How To Bitch: Complaining Successfully to Airlines in the No-Call Era

February 21, 2009 at 1:18 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

They'll never admit it, but recent evidence suggests that United Airlines is getting sick and tired of listening to customers bitch and moan about every damn thing. In one extreme case, a serially-disgruntled passenger was frozen out of his Mileage Plus Account for calling to complain more than 200 times in one year. Calling that many times certainly seems obnoxious to me, but come April, even your run-of-the-mill complainers are going to have a harder time finding a sympathetic ear. That's because United has announced plans to disconnect a phone line dedicated to fielding customer compliments and complaints.

According to an interesting column on msnbc.com, United says the move is designed to encourage customers to write letters or emails instead of using the phone, a tactic that they believe increases customer satisfaction. The cynics among us might think they're doing it for the cost savings, but since the move seems inevitable, now's a good time to hone our whining skills to get the most positive results.

The article has several tips on how to complain effectively, most of which emphasize the common-sense strategy of not being a jerk. I've always felt that it's important to recognize the distinction between wanting to get something off your chest and saying what needs to be said to fix a problem. To do the latter, fliers should be realistic, specific, and fair, avoiding the tendency to over-dramatize ("worst flight ever" etc.).

More importantly, try to get the problem resolved while you're still flying, rather than waiting until you get home to try to finagle compensation. Seasoned traveler Ashley Grayson recommends getting help as soon as things start going wrong, as waiting can typically compound the problem. Radio host Bill Radke, meanwhile, has a stock phrase that he uses to get airline people on his side: "I'm looking for a hero here." That sounds a little patronizing to me, as if takes a hero to get Radke an earlier flight to Dayton, but it's a lot more polite than some of the vitriol I've overheard at LaGuardia.

In any case, if United applies the money it saves by eliminating the complaint line to improving service, maybe there won't be anything else to complain about. That would be sweet.

[Photo: funnycatpics.com]

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Tags: Airline Customer Service / Customer Service / United / → All Tags