F service expectations and shortcomings
Oct 21, 2014, 6:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: DTW - Rochester Hills, MI
Programs: Cathay MPC, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Domestic Airline Nobody
Posts: 734
F service expectations and shortcomings
I have never even seen a Cathay pacific comment card.
I just flew DTW-ORD-HKG.
Coach on DL TO ORD, and CX F to HKG.
Delta automatically sends surveys to all PAX. I even received a second survey asking for my feedback on my use of the sky club in DTW. And then a THIRD survey asking for feedback on the SkyClub in ORD. Nothing from CX. My F service was poor. I made a comment on the COMPLAINTS section of the MP website. the automated response said they would reply to me within 20 days.
For an airline that claims to be so customer centric, I am really surprised that CX does not do more to solicit feedback.
I wonder if being "taken out to the woodshed" by a customer service person really is anything more than an annoyance to the ISM.
I just flew DTW-ORD-HKG.
Coach on DL TO ORD, and CX F to HKG.
Delta automatically sends surveys to all PAX. I even received a second survey asking for my feedback on my use of the sky club in DTW. And then a THIRD survey asking for feedback on the SkyClub in ORD. Nothing from CX. My F service was poor. I made a comment on the COMPLAINTS section of the MP website. the automated response said they would reply to me within 20 days.
For an airline that claims to be so customer centric, I am really surprised that CX does not do more to solicit feedback.
I wonder if being "taken out to the woodshed" by a customer service person really is anything more than an annoyance to the ISM.
Oct 21, 2014, 7:48 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,713
Nothing from CX. My F service was poor. I made a comment on the COMPLAINTS section of the MP website. the automated response said they would reply to me within 20 days.
For an airline that claims to be so customer centric, I am really surprised that CX does not do more to solicit feedback.
I wonder if being "taken out to the woodshed" by a customer service person really is anything more than an annoyance to the ISM.
For an airline that claims to be so customer centric, I am really surprised that CX does not do more to solicit feedback.
I wonder if being "taken out to the woodshed" by a customer service person really is anything more than an annoyance to the ISM.
can you elaborate on what was poor about your service?
Oct 21, 2014, 5:20 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: DTW - Rochester Hills, MI
Programs: Cathay MPC, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Domestic Airline Nobody
Posts: 734
I can tell you what I didn't like, but I don't want to get too far off of topic.
No escort through security; needed to wait in a long line. I would've preferred to wait in the delta SkyClub rather than the silly First Class lounge in ORD. The hostess at the lounge seem to selectively tell people the plane had started boarding; I only noticed because a few people had already left, and more were starting.
Food was marginal; the steak was way overcooked, and I barely touched it. When the FA was collecting the plate she asked how I liked it and I mentioned it was not so good. She just said sorry. For the second meal, I did not like any of the main courses so I asked if I could have a burger instead. That was all I got. A burger on a plate. No sides. No desert. Not even condiments!
Ran out of Heineken after two beers? On board, they were polite but lackluster. A number of times I would walk back to the business class galley to ask for something because there was no staff in the first class galley.
I had never flown F before, so was unfamiliar with the whole bedding process. I noticed when we were landing that the FA was collecting a mattress and blanket from other PAX. I never received such things.
Other F PAX luggage seemed to be tagged with first class and came off first. Mine... somewhere in the middle.
I guess "poor" is not the best choice of words; maybe "normal" or "average" or "mediocre" would be better. I probably just had too high of expectation for CX F service.
In the end, it seems like I paid a pretty high premium for nothing more than a bigger seat. Definitely not worth it.
No escort through security; needed to wait in a long line. I would've preferred to wait in the delta SkyClub rather than the silly First Class lounge in ORD. The hostess at the lounge seem to selectively tell people the plane had started boarding; I only noticed because a few people had already left, and more were starting.
Food was marginal; the steak was way overcooked, and I barely touched it. When the FA was collecting the plate she asked how I liked it and I mentioned it was not so good. She just said sorry. For the second meal, I did not like any of the main courses so I asked if I could have a burger instead. That was all I got. A burger on a plate. No sides. No desert. Not even condiments!
Ran out of Heineken after two beers? On board, they were polite but lackluster. A number of times I would walk back to the business class galley to ask for something because there was no staff in the first class galley.
I had never flown F before, so was unfamiliar with the whole bedding process. I noticed when we were landing that the FA was collecting a mattress and blanket from other PAX. I never received such things.
Other F PAX luggage seemed to be tagged with first class and came off first. Mine... somewhere in the middle.
