Voices
M
ore than a year after their
brief encounter, the name
MarioBurbano still reso-
nateswithTomProulx.ForProulx,the
name is synonymous with excellent
customer service.
Burbano is aUnited customer ser-
vice representative inQuito,Ecuador.
Proulx, a co-founder of the software
companyIntuitanda long-timeUnited
customer, flew toQuito in late 2014
to compete in theAdventureRacing
World Championships. Adventure
Racing is an eight-day haul that
involvestrekking,mountainbiking,and
kayaking,meaning lotsand lotsofgear,
includingamountainbike.He flew to
Ecuador before the race but had to
returnhome for amedical emergency.
“As I was checking in for my
return flight, I casually asked the
check-in agent (Mario) about an
excess baggage embargo,” Proulx
says. “The agent didn’t immediately
have the information,but it was just
a hypothetical question out of my
own curiosity.”
Thiswasa30-secondconversation
as Burbano checked Proulx in.The
medical emergency turnedout not to
be severe,soProulx repackedhis gear
and flewback toEcuador.
“As I was waiting for my moun-
tain bike to come off the conveyor,
a United employee called over to
me—byname,”Proulx recalls.“Itwas
Mario.Somehowherememberedme.”
This stunnedProulxbutwas stan-
dardpractice forBurbano.
“I think of our customers as if
they are one ofmy familymembers,”
Burbanosays.“Theywanttobetreated
withrespect,andthat’swhatIstrivefor.”
Mission accomplished, according
toProulx,as he still tells companions
the storyof sixwaysBurbano’s service
still resonateswithhim:
• “He recognizedme.”
• “He rememberedmyname.”
• “He remembered the pronuncia-
tionofmyname.”(Proulx rhymes
with true.)
• “Herememberedourconversation.”
• “Hehadtakenthetimetoresearch
the issue I had asked him about,
even though I asked purely out
of curiosity.”
• “He had tried to email me to
answermyquestion,even though
the way I asked him made it
clear that I didn’t really need an
answer—Iwas just curious.”
“This was absolutely above and
beyond the call of duty and themost
amazing customer service I have
ever experienced from any company
in any industry,”Proulx says. “I was
blown away.”
Providing great customer service
is a cornerstone of United’s mission
as a company. It’s how the company
leaves a lasting impression andbuilds
toward the “flyer-friendly”promise it
hasmadetocustomers.Unitedhasfour
foundational service principles—be
predictable,bethesolution,begracious,
and be the brand—that guide every-
thing thecompanydoes.Theseare the
basics of delivering a friendly experi-
ence for customers and co-workers.
For Burbano, the opportunity to
provide flyer-friendly service to dif-
ferent peoplewhohail from all kinds
of backgrounds is themost enjoyable
partofthe job.It’ssomethingthathelps
himto learnandto improveasaperson.
“I feel gratified whenever any
difficult issue is resolved,”Burbano
says. “Knowing you’ve assisted
customers—that they can now relax
with theknowledge thatwedon’tview
them as just a name or a number but
rather as human beings—that’s the
best.There is a lot of competition in
this industry,butwecanreallyseparate
ourselves through customer service,
by treating our customers honestly,
respectfully, and fairly. I was over-
whelmed byMr.Proulx’s kindwords.
Iwas justdoingmy jobasbestasIcan.”
MarioBurbano, aUnited customer service representative
inQuito, Ecuador, exemplifies flyer-friendly service
by ryan hood
ALasting Impact
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