United Airlines Aims Higher With Customer Service

Following a 27 percent increase in complaints about customer service against the same period last year, United Airlines are hoping to improve their customer care performance.

The US based airline has partnered with Valtera, a customer-service consulting firm based in Chicago to help with the hiring of 4,000 customer service superstars. Interview questions have been based on those used by Nordstrom and Ritz-Carlton.

United's managing director of human resources, Randy Rotondo, said they want to put "customer service in their DNA."

Rotondo outlined the qualities United is seeking. "We're looking at their work ethic. Their ability to interact with and advocate for customers, those that are highly skilled at resolving problems and those that own problems as their own and look for solutions," he said.

United is also seeking out candidates at top business schools such as the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the London School of Economics.