I received this message yesterday:
Dear Mr ExXB,
As part of British Airways continued investment in our Brand, Products and Services, during 2013 we have made a number of significant improvements to the tools and processes used during times of disruption.
The rationale for this investment is simple - to better serve our customers on the occasions where their travel plans are disrupted, through providing better information, more choice and options, while also enhancing the tools and processes our colleagues use to deliver a higher level of service. As part of this investment we have:
• Delivered new automatic rebooking capability, which looks to select the next best option available to customers
• Created a new Customer Response team at Heathrow
• Equipped customer service colleagues with iPads, offering the ability to rebook customers on the spot, while also providing a range of additional information
• Increased equipment and training for winter readiness at Heathrow
With the winter months approaching, there is a greater likelihood that the weather may cause some disruption to our customers' travel plans during the months ahead. We will do all we can to mitigate and minimise such disruption.
In order to serve you better, we do need your help.
During times of disruption, having up to date, accurate contact information for our customers is critical in being able to deliver the service you expect. Please can I ask that you therefore take this opportunity to ensure that your Executive Club or Registered customer profile contains your contact numbers and email address.
You can check and update your profile here
You can also provide the contact information at the time of making each individual booking, but by including it in your profile it helps avoid us being unable to contact you should you forget to do so.
Please be assured that this contact information will not be used for sending you marketing communications unless you separately choose to receive such marketing communications and will always be used in line with the British Airways Privacy Policy and, for Executive Club Members, the Executive Club Terms and Conditions
Whether you are booking directly with British Airways or one of our travel agency partners, ensuring that your personal contact information is always included within the booking will allow us to contact you and serve you better.
My sincere thanks for your help and continued support for British Airways.
Warm regards,
(name deleted)
Managing Director, Brands and Customer Experience
I clicked on Reply and said:
Dear (name deleted)
I stopped using British Airways, other than to burn my remaining miles, over four years ago following significant customer service and operational failings on BA's part.
Your stated improvements will likely be welcomed by some, but frankly they do little to encourage me to use your services unless I literally have no other choice.
I also know that there is little that you can do about the limitations at Heathrow, but promises to rebook me quickly and easily, are irrelevant when I know that to chose any other airport to connect means I won't have to be rebooked. A cm of snow at Zurich, Frankfurt or even Paris does not result in cancellations or delays. Heathrow often closes under such circumstances, and even if it doesn't, your widespread cancellation of short haul connecting services penalises your connecting customers.
I'm a little doubtful that your efforts will succeed, seeing as your company's IT skills remain poor. Could you not interrogate your data base to see which of your customers didn't have this information already on file?
Good luck with your renewed efforts, but you lost me long ago.
Regards
I really didn't expect a reply but little while later I got this:
Customer Experience? Poor, to say the least