Downright nastiness on the part of check-in staff

[frequentflyer2]

I've written a letter of complaint to the Managing Director of Belfast International Airport about the downright nastiness of two members of its check-in staff last Saturday. I dare say some people reading this are now calling me pompous, arrogant and much worse but I was really knocked back by what was said to me.
I had arranged a mini one night break to Amsterdam for Mrs. FF and myself at very short notice through Lastminute.com. I tried to access the booking through the easyJet website to add speedy boarding but could not do so. Instead I rang the Call Centre to which I got through quite quickly. Speedy boarding successfully organised I remembered about the need to enter the passport numbers on the booking and I tried to do this once again on the easyJet website. It would not let me.
Fast forward 12 hours to the check-in hall at Aldergrove. We arrived at 5.15am - just under two hours before the flight's departure. There was a crowd of people milling around in front of several of the check-in desks including the one allocated to speedy boarders but only two or three people in the Amsterdam queue so we decided to stay there as we couldn't even see where the speedy boarding queue started.
We were called forward. I gave the lady our passports and the speedy boarding receipt e-mailed to me by the easyJet call centre. I smiled. She didn't smile back. Instead

She pointed out we had speedy boarding.
She pointed out there was a speedy boarding queue.
She told us very sternly not using the speedy boarding desk was adding to the overall queuing time being experienced by passengers.We looked over. The same people were still standing in front of the speedy boarding desk so obviously our queue had moved more quickly.
She was not finished: "Did you book this through the easyJet website?" she barked at me.
I explained the actual booking had been made through Lastminute.com. It was then pointed out in no uncertain terms the passport details had not been entered on the booking. We were firmly told if this happened again we could be denied travel and once again, it seemed, our actions were adding to the queues in the check-in hall.
I explained Lastminute.com did not ask for passport details during the online booking process and I could not access the booking adequately on the easyJet website to enter these details.
This was greeted by nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders.
By this stage the shine was starting to disappear from our short break and there was more to come.
My wife passed through Gate 14 in front of me as boarding began. I showed my passport and boarding pass to the member of staff responsible for boarding the flight.
I was trying to keep up with Mrs. FF and I may have started to put them away too quickly. I certainly did not mind being asked to show them again but I do strongly object to this person's impatient sigh and heavily sarcastic comment: "Could I possibly see your passport and boarding pass". There was heavy sarcastic emphasis on the words 'possibly' and 'see'.
Why should the travelling public put up with this? I'm sure someone is going to reply and point out just how nasty the travelling public can be to airport staff and I don't doubt this at all.
But neither I nor my wife are nasty to people and we did not deserve what we got on Saturday morning.

[Bealzebub]

Have you ever seen a television programme called "Airline"? It has been running for years, and every single 30 minute episode contains an element of this, along with foreigner turns up 2 minutes after check-in has closed and loses temper. Family have one mutilated passport and are refused travel with barely concealed glee. Dentally challenged Supervisor needs to run through limited gamut of acting talent, and always shows up to help has been celebrity. Crew have sing song for somebodies birthday/wedding anniversary/suicide bid, on the P.A system.

To be honest I have never experienced any of this in real life, and had always thought it was just a few self obsessed staff hamming it up to the cameras and a lot of judicous direction and editing. Nevertheless you can't say you haven't been warned!

[crewmeal]

At terminal 3 - LHR, I was given a severe reprimand and b******g by some old crab a year or so ago for being 4kgs overweight with my bags. She stormed off to speak to the Royal Jordanian rep to see if she could charge me for the excess. He just smiled back at me, waived his hand and said don't bother. She was not a happy bunny. I waited for my bags to disappear down the shoot before suggesting she should apply for a job at Holloway, as she would be more at home there. I left her with an open mouth!!

And yes all my bags arrived intact!!!

Sadly it seems to be the norm when checking in these days as I haven't found a single checkin agent anywhere who can be bothered to smile or wish you a pleasant journey. I usually just ply them with politeness and wish them a good day!!

[Final 3 Greens]

As posted on another thread, I find one aspect of check in irritating.

If I take the time and trouble to present my passport, with my e-ticket receipt (the Amadeus or Sabre single sheet, not a 10 page Expodobookers tome), why is it that the agent often takes the ticket out without even trying to read it and then proceeds to run through a series of questions, the answers to which are on the etket.

I find this rude and lacking basic customer service skills. S/he could at least give the eticket a glance and then ask to confirm the details.

To make matters worse, it is not unknown to get a sarcastic response when I ask for a seat in row 1, about 'you do realise that is business class?' As my eticket states C/D or J and 30K allowance, I find this very irritating.

This seems to happen on (a) short haul flights and (b) outsourced check in.

[Rusland 17]

As posted on another thread, I find one aspect of check in irritating...If you are referring to the thread I think you are, I believe your gripe was answered politely and comprehensively by an airline employee with check-in experience. I don't think it's necessary to raise exactly the same issues in this thread.

