Qantas Frequent Flyer - AJ's speech to the American Chamber of Commerce

I was reading through AJ's speech to the American Chamber of Commerce (http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/media-releases/aug-2012/1/global/en). As much as people on this board love to hate AJ, and I admit, he doesn't do a lot of things right, but I'm choosing to look at the positives - I think there's a lot of positive stuff going on at QF at the moment amongst all the negatives - Qantas are still continuing to innovate in the midst of a trying time for many airlines.

One part that I would like to mention is this:


Then there’s the investment in our people.

By the end of 2012, 11,000 Qantas domestic and international frontline staff will have completed our new customer service training program.

Safety is our first priority and that will never change.

Nor will the professionalism of our staff.

But we are shaking up the service culture, loosening the ties, giving our people greater opportunity to freestyle and respond to our customers and their needs.

and....

We are giving all our check-in agents greater autonomy about decision making to care for our customers.

One of the things that has annoyed me in recent years about QF is that customer service staff were becoming more rigid in how they handled customers - on many occasions, they had no permission to help customers even if it was easily within their power. I'm really interested to see what develops from this change - it could be a real positive.

Cheers,

Josh

I know people that work in Training in QF and they have a really quite stunning education and training program and facilities, and stunning programs for teaching service in all levels, with facilities that simulate real cabins and providing the actual in-flight service to real people on the ground. It's outstanding and they have to be commended for this.

I know people that work in Training in QF and they have a really quite stunning education and training program and facilities, and stunning programs for teaching service in all levels, with facilities that simulate real cabins and providing the actual in-flight service to real people on the ground. It's outstanding and they have to be commended for this.

they should only be commended if their training results in consistent customer service, which it does not.

Either the training is at fault or the trainees, which would you propose it is?

they should only be commended if their training results in consistent customer service, which it does not.^

they should only be commended if their training results in consistent customer service, which it does not.

Either the training is at fault or the trainees, which would you propose it is?

AJ should so what the TV series does - be an "undercover boss" for a week or four serving trays in Y and J. Better still, he should be a regular passenger in Y and J instead of F to see what things are like.

I know people that work in Training in QF and they have a really quite stunning education and training program and facilities, and stunning programs for teaching service in all levels, with facilities that simulate real cabins and providing the actual in-flight service to real people on the ground. It's outstanding and they have to be commended for this.

A real shame that it doesn't show in real life service.
You can provide world class training, it is always in the execution that really matters.

A real shame that it doesn't show in real life service.
You can provide world class training, it is always in the execution that really matters.

To be fair, training results in future improvements. Not all staff have been through the training - time will tell if it works, I guess. I have faith. I know a lot don't.