Found this gem on Skytrax Passenger Opinions :

KLM - by Chris Parsons
18 May 2006

"AMS-BKK in Economy. Being a 'Flying Blue' Gold card holder (previously platinum and on course again to regain this status), I am very familiar with the varying levels of service of Skyteam members. Being on business in BKK I decided to bring my wife out from the UK to join me and have a vacation. On the sector AMS-BKK, and after the in-flight brief stating that during the 'quiet hours' of the flight passengers should help themselves to refreshments from the galley. My wife couldn't sleep and decided to go tot eh galley for a glass of water and something to eat. After waiting some 20 minutes and with no FA in attendance, she pure herself a glass of water and a small cup of nuts that were in a large bag. No sooner had she returned to her seat but a male F/A approached her and started shouting at her, accusing her of stealing the nuts that were for "crew use only". He then asked how she would feel if he "came to your house and stole". He was so loud that sleeping passengers woke up and my wife burst into tears. Even now some three weeks later it still upsets her very much. What upsets her is not the accusations but a female travelling alone on a long haul flight, looks to the FA for safety and security and to have one shouting at you is more than unacceptable. we have written to KLM and will wait first for the reply, as this was totally unacceptable."

Johan

If this is really what happened (and I see no reason to doubt this guy) then the FA should be sacked.

I agree! From my personal experience this is a rare exception and this person does not deserve to work for/represent KLM. I have never come across a nasty/rude KL FA which is probably why I still remain loyal to them. (Unlike AF ground staff at CDG who screamed at my elderly parents because they could not run fast enough behined her through the terminal to make thier connecting flight)

Why you would refer to such a sad incident as a "gem" beats me.
It's terrible treatment of the customer but on the other hand something which surely does not occur structurally so that's an insult to all those FA's that do offer genuine service, day-in-day-out.

Shame on the KLM FA, especially as they already announced that passengers should help themselfs from the galley. Hope the concerned FA gets in hot water for that totally unacceptable behaviour. Shame on him and shame on KLM for keeping that person employed as a FA.

This story doesn't surprise me. I went through the same experience though much less coarse a few weeks ago on another airline I cannot decently name.

There was absolutely no sign indicating which part of the galley was a crew rest area. The curtain was widely open and the sandwiches on display looking very much like coach snacks. Awfully embarrassing experience, you feel obliged to apologize profusely and have to come back hungry to your seat.

Not being able to clearly mark out reserved areas is unprofessional.

Get ready to have a note in your PNR: WARNING CREW NUTS STEALER.

Coming to think of it, I actually once had a close encounter..Pretty sure it was a KL flight, MNL-AMS prolly. I was going to help myself to some mineral water when the FA stopped me. It was her "private water bottle" (placed on the shelf in the self service galley). And she could prove it, too. Yes, the water bottle did have her name on it, once it was turned around ( red marker pen , no less ).

Well, since I merely had touched the bottle, and not a drop was spilled, I was let go with a warning and a thorough lecture about the red ink marking system deployed for staff water bottles

Gee, dunno! Maybe a touch of, what's that word again? Sarcasm?

Mr. Parsons refers specifically to one single FA, nowhere does he impugn the integrity of KL cabin crew in general.

By the way, I have yet to be accused of stealing KL nuts, but then again, having been on a few KL long haul flights in Y I have learned to bring a bottle of water and a bag of snacks to nibble on during the flight. At least I'll know what I will be eating; I know I will like it; I won't have to go looking or asking for it; and I won't go hungry.

Johan

And what about all the passenger food / beverages that the FAs help themselves to?? On a KLM flight last year one of the FAs couldnt get more little houses into her bag if she tried! Would shouting at them be ok I wonder or might the hand cuffs be brought out?

These houses can be purchased online, and there is apparently also store somewhere in Amsterdam that sells them. I've always wondered where their stock comes from. I can't picture hordes of penurious frequent flyers rushing over directly after landing to sell a house or two for a couple of Euros.

Johan

As someone who in the distant past has been close enough to a KLM crew member (though I wouldn't immediately use the expression "had my hands on their nuts") to be upgraded in great ad-hoc style on crew trips on more than one occasion in the past, I can assure you that anything that is not bolted down to the aircraft does get and is stolen by the flight attendants. It is frankly shocking to see the sheer bulk that regularly disappears into carry-on bags, particularly those of family flying with the FAs.

Before it was entire tins of caviar & whole bottles of vodka. Now it is champagne, biz class wine, huisjes, chocolates, the occasional unaccounted for duty free item, you name it.

If you have a KLM flight attendant over for dinner, don't blush when they present you with a stolen bottle of business class wine; if you are invited to eat at their house you might be served on a complete KLM cutlery set while admiring their double collection of huisjes.

My guess is that the lecture given to the passenger by the FA was partly the combined result of a crew-drink hangover and guilty projection.

Pity... But I have an idea

I even have an idea of the flight# and class of service

Really bad....... I have never seen that happen on a flight before. But trust me if I saw it happen I would definatley stick up for the women traveling on her own!

I mean ...!!!! Bad-Bad Service from KLM!!!

And then they use counterfeit train and bus tickets to transport the loot home.

Dutch police recently arrested four persons who had produced and sold counterfeit public transportation tickets. The majority of their 330 customers turned out to be KL employees, 20 of whom have been questioned by the police. So far.

Johan