I guess "poor" is not the best choice of words; maybe "normal" or "average" or "mediocre" would be better. I probably just had too high of expectation for CX F service.
In the end, it seems like I paid a pretty high premium for nothing more than a bigger seat. Definitely not worth it.
Oct 21, 2014, 6:47 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,713
I have a number of comments but will avoid posting here to keep on topic about the comment cards. Gongzuokang or perhaps the mods, if interested to keep this going elsewhere because he had quite an interesting experience (does not sound like any of my many F flights) and might be a very good thread. I suspect some of it is chalked up to the way CX expects F pax to "receive" service that might make for a worthwhile thread. First thought that comes to mind is they expect you to blast that call light for service!
Oct 21, 2014, 7:55 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,713
Nice mods for splitting this out! Okay, now I can say more without going OT in the other thread.
Gongzuokang, bummer to hear about your experience. These comments are about the inflight experience.
1.) Marginal food Agree, my experience is Western mains are not as good as Chinese / Japanese / other Asian ones.
FA had no feedback after you said the steak was bad. Not sure what else she could've done....at least she said sorry! I had a good steak a few months ago HKG-SFO, but this was because in perhaps 30 previous F flights I had never tried it....and my expectations were rock bottom.. I almost always stick to caviar, soups, maybe a salad, other apps, Chinese mains, and snacks.
Ran out of beer. To the point they ran out, this is flat bizarre. There is definitely Heineken in J and Y class galleys. As for the beer selection itself...Heineken is not exactly up there with the world's fine brews IMO....this is a shortcoming of CX F and other intl F classes IMO. Beer selection is stuck in the 1990s and sucks. BA used to have Sierra Nevada in the ex-SFO lounge which CX used, and I used to pocket a few for drinking in-flight. You're not supposed to bring your own booze on but whether or not you can get away with a beer or two of your own YMMV. Some FAs will turn a blind eye or even refrigerate it for you if you're an elite. Others stick to the rulebook. If you see a beer you like in the lounge - this goes for most F carriers - you're better off bringing it on board and seeing if they'll let you drink it.
Bedding process. The level of proactivity varies, but usually I find they are quite proactive in making my bed. That said, I could see a situation where if it was your first flight maybe you looked uncertain or they didn't know what to do, and they didn't proactively approach you. You should've asked! And btw, the duvet and such is located in the closet at your seat. But yes the FAs always make the bed for you.
Baggage tags. Usually it's good, but roll of the dice and sometimes it's not. I get F tags on my bags like the other DMs on here for every flight, and I'd say 75% it comes out in the first few bags, 25% it pops out at an uncertain time. Usually in the middle half though never at the end. That's the way it goes.
Going back to J class to get food / no FAs in galley. Bizarre. This part of the story to me is utterly bizarre. Either a.) you had the worst F class FAs I've ever heard of, or perhaps you weren't totally familiar with the service standards, or something in-between where you didn't get the world's best crew, but perhaps you also may have acted outside their 'expectation range.'
To the points above...the best way I can describe CX service is "you have to go get it", and when you do go get it, it's excellent. Take the call light. I grew up in the US and was taught you never, EVER touch that call light. Well on CX, they expect you to bang away at it for service. It's a service light and expected to be used judiciously. When I hit it rarely, if ever, do they not come immediately expecting to serve. It's something I had to get used to but now that I am I love it. Somewhat more cynically, you could also apply this to complaining on CX
. If you complain - the louder and longer the better - the more you're going to get from them. If you don't, they won't proactively give you squat. Take a 21 hour delay I had that was 100% CX fault years due to a tech and then crew issue. I got $75 in USD in flight duty free vouchers. I was on a cash J ticket that cost around $10k USD round-trip to JFK. I only found out in hindsight a peer who was on the plane with me complained, wrote in to CX, and got a few thousand Asia Miles and a coveted upgrade voucher (never had one of these in my life on CX) in addition to the lame duty free vouchers. Mind you during the course of those 21 hours I missed some extremely important meetings in Hong Kong and the delay was not weather or some unfortunate issue....completely CX's fault.
As for the galley, CX crews do not expect you to pop into the galley to see them for food. They expect you to hit the call light. But I still find it very, very strange there was nobody in the galley. The ISM and/or a SP should be in the F galley area at all times. The seats are actually by door L1 (on 77H), whereas door R1 is where the food is prepared. So maybe you didn't see the whole area? Or got there in the off time the ISM was resting/in the back and the SP was in the bathroom? There is almost always someone there. If not, hit the call light.
