WHAT?

[cleolinda]

Okay, I am just absolutely stunned by this.

Disabled LJer evilpuppy is mistreated by United Airlines, which consistently drags its feet on supplying a requested wheelchair (I'm guessing she only has to use one in physically strenuous situations, like traveling, and therefore doesn't have one of her own on hand?) and is generally assy about helping her get

Comments

[cleolinda]

After I hit post, I had this brief moment of, "Is there any way she could be making this up? ANY way? Because this is just astounding." I mean, I believe her. I just cannot even begin to wrap my mind around the Kindness of Strangers policy or this Dina person. I do not grok this.

[cleolinda]

Okay, I want to pre-emptively clarify what I just said. I completely believe her. The subtext of "Is there any way she could be making this up?" was, "Wow, there is a part of me that wishes people were not this shitty," and the answer to it was, "No, she is not making this up."

[channonyarrow]

This is so insane that I almost wonder if there's some kind of deliberate sabotage effort going on with United's employees. I haven't heard anything about the talks between United and US and whether they are merging, but this is, quite literally, the most appalling "customer service" I have ever heard of. I mean, it's quite seriously insane. I don't care what the airline's policy is, Dina will lose her job over this. And I mean that very sincerely: when enough people complain about it, they're going to sacrifice a lamb, and that lamb is named Dina.

I can't fathom why, even if that is their customer service policy, she would've behaved like that unless it was a deliberate effort to sabotage United by driving riders away. The second rule of customer service is "Even if you have no intention whatsoever of giving any ground to the customer, sound polite

[x_losfic]

Dina will lose her job over this

Really, in a severe recession, United can still afford... Dina? No one's union is that good.

[channonyarrow]

Nope. And I hope this hits national media, because otherwise, they won't fire her, but dude, she's part of the problem. I get that they have a track record with lack of customer service, but there's such a thing as being graceful under pressure, and not even retraining this woman will help.

Course, if they don't fire her, maybe I'll look to them for a job, because christ knows, I want to tell customers exactly what I think every day of the year; I've just never had a chance to be supported by my employer if I tell a customer where to get off!

[kauricat]

As soon as I read this I thought to myself, "I wonder if that is the same airport that breaks professional musicians' guitars by throwing them around and then refuses to admit fault?" Turns out it is.

This is a horrible story and I hope that everyone who reads it does all they can to publically humiliate United. Since it seems that's the only way they'll listen.

[honorh]

Okay, when I've done customer service, the general idea has been to fall all over yourself apologizing if a customer has a bad experience. Either UA's training sucks, or Dina is a cold-hearted bitch who should never, ever have contact with the public. Or, possibly, both.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were running afoul of some federal laws with this apparent policy. I smell a lawsuit.

[annlarimer]

It's pretty much crapping all over the Americans with Disabilities Act, yes.

[eregyrn]

That was my first thought while reading through all of this. "How is any of this LEGAL with respect to the ADA????"

With a side-order of "putting it on another customer to help lift the luggage would SEEM like asking for a lawsuit related to the other customer hurting themselves doing so. (Unless their reasoning with that is: "we didn't tell the other customer to do it, they volunteered, therefore they cannot sue *us*, they can only sue the person they were helping, if at all".)

AND ALSO along with, "what the hell? I've had airlines gate-check my luggage before. Why are they incapable of doing this, and just waiving the check-baggage fee in relation to a disabled passenger?"

So many, many ways to boggle at this before you even GET to the rudeness part.

[flamingtoilet]

What's sad is that so many companies are like this. My wife (who is disabled) and I were looking for an apartment. We asked about accomodations for disabled residents and were told, "We really don't do that. There are other complexes that do that."

If a company tells me they don't want my money, I'll gladly comply and tell everyone I know that this company probably doesn't want their money either.

Remember the days when the customer was always right?

[tregare]

-sigh-

not going to post long rant about the fallacies of "the customer was always right"

[julietvalcouer]

Yeah, there's an entire community, customers_suck, devoted to it.

[tregare]

yup. those comments "cust is always right" get my hackles up, but it isn't worth detouring the post. nor is it worth the drama that would ensue.

gah, I must be getting soft as I age.