outdated1974 vintage); board of directors (8 out of 12 come from Continental); cockpit, cabin and maintenance proceedures (all Continental); senior management including Smisek the CEO is all except one from Continental. Don't blame United. This fiasco of an airline was created from the neophyte Continental management team and their poor choices. Don't worry thought, they all got generous bonuses.