General eating advice
I think the area that gets most folks tripped up their first few times in F is when you can eat. Although they usually bring the menu to you very early in the flight (sometimes on the ground) and ask "what do you want for your first meal, second meal", etc., you don't have to follow this script at all. The whole thing is a la carte. You can invert the meals if you want. You can order one of something at x time and something else at y time and something else at z time. Sometimes the crew can make it feel like there are eating "times". I remember feeling this way 7 years ago when I first started flying CX F. But the more I flew, the more I realized this is just the script they're supposed to say but you can do whatever you want with timing. It's basically one big a la carte menu.
And yes, to what others have said, it's not Michlin 3 star food. But it's pretty good for a metal tube at 35k feet.
Other random tidbit...I would've recommended the soups. CX usually does a good job here. I think the salads often fall flat (sometimes with dried out chicken or something else), but the soups are often great. Some of my favorite things on board.
Hamburger. The hamburger is supposed to come with a pickle slice, and a small bottle of Heinz ketchup. That's it. Did it not come with these?
Anyway, anyone else have any thoughts? Hopefully your experience can help others.
Gongzuokang, bummer to hear about your experience. These comments are about the inflight experience.
1.) Marginal food Agree, my experience is Western mains are not as good as Chinese / Japanese / other Asian ones.
FA had no feedback after you said the steak was bad. Not sure what else she could've done....at least she said sorry! I had a good steak a few months ago HKG-SFO, but this was because in perhaps 30 previous F flights I had never tried it....and my expectations were rock bottom.. I almost always stick to caviar, soups, maybe a salad, other apps, Chinese mains, and snacks.
Ran out of beer. To the point they ran out, this is flat bizarre. There is definitely Heineken in J and Y class galleys. As for the beer selection itself...Heineken is not exactly up there with the world's fine brews IMO....this is a shortcoming of CX F and other intl F classes IMO. Beer selection is stuck in the 1990s and sucks. BA used to have Sierra Nevada in the ex-SFO lounge which CX used, and I used to pocket a few for drinking in-flight. You're not supposed to bring your own booze on but whether or not you can get away with a beer or two of your own YMMV. Some FAs will turn a blind eye or even refrigerate it for you if you're an elite. Others stick to the rulebook. If you see a beer you like in the lounge - this goes for most F carriers - you're better off bringing it on board and seeing if they'll let you drink it.
Bedding process. The level of proactivity varies, but usually I find they are quite proactive in making my bed. That said, I could see a situation where if it was your first flight maybe you looked uncertain or they didn't know what to do, and they didn't proactively approach you. You should've asked! And btw, the duvet and such is located in the closet at your seat. But yes the FAs always make the bed for you.
Baggage tags. Usually it's good, but roll of the dice and sometimes it's not. I get F tags on my bags like the other DMs on here for every flight, and I'd say 75% it comes out in the first few bags, 25% it pops out at an uncertain time. Usually in the middle half though never at the end. That's the way it goes.
Going back to J class to get food / no FAs in galley. Bizarre. This part of the story to me is utterly bizarre. Either a.) you had the worst F class FAs I've ever heard of, or perhaps you weren't totally familiar with the service standards, or something in-between where you didn't get the world's best crew, but perhaps you also may have acted outside their 'expectation range.'
To the points above...the best way I can describe CX service is "you have to go get it", and when you do go get it, it's excellent. Take the call light. I grew up in the US and was taught you never, EVER touch that call light. Well on CX, they expect you to bang away at it for service. It's a service light and expected to be used judiciously. When I hit it rarely, if ever, do they not come immediately expecting to serve. It's something I had to get used to but now that I am I love it. Somewhat more cynically, you could also apply this to complaining on CX
. If you complain - the louder and longer the better - the more you're going to get from them. If you don't, they won't proactively give you squat. Take a 21 hour delay I had that was 100% CX fault years due to a tech and then crew issue. I got $75 in USD in flight duty free vouchers. I was on a cash J ticket that cost around $10k USD round-trip to JFK. I only found out in hindsight a peer who was on the plane with me complained, wrote in to CX, and got a few thousand Asia Miles and a coveted upgrade voucher (never had one of these in my life on CX) in addition to the lame duty free vouchers. Mind you during the course of those 21 hours I missed some extremely important meetings in Hong Kong and the delay was not weather or some unfortunate issue....completely CX's fault. As for the galley, CX crews do not expect you to pop into the galley to see them for food. They expect you to hit the call light. But I still find it very, very strange there was nobody in the galley. The ISM and/or a SP should be in the F galley area at all times. The seats are actually by door L1 (on 77H), whereas door R1 is where the food is prepared. So maybe you didn't see the whole area? Or got there in the off time the ISM was resting/in the back and the SP was in the bathroom? There is almost always someone there. If not, hit the call light.