[Ancient Observer]

During the 1990s I used to fly to Asia a lot. I went to Singapore more than any other airport. During this time, BA's services were degraded as they went through one of their many sets of cutbacks. They appeared to be merging their staff and systems with Quantas, and then outsourcing much of the work. (This was after the cock-up of introducing unreliable 747-400s on the Singapore route - but that's another story).
In the end, there seemed to be only one or at most two BA staff covering the whole check in process.
Now folk in Singapore are generally more polite at check in and the outsourced check in ladies - and they were all ladies, were more polite than many of the lhr dragons.
However, after I'd been served badly a couple of times, I thought about what to do.
Slagging off the staff wouldn't work, writing to either BA or Changi wouldn't work. What to do?
I decided to always take a modest buch of flowers with me to check in. My check-in life was almost always perfect after that.
Think about it from the check-in person's point of view. Faced with hours of often tired, irritable pax, who often don't follow the rules, and someone gives you a modest bunch of flowers. It is very difficult to be rude to that person!
I wouldn't tell you this great secret, but I don't travel so much now, so I don't mind sharing it with you.

[Final 3 Greens]

Rusland 17

If you read the thread thoroughtly, you would also see that a different view was given by another airline employee, who also thought it rude behaviour.

By the way. congratulations on becoming a moderator of PPrune.

[Malone]

Bealzebub,
That is a fantastic description of that particular programme!:D
F3G,
I still find it absolutely astounding that a check-in agent would ask you if you realised that your seat was in business class - words fail me!!
Finally, Crewmeal, I think that you have been very unfortunate if every single member of staff has always been so rude. As many posters have said, in their experience the minority give the majority a bad name.
Well, time for the Pub!!
:ok:

[One Outsider]

I still find it absolutely astounding that a check-in agent would ask you if you realised that your seat was in business class
*
Me too. Especially since he makes a point of letting everybody know as often as possible in which end of the aircraft he usually sits. Surely the woman should have known.

[Final 3 Greens]

Surely the woman should have known.

Yes, I gave her the ticket that contained the information.

She chose not to look at it.

And its happened more than once, that was the most recent example.

[VS-LHRCSA]

FF2

I don't want to detract from your experience or excuse bad behaviour from groundstaff but wouldn't your complaint be better directed to easyJet?

It's kind of like complaining to Lakeside centre management because of a rude staff member in Argos. Ulitmately, they (the centre management) would care about a customer's experience within their facility but wont really be able to get involved in the specifics other than to point it out to Argos management.

[frequentflyer2]

I think these ground handling staff are actually employed by Menzies who have the contract to handle easyJet flights at Belfast International. That's why I wrote to the MD (Mr. John Doran) in the hope he would contact the most appropriate person. I've a feeling - and I could be wrong - if I contacted easyJet they would simply point out the people concerned were not their employees.
Incidently, I would have to say that by contrast the cabin crew on the flight were highly professional and above all extremely pleasant despite trying circumstances such as one passenger standing up during the safety demonstration as the plane taxied out to the runway and people who refused to keep their seatbelts on during the long taxi to the terminal from the Schiphol runway.

[Final 3 Greens]

one passenger standing up during the safety demonstration as the plane taxied out to the runway and people who refused to keep their seatbelts on during the long taxi to the terminal from the Schiphol runway.

Unbelievable :confused::confused::confused:

You expect that type of stupid behaviour in the middle east, but northern Europe?

[redsnail]

I fly often around Europe. It's definitely not restricted to the Middle East or Asia.

What is different is that easyJet, BA and others do actually give a damn and tell the passengers to sit down/buckle up. :ok:

[Capetonian]

I thought I'd made a posting here a short while ago, about the rudeness of Varig at check in and the poor service.

Either I didn't submit it (I may have only clicked on 'preview), or it was deleted. If the latter was the case, I'd appreciate the moderator concerned letting me know why it was deleted.

[XSBaggage]

I remember once reading about failures in customer service through "omission" and "commission" - the former obviously being a failure through not advising the customer of a certain piece of information that would enhance their experience, the latter being what was experienced in the original posting - adding something unnecessary which turns the whole experience from good to bad, in this case the comment about slowing down the queue of Speedy Boarders. I remember flying on BA once and my special meal was booked wrongly. I asked the cabin crew if I could have one of the standard meals as my travelling companion was eating one and there was no reason I couldn't eat it. I was told that he would have to check if somebody didn't want theirs first, but then proceeded to add "I have 300 meals for 300 people, you can't just book a special meal and then decide you don't want it". Commission again!
Unfortunately with airlines looking at cutting costs in all sorts of areas they are taking the subtlety and responsibility away from the check in staff, and unblurring (if that is a word) the line of what can and cannot be done to assist the passengers, turning everything into a "yes" or "no" situation. Try flying on one of the lo-cos with excess baggage these days for example, no flexibility whatsoever!

