Point taken
You are right, not ALL airlines treat their passengers like dirt....mostly it is the US based carriers. Unless you are one of their frequent flyer members in an upper tier you have no clout.
While I understand that loyalty to the brand being rewarded is the backbone of the frequent flyer programs I disagree that a disserviced passenger should be passed over for a 1K flyer. If the airlines do not take responsibility for the actions of their employers they deserve to have the bad word of mouth advertising.
As for the outsourcing. I have had very few outsource agents that A. really knew what they were talking about without turning the pages of their scripted responses or B. could exercise any kind of common sense in listening to the problem presented and providing a complimentary course of action.
We, in the travel agency industry, refer to the outsourced call centers as the 'helpless desk' since we usually have to tell 'them' either what the solution is and how to bring it about.
My frustration with the vast majority of the airlines is based on being an agent for over 25 years and watching the decline of service levels and employee attitudes.
As for getting names and reporting poor performers....it has never resulted in any action, perhaps because the airlines do not care what travel agents have to say.
I agree that there are good employees and only wish that they were the norm rather than the exception.
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