Airline customer awareness!!!!

[milehighclub8]

I reckon one of my worst experiences flying was with Qantas.I embarked on a journey from Syd to Sin and during the meal service I asked politely for a glass of coke as the passenger next to me was served.The crew in a rude way said "WAIT"! ignored me totally-went along her way.
I felt really looked down upon and many questions arrised in my mine,was it because I was asian and the passenger next to me was caucasian ???... Was I discriminated?...Obviously I felt I was.

[This message has been edited by milehighclub8 (edited 24 May 2000).]

[Vortex Wake]

There is no excuse for total rudeness,it's not what you say but the way you say it (as they teach on customer service courses).
A polite just a moment would suffice.
Maybe dealing with air rage a row back.Hard to smile all 12 hours of flight........

[Flintstone]

Not the first time I've heard of Qantas staff being nasty. Happened to a friend of mine who flew UK-Australia with them and it wasn't just a one off either. Cabin crew, check-in staff and others all seemed to have a problem dealing with the public to the point where he's sworn never to use them again.

Not a knee jerk reaction from a spoiled business traveller or nervous punter, he's aircrew so understands the difficulties they sometimes face.

They really don't help themselves sometimes.

[GoGirl]

Work at an airport, and your opinion of Flight attendants can really go out the window!
On a day to day basis, I see the Qantas flight crews wandering past in the terminal, and have quite often wondered who shoved the carrot up there!!
I have been involved in aviation all my life, and I can honestly say, that all the times I have flown RPT, and with all the different carriers I have tried, Qantas Customer Service leaves the others for dead as far as attitude goes. This is not to say that there are not some very good Qantas flight attendants, it is just that the remainder of your collegues W@NK a lot :)
Heard recently on a flight from YMML-YBBN. Was sitting in business when I could not help but overhear,(as I am sure half the aircraft did!), A very heavily made up, not so young female flight attendant, say 'Oh you're just a staff traveler' to a quiet lady sitting about 3" from me.(This was said after the lady had requested a water for the third time in 20 minutes!!!!) Very proffesional I thought.......NOT!! But then, that seems to be the attitude reminiscent of the majority of Qantas flight attendants. these days.
Whatever happened to 'Customer Service' http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

GG

[This message has been edited by GoGirl (edited 19 May 2000).]

[ExSimGuy]

"Down Under" a couple of months ago and flew with "the other airline". They couldn't have been more helpful, both when I was using an ID90 and when I paid full fare for another trip! Further (ID90) sectors on QF were also fine with nothing to fault.

My only adverse comment would be that, from my limited experience, Ansett's time-table appears to be "for guidance only"!

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Flight Sims, very expensive toys - but real fun to play with!

[VelvetStrokes]

Not only airline staff, who for the most part I find courteous and pleasant; often under difficult circumstances.

But a certain car rental company at Stansted could do with improving their customer awareness staff training, it would not 'hurts'. After arriving to return a car, we stood waiting at the counter with several others. Finally, after approx 35 mins we got to the front and waited whilst the woman continued to tap at her computer and consult the paper at the side.

After a few minutes, she stood up and turned to the girl next to her, who we assume she was training (I hope not); and spoke to her. She then came back to her computer and finished her 'work'. Then she deigned to look our way. 'How can I help you'

I wanted to reply, 'By treating us with a little less rudeness would help', but was restrained.

I am aware she was busy, but by deliberately ignoring us, she showed a distain for customers which verged on the offensive. A simple 'I'm sorry, would you mind if I just finished this'. Smile optional.

She appeared to be saying, I don't like my job and you are part of that issue, so you get the flak.

Well, they just lost my custom, so......

[Skylark]

No wonder there is so much Air Rage. Hurry up Virgin Blue so we can get some pleasant and efficient service from flight attendants instead of the `burn outs' we have to put up with now.

[Feather #3]

What absolutely astounds me when I read this sort of thing is how it happens after the stage production which takes place to even be employed in the first place!

It drives the management up the wall too.

