I found this in a quick search on airline customer service for a recent blog post. Wow, I hope United came away from this wiser, and, with any luck, kinder.

There may be a microscopic chance of some hope -- at least, for some airlines.

Delta has announced that they're closing their call center in India due to the high volume of complaints.

No disrespect intended to the people of India who work in those call centers. I'm sure they do try their best, given the situation they're placed into. And I must say that, when facing a highly technical computer issue, I had an excellent experience with a support rep in India.

But some jobs require a more in-depth understanding of customers' culture, geography and many other characteristics that are essential to delivering quality customer support for airlines. It's not the same as technical support.

I don't blame them for the poor service results. I do blame the companies themselves, whose only concern is that overseas agents use "American-sounding" names when answering each call. They don't care about the customer experience unless and until the noise level becomes so intolerably high that it demonstrably impacts their business. As it finally did with Delta, which was once an extraordinary airline.

I do sympathize with those "live" airport agents who must face distraught passengers while vainly trying to toe the company line in every action they take. But no matter how difficult it must be, there are still rules of common courtesy and decency that are increasingly missing in action.

Perhaps these overworked (and they are) gate agents should just take the time to s-l-o-w-l-y assist each passenger properly, so that when it's take-off time and only half the passengers have been checked in, the company may get the message.

I'm sure we're all eager to hear Mr. Tilton's creatively written form non-response to this rightfully upset passenger. (He'll probably throw in a $100 voucher good on a future UA flight, but with myriad restrictions that make it all but useless.) Anyone expecting better than that will undoubtedly be disappointed.

I'll gladly apologize to Mr. Tilton if I'm wrong.

My father just had a similar experience with United Airlines and has vowed to never fly the friendly skies again.

My father flew to Florida for an interview. He had one carry on bag, which United said was too large. He had to check it and pay $15 extra for it.

Then, on the way home, his flight was delayed causing him to miss his connecting flight. When he reached the terminal he politely asked to reschedule and the flight attendent said, "You're going to have to sit down and wait."

Ouch.

Customer services goes along way. What was she thinking?

After all that, my father finally arrived at home and United has "misplaced" his one, oversize, $15, carry on bag.

All that for an day trip to Florida.

Thanks United.