Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - ISM Soliciting for Positive Feedback?

So was travelling HKG-MNL-HKG in J on the one trip (turned around), the ISM came around at the end of the first leg and asked if everything was ok?

When I said 'yes, the crew had been great' she asked if I minded filling in a form, I accepted assuming it was the standard customer satisfaction survey but was actually handing a generic customer relations form which would be used for both compliments and complaints.

So I filled it out anyway as the crew had been very good (had to write everything freehand) but it did strike me as a little odd the way the ISM essentially prompted me to do it.

Just wondering if anyone else has struck this - do they have KPIs on positive feedback on the ISMs maybe?

(PS not complaining at all as they moved me to first on the return flight!)

I tend to write letters commending exceptional service as it does help them get a promotion and hopefully can offset negative comments received from past complaint letters. People tend to write when things go bad and the staff's improvement will not be captured if everyone stays silent when they get more than expected.

I sometimes ask for the comment form if I notice something either very good or very bad. They are usually very happy if I give them a good letter (if bad then I usually seal it). Once I was op-uped to F and the cabin crew told me if I write them a good letter they would let me eat as much as they have. Was too happy at that time so happy "obliged." On a second thought (after arrival) that seems quite inappropriate, right?

So that's the carrot approach....how about the stick approach: you can't have any food until you write something good for us? ;-)

This is great to know, I didn't know they had comment cards I can write and as I usually get good service from CX crew I will definitely write good comments for most of them (not this latest trip, the ISM treated me as if I was dead and when I gave her my plate as she passed by she actually rolled her eyes but took it anyway...)

Yes, happened to me before, after I had made a positive comment

Just wondering if anyone else has struck this - do they have KPIs on positive feedback on the ISMs maybe?

Yes, all crew have them. The more positive comments they get the faster they get promoted. Enough negative comments and they run into problems with HR.

This is great to know, I didn't know they had comment cards I can write and as I usually get good service from CX crew I will definitely write good comments for most of them (not this latest trip, the ISM treated me as if I was dead and when I gave her my plate as she passed by she actually rolled her eyes but took it anyway...)

A 'DYKWIA' ISM :rolleyes:

This is great to know, I didn't know they had comment cards I can write and as I usually get good service from CX crew I will definitely write good comments for most of them (not this latest trip, the ISM treated me as if I was dead and when I gave her my plate as she passed by she actually rolled her eyes but took it anyway...)

wow...I've had a few absentee ISMs, the ones you never see expect during boarding and deplaning but i've never encountered one that would ignore a passenger, especially a DM. (Didn't she introduce herself to you?)

Anyway normally I ask for the form to commend the crew, if I have a complaint I just normally tell that to the ISM. (or sometimes to a different ISM hehehe)

I find that when I'm op-up'ed to J, I very often get asked to fill out a comment card.

Maybe the ISM thinks that as an op-up pax I will be gushing with praise.

Sometimes I agree to fill it out, sometimes I don't.

I find that when I'm op-up'ed to J, I very often get asked to fill out a comment card.

Maybe the ISM thinks that as an op-up pax I will be gushing with praise.

Sometimes I agree to fill it out, sometimes I don't.

Of all my years flying I've only been asked to fill it out once (one of those long forms that promises drawing into the free round-trip Y ticket sweepstake)

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 4: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.6; en-us; GT-I9210 Build/GINGERBREAD) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

I find that when I'm op-up'ed to J, I very often get asked to fill out a comment card.

Maybe the ISM thinks that as an op-up pax I will be gushing with praise.

Sometimes I agree to fill it out, sometimes I don't.

Of all my years flying I've only been asked to fill it out once (one of those long forms that promises drawing into the free round-trip Y ticket sweepstake)

I actually ask the fa if she need help on that if he /she looks frustrating looking for people to fill that in, and sometimes I finish filling in before take off.

The 5usd isn't much but comes handy when you need to buy something anyways. I think I got a dozen of those CX pens already.

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 4: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.6; en-us; GT-I9210 Build/GINGERBREAD) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)



I actually ask the fa if she need help on that if he /she looks frustrating looking for people to fill that in, and sometimes I finish filling in before take off.

The 5usd isn't much but comes handy when you need to buy something anyways. I think I got a dozen of those CX pens already.

Yeah, why do they always go up and down frustrated? Why not just walk up to anybody and hand it in to them? I see them pace themselves up and down at least 3-4 times...

Of all my years flying I've only been asked to fill it out once (one of those long forms that promises drawing into the free round-trip Y ticket sweepstake)

That is actually the survey form, which is different from the comment form. I have a friend who likes CX pens so I always ask for th survey form whenever possible.

Slightly OT - I have never received a reply when I write to theclub@cathaypaific.com this year, even as GO. However, I found that writing on the on board comment form ensures a quick reply, though not necessarily a solution. I was once angered by them using almost the same response (template) when I write different things, though, and let them know that (which they replied to me without using the template).

