I work at the airport/for the airline. You're wrong.
Dec 21, 2015, 2:32 pm
#1
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Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,302
I work at the airport/for the airline. You're wrong.
"Hi, I'm checked in for my flight tomorrow. Could you please print my boarding pass?"
"We can't touch flights tomorrow. We don't have access in our system."
"I know you can't check me in, but you can print the boarding pass if I'm already checked in."
"No, we can't, we don't have access."
"I've done it here before."
"You can't do it. I know. I work at the airport. You're wrong."
"You can do it."
"No. If you're so sure, go talk to my colleague over there."
"Hi, I'm checked in for my flight tomorrow. Could you please print my boarding pass?"
"We can't do anything for flights tomorrow."
"I know you can't check me in, but you can print the boarding pass if I'm already checked in."
"I don't think we can."
"Could you please try?"
"Okay let's see. What flight are you on?"
"1308."
"I've never heard of that flight. Is that Air Canada?"
"Yes"
"To where?"
"Toronto"
"Oh wow that must be a new flight number.........oh hey it worked, here's your boarding pass."
Then the other agent came over and continued being a douche.
I explained to her that there is a very big difference between telling a customer that he's wrong and you're right (especially when the opposite is true), and saying "I don't know if that's possible, I've never done that" or whatnot.
I need a drink.
"We can't touch flights tomorrow. We don't have access in our system."
"I know you can't check me in, but you can print the boarding pass if I'm already checked in."
"No, we can't, we don't have access."
"I've done it here before."
"You can't do it. I know. I work at the airport. You're wrong."
"You can do it."
"No. If you're so sure, go talk to my colleague over there."
"Hi, I'm checked in for my flight tomorrow. Could you please print my boarding pass?"
"We can't do anything for flights tomorrow."
"I know you can't check me in, but you can print the boarding pass if I'm already checked in."
"I don't think we can."
"Could you please try?"
"Okay let's see. What flight are you on?"
"1308."
"I've never heard of that flight. Is that Air Canada?"
"Yes"
"To where?"
"Toronto"
"Oh wow that must be a new flight number.........oh hey it worked, here's your boarding pass."
Then the other agent came over and continued being a douche.
I explained to her that there is a very big difference between telling a customer that he's wrong and you're right (especially when the opposite is true), and saying "I don't know if that's possible, I've never done that" or whatnot.
I need a drink.
Dec 21, 2015, 2:37 pm
#3
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Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,302
Dec 21, 2015, 2:54 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
Posts: 5,691
But they work at the airport and you don't. Ergo, you're wrong.
Seriously, my blood boils when I read stuff like this. This is a great example of how to fail at customer service. Good on you for taking up the agent's challenge and going to the colleague.
Seriously, my blood boils when I read stuff like this. This is a great example of how to fail at customer service. Good on you for taking up the agent's challenge and going to the colleague.
Dec 21, 2015, 3:18 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: BGI (ex-YYC, YYZ)
Programs: AC*G-E100K (once again)
Posts: 1,701
This is why I don't like Air Canada non-management ground staff. The overall quality is just shoddy.
I remember how pleasant it was to check in when the unionized employees went on strike and management handled the check in. This was several years ago when everyone said the sky was going to fall. Check in was such a pleasure when the unionized employees went on strike.
They should also realize that the SEs probably have more experience than they do in terms of deliverables.
I remember how pleasant it was to check in when the unionized employees went on strike and management handled the check in. This was several years ago when everyone said the sky was going to fall. Check in was such a pleasure when the unionized employees went on strike.
They should also realize that the SEs probably have more experience than they do in terms of deliverables.
Dec 21, 2015, 3:20 pm
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,302
This is why I don't like Air Canada non-management ground staff. The overall quality is just shoddy.
I remember how pleasant it was to check in when the unionized employees went on strike and management handled the check in. This was several years ago when everyone said the sky was going to fall. Check in was such a pleasure when the unionized employees went on strike.
They should also realize that the SEs probably have more experience than they do in terms of deliverables.
I remember how pleasant it was to check in when the unionized employees went on strike and management handled the check in. This was several years ago when everyone said the sky was going to fall. Check in was such a pleasure when the unionized employees went on strike.
They should also realize that the SEs probably have more experience than they do in terms of deliverables.
Dec 21, 2015, 4:51 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: YOW
Programs: AC E75 / Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 952
They should be programmed to allow you to check in 24 hrs ahead since you can do it from home but they're not. I run into this a lot when I fly into YEG at night and out to go north in the AM when I know the airport will be a zoo in the morning.
Dec 21, 2015, 4:53 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MLL / AC Cafe
Programs: It's hard to get status when the website won't let me book flights.
Posts: 5,706
Check-in Agent can do up to to 12 hours check-in and kiosk is 6 hours.
Dec 21, 2015, 4:54 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: various
Posts: 623
Just went through something kinda similar. Was trying to book an itinerary on the AC corporate rewards website.
The regular AC website would give me the itinerary but it wouldn't work on the Corp Rewards site. There was clearly a glitch which would not show business class on one of the legs and screwed up the pricing of the whole ticket.
Talked to reservations, they swore up and down it wasn't a glitch but a "fare rule" that didn't allow the itinerary (even though it allowed it on the AC site). After two hours and going through two agents and a lead that swore they and the system was right - the lead agent sheepishly came back and said they didn't understand why it wasn't working and would issue the ticket manually.
No apology, nothing - just the $5,500 ticket and itinerary I wanted to buy in the first place. I'm afraid "customer service" or ticketing system knowledge is not their forte at AC.
The regular AC website would give me the itinerary but it wouldn't work on the Corp Rewards site. There was clearly a glitch which would not show business class on one of the legs and screwed up the pricing of the whole ticket.
Talked to reservations, they swore up and down it wasn't a glitch but a "fare rule" that didn't allow the itinerary (even though it allowed it on the AC site). After two hours and going through two agents and a lead that swore they and the system was right - the lead agent sheepishly came back and said they didn't understand why it wasn't working and would issue the ticket manually.
No apology, nothing - just the $5,500 ticket and itinerary I wanted to buy in the first place. I'm afraid "customer service" or ticketing system knowledge is not their forte at AC.
Dec 21, 2015, 6:09 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,132
Of course, you could have saved some AC staff from this incredibly trying ordeal had you simply printed your own BP. 
Please remember to act more like self-loading baggage in future. Your co-operation is appreciated.
Please remember to act more like self-loading baggage in future. Your co-operation is appreciated.
Dec 21, 2015, 7:02 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ontario, CAN
Posts: 5,813
In another thread, on another planet far, far away, an agent is posting to her fellow employees how she dealt with the annoying passenger who couldn't print his own boarding pass because the paper was too flimsy
Boarding pass paper was too flimsy.
A boarding pass
You think the agent could write a sentence without omitting words?
Boarding pass paper was too flimsy.
A boarding pass
You think the agent could write a sentence without omitting words?