In a year-end letter to employees, United CEO Oscar Munoz stressed the importance of building upon the successes of 2018 while implying, ever so sternly, that employees have the choice to make 2019 a winning or losing year.
Munoz starts his letter by lauding the relatively tranquil year United had in 2018. Although operational performance was worse than a year earlier, poor weather and wildfires in California are far more blameworthy than any structural issues.
But the heart of the letter is Munoz’s look ahead to 2019. Here’s an excerpt:
Still, I am infinitely more excited about what comes next for us in 2019.
I hope all of you feel, as I do, the immense opportunity that’s before us as we embark on this next stage of our journey.
Our ambition is nothing short of setting a new standard for what customer service can attain. Quite simply, getting it right will mean making United the leader in our industry.
To be sure, the demands and challenges will be great, and so will the rewards.
Together, we will be the authors of our own success story and the outcome depends only upon our own choice and willingness to seize the opportunities that await us in the coming year.
Munoz is correct that great customer service will make United a leader in the airlines industry. He’s also right that employees have a choice to deliver great, mediocre, or poor customer service. Well, sort of…
The Way To Great Service
Front-line employees can only work with the tools given to them. Customers will react poorly when flight delays and cancellations occur, especially when due to issues within United’s control. Speaking gently will help pacify some customers, but kindness only goes so far in the hostile environment of a U.S. airport. In other words, this choice is greatly dependent upon stellar route planning, anticipating irregular operations before they occur, and helping passengers stay up-to-date and empowered over their travel experience. FAs and airport agents need support to deliver great service.
But don’t miss the deeper undertone to his words. I’ve written often about the mounting anger of United flight attendants over the coming cutback of one FA on select international flights. In “exchange”, business class food will come pre-plated. While that seems like a “lose-lose” for the customer (slower service and less visually appealing food), Munoz suggests that there will be rewards for meeting “demands” and “challenges” in 2019.
Remember, United is not furloughing any FAs. Everyone who wants to have a job will still have a job. Munoz seems to be arguing that by doing more, each FA and front-line worker will have a larger piece of the pie.
That may ring hollow with United’s new bonus system, but it’s not a bad ploy. The question, however, is how United will reward employees for working harder beyond what seems to be an illusory extra $25/month?
Once United finds that out, the rest will fall into place.
> Read More: Is United’s New Employee Bonus Program Naughty Or Nice?
CONCLUSION
Flight attendants are angry, but Munoz sums up the stakes nicely. If FAs take out their anger on customers, everyone will lose. Thus, Munoz’s challenge takes on quite the stern undertone.
The question remains, does United undercut its goal by reducing flights attendant staffing or are the two actually unrelated?
image: United
He is right. They shouldn’t be taking out their frustrations on the passengers. They should be taking it out on management.
Urelated, the Fa’s are not the only group in the company . Is all about what a new head can bring as a whole
See Richard Branson.
If you tie employees’ hands with bureaucratic policies, and treat them like dirt, expecting them to deliver stellar service is flunking Leadership 101
In other words, the beatings will continue until morale improves.
That’s a formula for success!
Yes indeed!
Well said
United is making billions. Making it sound like there is job security and no furloughs by reducing one FA on some international flights is ridiculous on their part. Hmmm, let’s see……United…you tighten up the already uncomfortable coach cabin with more rows and seats,…. meaning said retained FA’s will have more people to serve and longer wait times for those passengers. They did this on few domestic flights. I waited well into the third hour of a four hour flight to get meal service in coach; it was so disorganized – now they want to do this internationally? Thank you, Scott Kirby (AA’s reject).
Great observation… Thank you.
I agree with the decisions, but there ia another issue how will you / who will chose the better employee who work hard.
You have to set goals fir exct mgt ,regional areas dept aswell station mgrs
Its sorry to say that mostly practixe been going on all mgts teams have their favorite people they will be lazay / lazier where as hard working employee will not be recognized cause the teamleader or mgt team doesnt like mr A ,all his efforts goes to waste on other hand the laziest person B will be recognized gets free awards cause he is u know what [ wrong reporter,hiding from work,chitchating,cheating)
So the best you have to get some right hands for your self to frequintly visits of stations by starting from main hubs every dept dont have to meet mgt teams & sending enotes etc like undercover ,observer team like
I use to give this task to my kids anytime we tried to go on vacations get paper pen ask pasangers in treminal how u like unites& the service provided ,any complaints etc and they then trun to there sup,
There are lot ways u can judge the efforts of employees many other ways to
Overpriced and uncomfortable. United has enough green to cover up their shame
Just lost our suitcases and hand luggage with United. I can see some employee making much more “losing” the suitcases than the $25 bonus mentioned in the article.
The CEO of United Airlines is clueless. I should know. I work there. He is so out of touch with the flight attendants that he thinks some bonus is going to change how we feel. CLUELESS. It’s typical of corporate greed. As long as the board and share holders are happy that’s all that matters. He really doesn’t care about the flying public or he wouldn’t be cutting staff. And the talk of furloughs is a joke. They keep hiring new staff and the is barely enough flying for the flight attendants to make a decent living we are so over staffed. He claims he wants to be the leader of the industry but so far he has followed what the other carriers are doing by cutting staff off aircrafts. The way to lead is lead. Have the best service the best food. Not by following your competition. The reality is the only people that will change what is happening is the frequent flyers. If they have to wait hours to be served they will be the only ones who will change the bad decision Oscar is making. And if course the pilots. Who won’t have anyone giving them breaks because we are short staffed in the cabin. Gordon Bethune’s example is who Oscar should have followed and learned from how to treat your frontline employees. If they are happy then the customers are happy. Too bad he didn’t follow that example.
Thanks for your comment.
I will rise to Oscar’s challenge. Now, will he rise to mine: provide us with the tools we need to get the job done.
The employees on the front lines can only do so much, they have no control over weather, mechanicals, catering,( or not enough food catered to accommodate all) no wifi, tight seats without leg room, unclean bathrooms and planes, not enough room for all carry ons, etc. lost bags, missed connections…Don’t take it out on the flight attendants… we are doing the best with that we are given and trust me, we try to smile and be happy for every flight despite these challenges. I have cleaned first class seats and bathrooms myself because I take pride in the job, but There is very low morale right now in the company and he is not helping by issuing a “stern warning” Please.
Appreciate your comment Dee. You are correct: no one should should take out their anger on FAs, who must work with the tools given them.
Cutting FAs on Polaris services is the most betrayal thing United had done to their loyal customers, shame .shame
G-672023 is your Google verification code.No one really understands just how bad it is right now at United for the flight attendants. The company KEEPS kicking us while we’re down. Loyal employees that truly LOVE what they do are ashamed at what we have to present to our customers as “premium” so many corners are being cut and we are forced to put lipstick on a pig with a smile. When the customer is RIGHTFULLY upset we have to act like we are excited about it and that it’s so wonderful that we are offering crap service! They are EVEN hiring people to MAKE SURE that we are fully brainwashed into falling into line without fighting for better safety and service standards for our customers and ourselves! Did you know that most of us aren’t even getting paid?? Our “new” scheduling system that was implemented in October has messed up all of our paychecks. Hundreds of thousands of dollars has just gone “missing” out of our pay due to what the company dismisses as mere “glitches.” Since the we have finally merged as one flying group, it’s been a nightmare. PAY US WHAT YOU OWE US UNITED! STOP TREATING YOUR EMPLOYEES LIKE GARBAGE AND GIVE US THE TOOLS WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PASSENGERS! STOP BLAMING US FOR YOUR SHORTCOMINGS! #ENOUGH