Ground Handling Vs Customers Complains

[junkfms]

Just out of curiosity. What is/are the most classical complain(s) that customers have against the ground handling?

[LFC24]

Mishandling of passengers baggage I'd reckon? Search up baggage handlers on Youtube, some of the people are not happy!

[mikeday]

I would say probably baggage complaints and in the event of delays "lack of information" or "we have not been told anything"

[Capetonian]

Security. Beyond the control of the airline in most cases but this seems to be what generates the most tension and complaints.

[junkfms]

Ahhh thanks guys...

I would say that most likely happens in the ramp.
Mishandling the baggage, wrong containners, over carried and stuffs especially when you are there at the transit stations.

At times, transit stations, we have received some messed up CPMs and LDMs from the upline stations and we're took the blame from the destinations.

[tigger2k8]

lack of information is probably the best one during delays, a lot of people dont understand the handling agents are not the airlines employee's and can only announce what the airline has passed on, which is nothing sometimes

as for baggage, you can never keep people happy with that one especially on the quick turnaround airlines where you cant handle every bag as if its made of glass.. if it takes more than 5 minutes for a passenger to get their bag at the track they will generally not be happy :{

[DAVYDAY]

Paying for excess baggage.:ok:
This can sometimes get very heated by the passenger and they dont understand its the airlines procedures.:mad:

(Its also a great way to make additional revenue hahaha):p


DD

[choxs]

Ill tell you what we get the most blame for - Immigration Queues!!!:ugh:

Oh my god, I do feel sorry for passengers when they arrive, especially in peak times when you have 7 or 8 landing at the same time. Queues are massive...but, who gets the blame...us!!! because we are face to face with paxs.

That must be the biggest problem in UK airports.

Baggage is def second!

[Geezers of Nazareth]

Us getting blamed for them missing their flight.

Apparently, if they're somewhere in the terminal, and don't notice the passing of time, and then they see their aeroplane taxying past the window, they can rush to the gate-room to find the flight has closed and the aircraft has pushed. In those circumstances we're supposed to use some kind of in-built ability to communicate with them (telepathy?) to call them to the flight so they don't miss it!. Either that, or call back the flight so that they can get on-board!.

And when we can't do that, they then proced to blame us for off-loading their baggage!.



Ooh, thought of another one ...

Customer complains to baggage staff about the non-appearance of their baby-buggy on the baggage belt. Only to be informed that they were delivered to the top of the jetty as they left the aircraft (I know so, I took it there myself!).
Then they tell me that there were no buggies waiting for them ... and I mention the delay in getting-off the aircraft because the jetty was broken (which might also be my fault!). And suddenly they do remember that bit.
And then they change their story, saying that they did see some buggies, but walked straight past them!

[jerboy]

or call back the flight so that they can get on-board!.

Haha, I love that one.

Once had a passenger who made it into the gate just as his aircraft was turning onto the runway (visible from the gate), demanding me to call it back.

"But I'm a Gold Card holder!!!"

So? If you've taken that many flights you'd make it to the gate in time right?


However I'd say most common its excess baggage. Charging for excess bags/weight on check in is guaranteed to p*ss off even the most chilled out passenger. They feel like they're being ripped off, and quite frankly... they are.

Yes they should have read the ToC/website/email/ticket before they set off. To be fair, some understand this but most go on to ask why the charges are so exorbitant. After all it doesn't cost the airline £10 to fly an extra kilo of baggage around...

I don't lie to the passengers and say quite frankly that its simply a revenue stream for the airline, I'm very sorry, but that's the way it is and that's what I have to do. (I'm not making crap up about every kilo costing extra fuel... I'm a load controller; and to me that argument doesn't stick.)

The best way to resolve a conflict is for you to get on the passenger's side, empathise and be seen to be doing the best you can for them. It will most likely get them off your back for the time being, and may perhaps 'demonize' the airline you're dealing with... but its their policies right?

[junkfms]

+1 Jerboy :ok:
I am not in the area of pax service but could imagine the heat dealing with the excess baggage. :ugh: Hope you get to relax good at the end of your shift.

chox - I do understand about the immigration queues. At BKK early morning when flights arriving from Europe and another wave at noon, immigration queues are packed out. I do have the sympathy for the people who have had ten hours or more in flights especially those in Y class, family travelling with little kids, etc. But there is nothing we could do! After all this kinda thing will have to be discussed and sorted out for good between the authorities.


On the other side of the table; what about the customer airlines? which seems to be their complains in irregularities?
Ground Ops - Load Control - Ramp ??? any?

Complains I usually see from the customer airlines are usually the wrong CPMs, LDMs, Mixed up baggage priorities, communications blah blah blah

[fanrailuk]

According to the most recent copy of Airliner World magazine, one of the most common complaints is false delay information, understandably, especially so when the tannoy states ''due to the late running of the inbound aircraft'' - well, obviously as it's dealyed! :ugh:

[jerboy]

In terms of complaints from the airlines... It has to be delays.

If any delay is caused by the handling agent, they come down on us like a ton of bricks: We're not allowed to make mistakes.

We're in a difficult position. With handling fees being cut down to the lowest possible, we work on a skeleton staff. It usually works fine but given any sort of disruption, we may not have the staff (pax services and loading) to deal with the flights... hence they go out late. The sooner airlines realise that to get a decent service from their handling agent, they need to pay for it sooner or later.

Its a symptom of years of fierce competition between handling agencies who are fighting it out for every contract. In my mind its quite impressive that we've not seen more go bust.

Also if we don't collect enough cash in excess baggage fees we're not flavour of the month either at airline HQ.

[junkfms]

Surely has to de the delays (which caused from the ground handler)
- Baggage matching, reconciliation
- late presentation of flight plan to the captain (sometimes the HQ sent the wrong flightplan but ground boys failed to checked the info.

Messed up performance by the handler
- crew wake up, and pick up (I wonder if anyone else in the world has to do this kind of thing for your customers and have had experience the issue with it?)
- issues with the load control?
- training records?
- safety issues.