G'day

[GoGirl]

Actually VelvetStrokes, your experience does not in the least bit surprise me, which is exactly why I plan to take MY excellent Customer Service skills elsewhere in the very near future :) (I believe that Kaptin M will provide a good referee if needed to vouch my customer service skills :)) It saddens me to think that I was unable to make a difference in such a Service focused industry, and I doubt that it will ever change. In this case.....the grass IS surely greener.......

GG

[redsnail]

Velvet strokes, I am hearing you about the car company. At least they didn't charge me what I thought they were going to! I was just relieved about that. Pity we missed the tour because of their tardiness.
Oh and "service", lets not talk about the Stansted Hilton? :rolleyes:

About QF, I cannot complain at all. Whether it has been because of my "publicity" I don't know. Service and attention was great.

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[email protected] for while I am away!!

[This message has been edited by redsnail (edited 22 May 2000).]

[AeroBoero]

Any of you ever heard about TAM (Brazil)? To not long time ago , if you complained about a FA who was rude , you bet he/she would be looking for job sooner than they could ever imagined... http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

[milehighclub8]

That should be the way!.I heard even the owner at every begining and end of a flight he personally will shake the hands of all passengers thanking them for flying with his airline.

[milehighclub8]

Any ideas about flying with Singapore airlines or any Asian airlines?...

[OO-AOG]

Flew a couple of Asian airlines lately. Average is pretty good.
Was disapointed by Singapore Airlines. We made a unscheduled stop in ATH during a CDG-SIN flight to pick-up passengers (their a/c was technical). We arrived at SIN 3 hours late and I missed my HKG connection.
Spend 8 hours waiting at Changi without any excuse or compensation from SIA (I had a full fare ticket). Unacceptable.

[Tinstaafl]

I was very impressed by the quality of the cabin service and the cleanliness of the cabin throughout the flight when I travelled on Singapore Airlines. JAL were nearly as good service wise but not so for cleanliness.

BA & QF rank lowest out of these four.

[This message has been edited by Tinstaafl (edited 24 May 2000).]

[Bullitt]

My company uses OneWorld so I use QF a fair bit.The FAs are not a good advert for our country http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/redface.gif The flight crews on the other hand are a different matter - nice guys and gals and often oblige with a jumpseat for landing.!
Ansett, on the few chances I've had to fly with them have been quite excellent.The female FAs are a much better example of the kind of top sorts we have in Oz :)

Asian Airlines generally have good service, in my experience. Korean especially, although I normally need several cleansing ales to expunge their safety record from my mind.

Only just tumbled to the SLF forum - is it new or what??

Cheers
Bullitt



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We've got to start thinking beyond our guns

[Avman]

I fly regularly with BA, BD, NW, DL, KL and SN. I find that I have good and bad experiences with all (the good exceeds the bad). It depends who you get on the day and their mood of the day, which itself depends on many other fators. Nevertheless, I think that it is very unprofessional to have a bad day and take it out on the customers. Equally, passengers having a bad day shouldn't take their frustrations out on airline staff. This is the theory. In practice it's different. Being in the business myself I have to confess that these days I often become frustrated at the lack of knowledge check-in staff have about their job. It's probably not their fault but that of poor training standards. Many are part-timers who have been taught the vary basics and no more. The worst tend to be those employed by handling agencies as opposed to those employed directly by the airline. The industry can't keep up with the rollover of staff and training is kept to a minimum.

[Tarantella]

It always saddens me to hear stories like this about Qantas. Domestic and International are still virtually 2 different airlines,so I don't really know much about the domestic arm.
As far as the International side goes, most of the crew I know are fun-loving hardworking people who care about passenger needs.

Feather #3: I think the only recruitment you need be worried about is the stuff going on offshore. Brand new O/S based cabin crew being used to recruit the next intake for their base.
Our CSM gave some onboard feedback and a critique of one of our new recruits- who turned around and accused him of being racist! The new political correctness seems to preclude people from offering constructive feedback without being accused of ulterior motives.

milehighclub8:Sour Grapes (http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/Forum29/HTML/000170.html)

I make no excuses for rude lazy crew: the sooner we get rid of them the better.
I will continue to smile, pamper and make lighthearted conversation with all my passengers - regardless of how rude or inconsiderate they are - but the ones who are lovely are the ones who get the world.
That's the way it's always been and the way it should be.
I wouldn't reward rudeness in my children - I won't in an adult who should know better!

