dwugson

Fly both BA and AA across the pond but apply my miles currently to AA. Don’t expect anything particularly special on board flights in biz on either airline, and if in First appreciate a personalized welcome but don’t expect it.

However, if there is an issue, would appreciate some form of response from the CSD. Flying London to New York this week the two senior ladies taking care of us in First were absolutely lovely and represented the best of BA. Other than recognizing a couple of people in F, the CSD was nowhere to be seen. However, my appetizer, the prawns, consisted of totally raw prawns and were inedible. The flight attendant checked and agreed that this was not the way it should be and said that this had been noted. I declined any alternative, food is the least important thing to me. However, I would have expected this to have been acknowledged by the CSD who could at least have stopped by at some point.

Am I being over demanding? The CSD seemed to be very young and less experienced than the team up front. And yet, I would have liked some sort of greeting at some point in the trip or acknowledgement of the problem. Incidentally, on my outward flight the CSD spoke to all in F, regardless of status.

Steve in Olympia

The FA’s adequately addressed your issue. Why does the CSD need to be involved?

Fly_IAD

I read this post several times and am still confused.

You didnt expect a welcome but actually really did seem to want one from the CSD. Food isnt at all important to you, yet after getting something you didnt like and having a responsive FA who tried to make it better you were fine with nothing but also wanted follow up with the CSD?

Yes, absolutely this sounds demanding. It also sounds like giving off really mixed messages.

This being said, I also want to give benefit of the doubt as this is an online message board and just speaking for myself there are times when I dont communicate as clearly as I intended to when posting.

As an aside, my impression is food handling and safety standards airlines have to meet are stringent and reports about illness from food or problems with food on the airplane mentioned regardless of carrier are often not what they seem - as in not actually a real problem with the food onboard. Perhaps Can I help you could comment further on this point?

yhm71

Had an innoperable CW seat on a TATL flight yesterday and no senior cabin crew made a visit.

golfmad

As above, I doubt that the senior cabin crew member even knew about it. It was dealt with by the crew and was probably not reported. If you felt it needed further attention you should have asked to cabin crew to ask the senior cabin crew member to discuss it with you.

Often1

In a well-run organization, an issue ought to be dealt with by the least senior person who can effectively deal with the issue.

Good on the CSD in both instances for leaving it to her "staff" to deal with the two separate matters as effectively and to the customer's satisfaction as is reasonable under the circumstances.

HIDDY

The CSD was probably busy doing other things. However if you'd asked to see them in person I'm sure they would have come for a chat regarding the raw prawns.

I was once served a pink sausage in F and kept it quiet.

rapidex

Apart from the photo's on flyertalk of said sausage

IAMORGAN

In the ‘olden days’, the CSD did not have direct service responsibility so was freer to ‘float’ between cabins. These days, the CSD is the senior crewmember in Club World and is written into the cabin service. As such, the CSD has less time to do other things. If everything is going well, the CSD might visit all F passengers, but if another aircraft issue needs resolving (ie a problem in CW or Traveller) then they have to resolve that + still help manage the service in Club. So I guess it is a choice between leaving Club one person down or ditch the ‘non-critical’ tasks. Then again, on MF, the CSM is often stretched even more thinly as at least on Worldwide routes there are still Customer Service Leaders (formerly Pursers) in F and WT (they also used to have 1 or on the 747, 2 - one main deck, one upper deck -Pursers in CW - that role is now filled by the CSD).

I do find that senior crew set the tone for the rest of the crew. Anecdotal but if I have a CSD who seems indifferent (I’ve had a few but they are the exception) everyone takes their lead from them.

Can I help you

I am totally confused about this one, we don't not have any very young inexperienced CSDs.
One of the senior ladies would have been the CSL who is in charge of First and is more than capable of managing your issue.

TheJayHatch

I getting to the age when they all seem young

But none seem inexperienced IME.

nancypants

Do any of the CSDs have an excellent plastic surgeon?!

The Muffin Man

I’ve seen a few pink sausages in F in my time.

Magic01273

This.

In an effectively run organisation, all customer facing employees should be able to resolve issues and "leadership" roles particularly should primarily focus on empowering their colleagues to be able to do exactly that, without their direct involvement being needed in every instance (unless it is specifically required).

Regardless of cabin, you have every right to expect your complaint to be heard and dealt with effectively. And it seems that it was.

Your expectations in this case seem somewhat...inflated... in my honest opinion.

PAL62V

Is that a euphemism?