I do believe, however, that a few simple words and actions can make a lot of difference - a greeting, an explanation in this instance that you were in the wrong queue and unfortunately couldn't be checked in there and of course at the gate not using a sarcastic tone, would have presumably made all the difference. I think people should write about bad customer service, and good service too. And if you write to the airport Managing Director then at least he / she will be aware that there may be an issue regarding service provision with one of the companies in the airport, perhaps leading to passengers not flying that route again, affecting overall passenger numbers etc etc.

XSB

[TightSlot]

No mod deletions made on this thread Capetonian - Check your fingers, maybe?


;)

[RevMan2]

@F3G

You expect that type of stupid behaviour in the middle east, but northern Europe?

So because the aircraft is on the runway at Schiphol, we assume that all the passengers are level-headed residents of the Netherlands?

I've found that stupid behaviour isn't necessarily geographically driven. It tends to have a) ethnic and b)socio-economic causality.

Of course, we're not allowed to say that these days.

Nor are we allowed to say that we've noticed that a distinct
geographical factor tends to predominate in the United States.

I'll get my hat

[lowcostdolly]

Working for EZY as Cabin Crew and having swept up after the SLF pax experience at the hands of Menzies on several occasions I know exactly where FF2 is coming from. Unfortunately a lot of SLF seethe their way through departures and then take it out on the CC on boarding:ouch: !! We are not responsible for the training of Menzies employees and can do little re their attitude towards our customers.

There is however people who can. Firstly a word to the supervisor of the desk agent may bring resolution or even an apology at departures.

If this fails then write to easyjet. Not the customer services dept where some customer service "champion" will give you a buck passing standard response. Try the CEO, Andy Harrison, on his direct email. He always checks these and does reply. Point out to him that after easy's website which has some issues of it's own at present Menzies are the next point of contact for the customers and are the front face of easyjet. They wear easy's uniform albeit the old hideous version but it's still orange. Unlike Ryanair easy want their customers to return and have a positive experience.....This is what sets easy apart. He will care.

FF2 I was not suggesting you took your frustration out on the CC but a lot of SLF do:(. We may not be able to sort out ground issues but we can certainly improve things on board:ok:

[Fly380]

So M.O.L. was right all the time. Online check-in is the answer.:ok:

[Malone]

I am not too sure that online check-in is the answer as this assumes the ability to read properly!! In my experience SLF can be extremely selective about what they read during such a process, still denying it when you show them a print-out!!!! :ugh:
I fear that there is no hope really. However, as I have said before, there is no excuse for rudeness on either side of the transaction.

[JustOccurred2Me]

Don't tar all check-in staff with the same brush. I've always found that a smile and a cheery word goes a long way with both check-in and CC. In over 20 years I've never had truly rude check-in service. And as an example, take a bow Humberside, the check-in people there seem unfailingly chirpy. :D

[g21agoose]

"Downright nastiness" is the worst kind- I hope all survived .........................:}

[I love twins]

As has been mentioned, the problem is that check in and gate staff functions are outsourced. The people you are dealing with generally don't give two hoots about your experience with the airline.

I work for a large orange UK airline and even when I check in I meet the same problems as the OP. I often think to myself that if i'm being treated like this then how must the passengers feel? It takes the pleasure out of flying. What a shame when it may be your only flight that year or it is a special event like a surprise weekend away.

@OP I'm glad the crew on board managed to improve your overall experience a little. I would also send Andy an email at easyJet, you will get a reply.

Anyone know if this outsourcing happens in the US?

[Chairborne]

I feel I must mention at this point some exceptional customer service by Menzies staff at BFS. A couple of weeks ago I was flying my return leg to Bristol. Having checked in online I arrived at the gate to find that I had lost my only photo ID. The young lady on the desk initially said that I'd be unable to board, but then said that if I could wait for the other passengers to board she'd see what she could do.

She then checked my booking details against the card I'd used to pay for the flight, asked some security questions against my personal details on their system, and satisfied I was bona-fide, allowed me to board.

All this was done in a calm, polite and professional manner, and resulted in a very happy passenger. :ok:

[Capetonian]

How's this for downright unnecessary nastiness.

A young friend of ours was on his first flight on his own, aged about 16, going to Warsaw on the World's 'Favourite' airline His flight was cancelled due to bad weather conditions and he was rerouted via Prague. Fine. And he had to wait an extra few hours at LHR. Fine.

He happens to have a relation who works for the airline at Heathrow, and went to a 'customer service' desk to ask if he could contact that person via the internal 'phone system. not an unreasonable request. The harridan at the desk asked him why, which is probably also not unreasonable, and he explained that he had a few hours to kill and would like to see if his relation could come down and have a coffee with him, adding that he'd been re-routed due to his flight being cancelled - probably quite a big deal for a kid on his first flight - and wasn't sure if he could travel that way without a Czech visa (SA passport).

"Well, bully for you," said the harridan "our internal 'phones are not for children to play with and you can check with the consulate if you need a visa."

There's a youngster who won't be travelling BA again, nor his family, nor their friends, nor mine (not that I would anyway), nor anyone I tell.