Dealing with Airline Customer Service.
When someone makes a call to higher authority seeking permission, are they really talking to someone? Or is this an easy way for them to blame the their denial on someone else?
I fly United and the Star Alliance. I buy Business-Class tickets and upgrade to First. The airlines allow me to take one companion passenger with me into the First-Class lounge.
In one international airport, neither United nor Star alliance had a lounge. In fact, there was just one contract lounge for all classes of seating. I attempted to take three colleagues who were not even on my flight into this contract lounge.
I was told that I was over my limit and besides the others were not “companions” as they were not on the same flight with me.
I reminded the agent that I was a very good customer of United Airlines. I flashed my Global Services (black) card. She offered to call United and see if she could get permission for me to bring three colleagues into the lounge. She made the call and informed me that United turn me down.
Then a supervisor showed up and was informed of the situation. She denied us entry to the lounge. Somewhat exasperated at this point, I told her that “I write books for a living and I write letters of complaint for entertainment.” She quickly offered to call United again saying she might get a different representative. A moment later she said she received permission for me.
This scenario brings up two questions. When someone makes a call to higher authority seeking permission, are they really talking to someone? Or is this an easy way for them to blame the their denial on someone else?
And did the supervisor really call United? Or did she succumb to the threat that I might write United a letter?
Joe Sherren worked in a customer service office many years ago. He says each shift the operators would agree on who would be the “supervisor” today.
When someone is making a call for you, it may be a good idea to watch him or her closely. See if you think they really are calling someone else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This article is reproduced with permission from The Air Travel Handbook by Dan Poynter, © 2011, http://AirTravelHandbook.com Amazo,n: http://amzn.to/lBkA2p
