United Airlines Drops Customer Service Phone Line - BITTER

I can't even believe that I legitimately saw this so I had to verify it on a few different sources. United Airlines has decided to stop accepting customer comments via telephone and will only be accepting e-mail and snail mail. And yes, the year is 2009.

I can't imagine what went on in that board room. "Hey, our stock's dropped 90% since 2007 and our industry is in tatters. I've got an idea! Let's stop letting customers talk to us on the phone. We know how much they love the uncertainty of sending a message off into the abyss without ever knowing if they'll get a response. Yeah......that's the ticket!"

I'm getting visions of an old Saturday Night Live sketch of Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz at their high school reunion. "Heeeeello, customer........and Goooooood Bye Customer. She didn't even notice us...."

This is surely the last desperate act of a company about to close its doors. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your CEO speaking. For your safety, please assume the corporate fetal position immediately." As more and more of the world is adopting more and more ways to communicate with their customers, this is really a move that I don't understand.

I have the distinct belief that soon, the e-mail will be cut off too and the only way customers voices will be heard is either picketing outside the UAL headquarters, or perhaps while being interviewed by the local news crew about sleeping in the airport because their tickets are no longer valid.

Point of disclosure. I was holding a return ticket from Africa on Pan Am when they went under...

Good luck, United Airlines. I don't see you competing with the big dogs very much longer. Companies like JetBlue are going to beat you every time. I will give you this, though. You have definitely created a Purple Cow that will turn heads. It's just for all the wrong reasons.

United Airlines, for disregarding all sensibility and shutting down your customer service phone line, you get a BITTER.