(I'm not sure how the tone of this letter sounds - I'm a little tired - but it is meant to be informative, not nasty)

[This message has been edited by Tarantella (edited 25 May 2000).]

[GoGirl]

The difference between QF 'Longhaul' and 'Shorthaul'

Refreshing to say the least :)

GG

[OneWorld22]

My favourite when travelling is Aer Lingus, really top notch cabin staff who always seem to be friendly and chatty. And that goes for the ground staff as well.

You could do alot worse then going Aer Lingus transatlantic, US System now with JFK, EWR, BOS, ORD and LAX and soon to be BWI. You also get the bonus of clearing US immigration at DUB or SNN which is convenient to say the least when it means you avoid the inevitable scrum at passport control at JFK!!!

And no I don't work nor have ever worked for the "Flying Shamrock"

[Tallbloke]

American Airlines, consistently.
They have no idea about customer service, it is a wonder anyone flies with them.

[Rumbeat]

You can't top United. We had a full in flight minimum service "strike" Mel-Au-LA.

Something to do with staff share allocation. Also had a three hour in flight dissertation from one F/A regarding how bad United was to work for, How the drivers copped a sweat deal, and the F/A's were badly done by. Anyway..

[milehighclub8]

Again it all boils-down to the "head"!.If the management is only thinking of profits to the max,and employees well being is disregarded than you are looking at a sirious situation here!.
It is the employees that drive the work force therefor,there must be motivation and a sense of belonging.

[Sierra]

I LUV Ryanair; the pilots spoil me rotten :):

Aer Lingus are OK. Tried to food poison me once with the most unbelievable foul tasting fish served cold in the middle of winter. When I politely asked for a hot edible meal they told me the ovens weren't working :rolleyes:

And thank God they got rid of those awful Tristars they were leasing from Caledonian. They tried to suffocate me that time & I was only flying to Shannon & not to New York thank God. I have never felt so ill getting off a flight http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

SIERRA

[fishlips]

Don't mean to be bias, but I find that most non-asian carriers services are extremely poor. Yes, some asain carriers are poor but non-asians takes the cake.
My experience with UA from HKG-NRT was one of the worse I have ever seen. The F/A's were like kids in a toy store. Service? What is it? They were joking with each other, drinks came 15 minutes later, flirting with dead-head crews etc etc. The worst was with AN. I will not go into details but I can tell you that I would never catch AN again.

Best service had to go to CX, JL, SQ, and MU (China Eastern). Then again, it all depends which crew you get at the time.

[Flying Banana]

For the last two winters I've been to Banff skiing, flying LHR-Calgary with Canadian and have to say that their cabin crew are excellent, always friendly and helpful, hope this wont change when it all becomes Air Canada! :)

[The Sleeping Pax]

Recently, checking in at SYD for a Qantas Syd-Bkk code share with BA, I was told by the delightful lass as I was to fly on BA that day. "Don't worry," she assured me "It's a lot better than the service you get from us."

I have always made it a point of being polite to the Check in Staff. After all they have the ability and power to put me next to screaming kids, smokers who just have to light up in spite of a ban, and any other misfits I might have to fly with. After all a prize winning smile, a please and thank you cost nothing does it. The same goes for the crews on board. I always get superb service (except on Yemenia and Aeroflot but you cannot have everything) and I'm fed, watered, pampered and left alone as I desire.

It's more of customer airline staff awareness rather than the other way around, most of the time.

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Wake me up when we get there

[OneWorld22]

Actually, when I think about it, Lufthansa are excellent, I use them a lot deadheading in and out of FRA and MUC and they are always very good. Cabin service excellent!

[BRUpax]

OW22 - Are you talking Y or C class? It can make all the difference on some carriers especially on European carriers.

[DeeTour]

SQ definately have the right approach - 'SSHH work quietly, speak softly'. I have travelled quit frequently on Canadian in/out London route and have never found anything good to say for the service. Maybe you're the lucky looking guy!

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DeeTour