General eating advice
I think the area that gets most folks tripped up their first few times in F is when you can eat. Although they usually bring the menu to you very early in the flight (sometimes on the ground) and ask "what do you want for your first meal, second meal", etc., you don't have to follow this script at all. The whole thing is a la carte. You can invert the meals if you want. You can order one of something at x time and something else at y time and something else at z time. Sometimes the crew can make it feel like there are eating "times". I remember feeling this way 7 years ago when I first started flying CX F. But the more I flew, the more I realized this is just the script they're supposed to say but you can do whatever you want with timing. It's basically one big a la carte menu.
And yes, to what others have said, it's not Michlin 3 star food
. But it's pretty good for a metal tube at 35k feet. Other random tidbit...I would've recommended the soups. CX usually does a good job here. I think the salads often fall flat (sometimes with dried out chicken or something else), but the soups are often great. Some of my favorite things on board.
Hamburger. The hamburger is supposed to come with a pickle slice, and a small bottle of Heinz ketchup. That's it. Did it not come with these?
Anyway, anyone else have any thoughts? Hopefully your experience can help others.
Last edited by QRC3288; Oct 21, 2014 at 8:01 pm
Oct 22, 2014, 2:40 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,633
When the FA was collecting the plate she asked how I liked it and I mentioned it was not so good. She just said sorry. For the second meal, I did not like any of the main courses so I asked if I could have a burger instead. That was all I got. A burger on a plate. No sides. No desert. Not even condiments!
I have not visited HK or China, and I do not know if this is common practice in HK in general or just on CX. I agree it shouldn't be that way. I have certainly had FAs that were somewhat proactive/pushy, e.g trying to make my bed when I wasn't ready (probably because they wanted to get their work done so they could relax, but in any case, there was no problem getting the bed made!)
Last edited by SeeBuyFly; Oct 22, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Oct 22, 2014, 5:10 pm
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SYD
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Oct 22, 2014, 5:19 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,558
My wife always, and I mean ALWAYS gets a survey in F on CX, and this has been going on for years (at least since 1995). We make a joke of it and she just expects it to happen. From what I've seen, she is often the only person who is given one (and they give a pen with it).
It seems to have the same series of questions and does take about 10 minutes to complete.
It seems to have the same series of questions and does take about 10 minutes to complete.
Oct 22, 2014, 5:26 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,558
Oct 22, 2014, 5:27 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,558
Oct 22, 2014, 5:31 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,558
Mine came with a pickle "spear" and a bottle of Heinz. They brought out mustard from the usual jar (from the steak on the dinner menu) when I asked.
Oct 22, 2014, 10:53 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: San Francisco
Programs: QF Platinum, Former CX Diamond, TG Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Amex Platinum
Posts: 173
I’m truly sorry that Gongzuokuang had such a horrendous experience with CX F and can I only say that if I were in his/her position I would be extremely upset. However I’ve never been in his/her position in any of my dozens of CX F flights and even if I had I would have made my displeasure very clear to the ISM during and to MPO after the flight. One of the finest things about CX F/As is their intuitiveness and their willingness to go the extra mile. Generally speaking I never have to use the call button and on the odd occasion that I have, the crew have made sure that I’ve not had to use it again. And the fact that there was no one in the forward galley is just bizarre – in my dozens of experiences, there’s always at least one crew member in the forward galley area. I can only assume that when Gongzuokuang flew, the planets aligned so that he/she had to endure substandard service and food far worse than any of us have had to endure.
Oct 22, 2014, 11:03 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,633
Just try using the button on a US airline. Plus, any 'curt reminder' will get the plainsclothes air marshall involved and maybe the flight will be diverted. (OK, I exaggerate, but only slightly.)
Oct 23, 2014, 12:30 am
#14
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Wow didn't know the call button on CX was so acceptable and common.
Wow didn't know the call button on CX was so acceptable and common.
Oct 23, 2014, 2:20 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 712
Not sure what airlines you have been flying on. I've never had an issue using the call button on AA or DL for that matter. Mind you I was traveling in First Class. I suppose they may be a little less tolerant down back.