If anyone has been through Denver lately you have run into gate agents that don't seem to be interested in customer service. I have it on good authority that United Airlines has contracted many of their gate jobs to Servair, a subsidiary of Air France.
personally ran into one in Chicago and it was not pretty. Later, when I finally arrived in Colorado Springs and was filling out the lost luggage report, one of the agents told me that next month all the gate jobs and baggage jobs are being contracted out to Servair and their employees.
I don't know how picky Servair is about employment screening, but from personal experience, the gate agent in Chicago was difficult to understand as she stood at the podium at the gate and shouted insults and pointed her fingers at people telling them that she couldn't help them, they had to call reservations. ( "Yes, I am still really mad and I am a United Premier).

http://www.servair-catering.com/default.asp
SERVAIR, THE VITAL PLUS



SERVAIR is the leading French company of airline pursers (providing restaurant services, equipping, cleaning). Ranked No. 3 in the world with its partners and subsidiaries, SERVAIR proposes a full range of indispensable services to airlines for air transport and passenger comfort.

Its demands in terms of quality and know-how have resulted in SERVAIR benefiting from a power of proposal to its 130 customer companies in order to improve their commercial offer to their passengers while scrupulously respecting air transport constraints.

A subsidiary of Air France, SERVAIR and its subsidiaries have 34 units and realise a turnover of more than 489 million euros.

With its 7,724 employees, SERVAIR combines industrial logistics with a concern for fine cooking and passenger comfort.

The SERVAIR network, composed of SERVAIR, its partners (ALPHA, FLYING FOOD GROUP, SERVAIR AIR CHEF and EUREST SERVAIR) and its technical support, has more than 80 units throughout the world.

This strategy of alliances enables it to build up a worldwide network respecting specific local requirements and the personality of each company.




TRADES AT THE SERVICE OF AIRLINES

SERVAIR’s experience in the airline sector has led it to develop four major families of activities meeting its customers’ requirements and thus the well being of passengers:
- Catering, i.e. in-flight restaurant services.
- Handling, i.e. equipping and logistics, in other words the loading/unloading of aircraft (pillows, blankets, trolleys, etc.) and the management and storage of hotel products (preparation of drinks, food, tax free products,…).
- Ramp, i.e. airport assistance, going from runway assistance to terminal assistance via safety and handling the press.
- Cleaning, i.e. the cabin service guaranteeing its customers a clean, comfortable and welcoming aircraft.