Good or Bad customer service?
Jun 19, 2012, 6:57 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: Skywards, PIAAwards Plus Diamond, HHonours, SPG, IHG
Posts: 144
Good or Bad customer service?
Ok I know this is going to spark some sort of a debate and perhaps the issue has been brought before as well but I feel compelled to shout about it
I had a flight KHI - DXB - FRA today in J. Flight on KHI was leaving on time and on the runway on time when the plane returned to the terminal because a passenger was unwell. The disembarked the passenger, then his luggage, all of this taking an hour. As a result we got to DXB at 13:55. Flight to FRA was due to leave at 14:30.
It was a tight connection and I expected EK staff to be at gate shouting 'FRANKFURT FRANKFURT' and surely they were.
I made myself known to them only to be told that the gate of DXB-FRA flight had been closed and they have put me on the next available flight.
Now we had about 30-35 minutes to transfer which tbh is enough IMO. However, the transfer agent said that the time was not enough for the luggage to be transfered.
I had a fellow passenger who was to fly to Birmingham at 14:45 and guess what, he made it to his connection.
So it was a matter of 15 minutes. Many other pax who were also transferring to FRA argued with EK that it was not good customer service on their part and they could have held the plane for 10-15 minutes and avoided
1. us the hassle of transferring to hotels etc and putting us on another flight
2. all the costs of putting us into hotels + vouchers
I didn't mind as I could flew tomorrow as well but other pax who were in a bit of urgency weren't happy
In this circumstances, wouldn't it be better customer service to hold the DXB-FRA plane for 10 minutes and get the late pax on board ?
Thoughts, comments, tomatoes ???
I had a flight KHI - DXB - FRA today in J. Flight on KHI was leaving on time and on the runway on time when the plane returned to the terminal because a passenger was unwell. The disembarked the passenger, then his luggage, all of this taking an hour. As a result we got to DXB at 13:55. Flight to FRA was due to leave at 14:30.
It was a tight connection and I expected EK staff to be at gate shouting 'FRANKFURT FRANKFURT' and surely they were.
I made myself known to them only to be told that the gate of DXB-FRA flight had been closed and they have put me on the next available flight.
Now we had about 30-35 minutes to transfer which tbh is enough IMO. However, the transfer agent said that the time was not enough for the luggage to be transfered.
I had a fellow passenger who was to fly to Birmingham at 14:45 and guess what, he made it to his connection.
So it was a matter of 15 minutes. Many other pax who were also transferring to FRA argued with EK that it was not good customer service on their part and they could have held the plane for 10-15 minutes and avoided
1. us the hassle of transferring to hotels etc and putting us on another flight
2. all the costs of putting us into hotels + vouchers
I didn't mind as I could flew tomorrow as well but other pax who were in a bit of urgency weren't happy
In this circumstances, wouldn't it be better customer service to hold the DXB-FRA plane for 10 minutes and get the late pax on board ?
Thoughts, comments, tomatoes ???
Jun 19, 2012, 7:04 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
This happens to me regularly coming out on Mumbai on EK 501 (which never runs within 30 minutes of schedule). I ignore the staff meeting the flight and simply proceed to the gate directly. I have never failed to make any flight due to depart from a terminal stand (NOT a bus stand unfortunately - those have longer lead time cutoffs) within 30 minutes of touchdown. Even if it is closed, they always re-load me as an LMC once they see I am Gold. My bags have never made it with me in these circumstances though.