Did you see this?
Frontier Airlines will no longer let customers call a phone number in order to speak with a live agent. And while the budget airline is known for its cost-cutting measures, most major airlines still operate customer service lines. Customers will instead have to rely on other ways to contact the airline: a chatbot on its website, a live chat available 24/7, its social media channels and even WhatsApp, according to Frontier spokesperson, Jennifer De La Cruz, who confirmed the news to NPR on Saturday.
There are several possible reactions to this news. One is that anyone who flies Frontier oughta know that getting the absolute lowest price gets you the absolute lowest level of service. Another is that this development isn't that surprising. Almost every company I've dealt with for years seems to be figuring out ways that the Internet, cell phones and other technological marvels can enable them to hire (and therefore, pay) fewer human beings.
Back in February of 2008, my dear friend Carolyn and I spent an agonizing day at LAX because we missed a flight and The System — this was United Airlines — didn't work for rolling us over to another flight. There was a Customer Service Desk at the airport. There was a Customer Service phone number I could call. But overall, the experience probably wasn't that much different from what I'll experience if I fly Frontier Airlines without Customer Service. Which I probably won't do.
The problem is that no matter how well the programmers consider every contigency and build it into their system, something will happen that their planning doesn't anticipate…and it will probably happen to me. When I call some companies to complain about something that's gone awry with an order, there's usually an online, don't-talk-to-anyone way of reporting one bad employee but not a problem with the company itself. I don't like this trend. And I'd complain about it but the way they're set up, the system won't allow you to complain about the system. I assume that's deliberate.