BA and Tattoos
Following on from one of my daughters interview with BA a week or so ago I enclose a copy of the letter of complaint that she wrote which gives an insight into the attitude that still pervades BA . Somehow they still seem to think that nobody is good enough for them.Obviously I am a disgruntled parent that thinks his kids can do no wrong but this now gives me two reasons for disliking Willie Walsh- the other is the destruction of the GA community by persuading the CAA to increase the fees to small operators and pilots alike to satisfy the whims of BA
Dear Sir,
I would hereby like to lodge a complaint about the treatment I received on Monday 8th July during an assessment day for Mandarin language speaking cabin crew. On Friday 12th July I briefly raised my concerns in a follow-up call with a member of the BA team, but I feel it both important and necessary to explain the full events and express my opinions on the matter.
At the very beginning of the day I was taken for the height and reach test. Before completing the test I was asked about any tattoos, to which I replied positively that I did have one. I was then asked where it was, responding that it was on the nape of my neck. The BA staff member asking these questions told me that she would have to take a look at it, so I was escorted into a separate room where I was instantly told that I would be sent home. She did not look at the tattoo, rather she instantly judged me for having one, stating that I should try a different company that didn’t have such high standards. This comment I found to be very belittling and I felt unfairly targeted. This staff member informed me that my only option would be to spend lots of money getting the tattoo removed and then reapply another time. She was unaware of the circumstances in which I had the tattoo done, and did not seem to care the reasons for it. According to her, this tattoo symbolised my low standards that were not good enough for British Airways.
I was made thoroughly aware that company policy meant I could not progress with the assessment day, and I completely accept this; however I do not feel that the situation was dealt with appropriately. Furthermore, I feel it necessary to question what is meant by ‘visible’ tattoos. This appeared in the initial application stage and having looked at the uniform worn by BA cabin crew I deemed my tattoo not to be ‘visible’, owing to the fact that staff members wear neck ties and high collared shirts. For this reason I continued with the application. When I was sent home I made the interviewer aware of my understanding of the term ‘visible’. The response was that when I moved my neck or back the tattoo might come on show, however, this was not tested. The tattoo could also apparently be seen through the shirt (again, this was not checked).
In my opinion, a ‘visible’ tattoo is not one that can be seen through clothing, it is one that is on an area of the body that cannot be covered by clothing. It would be my suggestion that this be clarified through the online application system so that future applicants do not travel to Heathrow for an interview only to be sent home 5 minutes later.
Of course I am upset that my application could not progress for this job. I speak 4 languages fluently and have 6 years of customer service experience under my belt, not to mention a wealth of travel experience as well as helicopter pilot training. I believe that I could have done extremely well in this role, and feel saddened that, because of a tattoo, I can’t bring any of my skills to your company. At the same time, I feel that a company that judges me to have low standards because of a tattoo is not a company worth working for. I sincerely hope that changes are made to avoid other applicants ending up in this same position.
I would greatly appreciate a response to this letter so that I know your company has been made aware of my complaints and is addressing the aforementioned issues.
So all you cabin crew wannabes out there be aware that if you are less than perfect in the eyes of BA they will tell you and maybe shatter your dreams in the process