Flew DXB-HKG on 26 June and found my premium J experience a little less assuring than my previous flights. Nevermind the herringbone nightmare, and there were 4 crew serving the J cabin. While the job gets done, it was with rather little finesse that you would associate with J class. The saving grace was actually from a Cathay boy (from Malaysia).. not someone I would often see serving in J class (are they usually confined to the galley?) but he was serving at triple speed and smiling at everyone, including his colleagues (whom I'm still deciding whether they are 'brothering' him or 'bullying' him). It was a full 343 J cabin, but he didn't let it show that he was doing all the work.

Stopped the ISM when she walked down the cabin to let her know about how hard the boy is working. She listened, and did not respond until I told her I am happy to write a feedback form.

The saving grace was actually from a Cathay boy (from Malaysia).. not someone I would often see serving in J class (are they usually confined to the galley?) but he was serving at triple speed and smiling at everyone, including his colleagues (whom I'm still deciding whether they are 'brothering' him or 'bullying' him).

Why was he supposed to be confined in the galley? I see male FA all the time.

Yes, all crew have them. The more positive comments they get the faster they get promoted. Enough negative comments and they run into problems with HR.

Be honest with yourself and give the correct responses, the rest will take care of themselves. Eventually, whether for good or bad, results will tally up.
Taking bribes will only back fire and skew the real outcome.

This ISM has taken the meaning of compliment the wrong way. I would be more satisfied if the compliment was not solicited. This was plain ' fishing'.
Too bad there are quite a few of them in CX.

This ISM has taken the meaning of compliment the wrong way. I would be more satisfied if the compliment was not solicited. This was plain ' fishing'.
Too bad there are quite a few of them in CX.

Yea they fish all the time. If you get op-upped, are friendly with the ISM, or are an elite pax it seems like you get fished from even more.

And as I mentioned elsewhere, it is common practice for crew and ISMs to unseal your review of the flight and read it. If it is not up to their satisfaction, they discard it before it gets to CX mgmt's hands. That's why if you give a bad review, be sure to take it home with you and mail it to CX or hand it to someone with less of an incentive to tamper with it (maybe a ground staff).

Stopped the ISM when she walked down the cabin to let her know about how hard the boy is working. She listened, and did not respond until I told her I am happy to write a feedback form.

It must depend on the ISM. Ive had some who have beamed with pride and have congratulated staff I have mentioned to them by name, congratulating them. They also often do if i remark to the ISM that 'they are a good crew'. It does happen but not all kind remarkd are met with filling out 'the form'.

I got solicited once last month as well. I chose a very bad seat for me (80K on the 744!) and was nauseous from lack of aircon & mild turbulence at the time. As a result when a F/A came asking I literally couldn't react and I must've had a bit of a death stare or poker face, so she just took that as a no. :p

Reading this thread I'm surprised she picked me because I've got few miles, nowhere near elite, never get op-uped and I keep to myself... But I'm a pen addict so I'll be sure to fill one out next time, just for the CX pen. :D

Everybody's fishing in today's world because everyone assumes if you' don't yap yap yap about your achievement they must not exist. Most hotels try to solicit a Tripadvisor review or two from happy guests now, so I'm not sure I'd fault CX for this.

A 'DYKWIA' ISM :rolleyes:

as well as a DYKWIA passenger by the sounds of it :D

From the description of events in the original post, I do not see the ISM as doing anything wrong.

I think it makes sense for a crew leader to look for positive reviews to support and protect her crew. If someone is going to complain, they will do it directly to MPC or CX, and the crew usually has no idea until it is too late. By making sure she gets a few positive feedback forms every flight, a crew leader would be able to show HQ that the crew is doing something right. Think of how many people go out of their way to complain, versus how many go out of their way to extend a compliment. Many of us take for granted the excellent service we get on CX. Some people might even say "it's expected", and consider themselves mistreated because not every FA came to kiss their a$$ on a flight. I think everything needs to be seen from different perspectives. This just balances out the flow of negativity.

^From the description of events in the original post, I do not see the ISM as doing anything wrong.

I think it makes sense for a crew leader to look for positive reviews to support and protect her crew. If someone is going to complain, they will do it directly to MPC or CX, and the crew usually has no idea until it is too late. By making sure she gets a few positive feedback forms every flight, a crew leader would be able to show HQ that the crew is doing something right. Think of how many people go out of their way to complain, versus how many go out of their way to extend a compliment. Many of us take for granted the excellent service we get on CX. Some people might even say "it's expected", and consider themselves mistreated because not every FA came to kiss their a$$ on a flight. I think everything needs to be seen from different perspectives. This just balances out the flow of negativity.