What should I have done?

[QF029]

The staff at the service desk CANNOT change a flight if the fare is not flexible (under any circumstance). The changes to flights get tracked and if not within the appropiate fare class, they would get spoken to.

You appear to contradict yourself here. It sounds like you're saying that they CAN but they are not supposed to?

 

[notzac]

You contradict yourself here. It sounds like you're saying that they CAN but hey are not supposed to?

I think what QFCSA means here (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that there are a very specific set of circumstances under which a non-flexible fares are allowed to be changed; QF wanting to move people forward to earlier flights is an example of such a circumstance.

Any other changes to a non-flexible fare would be reported on, I'd imagine.

 

[TheInsider]

QFCSA - it's always good reading your input from a person that actually knows what the system can and can't do.

However - as I'm sure you're more than well aware....

1/ It does seem (from personal experience and those of other AFFers) that more senior staff (eg. lounge staff, premium desk staff etc) are able to perform some tasks that "standard check-in staff" are either unauthorised, unable or unwilling to perform.

They are able to do this due to the staff not caring if the get 'told-off' for doing so. These are the ones who don't care about the company, nor care about the procedures or policies in place.

2/ Whilst I respect staff in any organisation - QF staff are notorious for being inconsistent. This forum is full of examples where staff "get it wrong".
.

I fully agree, but you'll notice the inconsistancy is usually from the older staff, and from the staff who just do not care.

Now in this instance - the customer may not be "right", and may not be "entitled" to use the premium desk to "ask" if his request could be accommodated. But that doesn't mean it can't be handled in a professional and customer-focused way.
In the old days - he could have asked the check-in staff who (as you say) may not have been able to do anything (although they may have suggested he ask in the QP).

It was just for the normal service desk, but the OP did ask a staff member, just because they are not in front of a PC doesn't mean something will change. Everyone on the floor or counters are exactly the same position in the company. That staff member could've been on the counter 10min later for all i know.

Not knocking your input (which is always appreciated), but the reality of real-world experiences demonstrates that sometimes things do work "outside the square".

I'm aware of that. Also i'm trying to articulate my language (in a forum) to not sound like a rude cough. There is no malice intended in what i've been saying.

 

[TheInsider]

You appear to contradict yourself here. It sounds like you're saying that they CAN but they are not supposed to?

Only a very small amount of staff 'can' change flights (although not meant to), but generally when they do so, they get reprimanded for it.
But the majority of staff 'can't' and do not have access to do any changes. Altea will simply not allow them.

I think what QFCSA means here (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that there are a very specific set of circumstances under which a non-flexible fares are allowed to be changed; QF wanting to move people forward to earlier flights is an example of such a circumstance.

Any other changes to a non-flexible fare would be reported on, I'd imagine.

That is correct, and when this is the case, staff still can't do it on their check-in PC, although it can be done via a kiosk.


Don't worry, i won't post much anymore.

A few months ago in SYD even before NGCI, a CL member wanted to change to an earlier flight, they had a cheap $89 sale fare. Co-ordinator would not change, duty manager would not change, lounge staff would not change, due to being that type of ticket.

 

[dfcatch]

They are able to do this due to the staff not caring if the get 'told-off' for doing so. These are the ones who don't care about the company, nor care about the procedures or policies in place.


I fully agree, but you'll notice the inconsistancy is usually from the older staff, and from the staff who just do not care.



It was just for the normal service desk, but the OP did ask a staff member, just because they are not in front of a PC doesn't mean something will change. Everyone on the floor or counters are exactly the same position in the company. That staff member could've been on the counter 10min later for all i know.



I'm aware of that. Also i'm trying to articulate my language (in a forum) to not sound like a rude cough. There is no malice intended in what i've been saying.

Thanks for the response QFCSA.

Again - great to hear real feedback and input from someone who has hands-on experience with Altea.

I'm also conscious about not wanting to drift off-topic on the subject of "should frontline employees be given discretion to deviate from business rules" as its a complex topic in itself.

That said - I do wonder if "discretion" (whether they are supposed to or not) is less common under NGCI due to Altea being "locked down more"..??

 

[SamR]

Three pages? Seriously? Well. Didn't I just stir something up. May I just address a few things? :

... customer service is not giving what the customer wants and the customer is not always right

Absolutely. I've done customer service myself in years past (theatre box office, incidentally - I would imagine there are some similarities between airline ticketing and theatre ticketing) and as a result of being treated like cough on a daily basis by patrons who are frequently... shall we say, "misinformed" and expect special treatment... I am very careful about how I deal with customer service people because I know what it's like. I consciously try to be a good customer and I assure you, I was unfailingly polite. (But of course, I would say that, wouldn't I? ) Besides, as you pointed out, behaving like an asshat is not going to get anyone to do you any favours - especially, as I clearly pointed out, when I was well aware there was no obligation to help me and had no right to any kind of sense of entitlement.

I apologise if my turns of phrase to describe this staff member have caused offence. It was rude. However, I would also respectfully point out that I was not rude to her face - a courtesy not afforded to me by the staff member in question. Blunt or succinctly to the point I can handle. I love a straight answer. But I can do without the sneer that says "Puhleeze, not another f@%$#*g idiot". I wouldn't dream of reporting her or lodging a complaint, but you know... if she's had a bad day, or someone's just been a jerk to her before I came along, that sucks and I sympathise, but I don't deserve to have that taken out on me when I'm politely asking for assistance in getting home a bit quicker because my doctor is worried about me.

1/ It does seem (from personal experience and those of other AFFers) that more senior staff (eg. lounge staff, premium desk staff etc) are able to perform some tasks that "standard check-in staff" are either unauthorised, unable or unwilling to perform.

2/ Whilst I respect staff in any organisation - QF staff are notorious for being inconsistent.

This. Very much this. This is what underpins my whole question, I guess. Many's the time I have had a QF staffer tell me that thing X is simply not possible for whatever reason and could never have possibly happened in the past, when thing X has indeed been done for me on occasion before. It can be very confusing.

Perhaps with NGCI - this frontline discretion gets removed for everyone....???

I do wonder if "discretion" (whether they are supposed to or not) is less common under NGCI due to Altea being "locked down more"..??

I would like to know this. It would explain a few things if so.

Why not call reservations when the doctor made the call to the OP? Or even speak to the salesdesk? Or even another staff member wandering around the floor.

I haven't called reservations to solve a problem like this in many years - ever since a reservations operator told me that they couldn't help me, but airport staff could because they were more empowered to do so. This was a long time ago, maybe that advice is no longer correct (see above, filed under "NGCI"). Salesdesk? Well, apparently I should have, hence my need to ask this question in the first place. Ask another floor walker? I'd been given my answer in no uncertain terms by someone who had all the appearance of being the supervising floor walker - why would I expect a different answer from someone else on her floor? And anyway, don't you just hate those customers who keep asking the same question in the hope of getting a different answer, i.e. the one they want? I can't stand those people, and wouldn't want to be one of them (see above, filed under "asshat").

She gave me her answer and I accepted it. I didn't keep pushing for something I wasn't entitled to and I sucked it up, and saved my questions for here.

I would have told your doctor that you were in Melbourne....could the test be done when you got back to Sydney or the following day? If it was really urgent (unlikely but I don't know what your INR was that alarmed your doctor), I would get it done in Melbourne.

He knew where I was. For reasons too lengthy, boring and personal to explain, it had shot up quickly and was quite high. I was on my way home anyway - had I been staying in MEL that day, that's exactly what I would have done. I had the test today as there was nothing else to be done about that.

I would have asked your doctor if it was possible for them to arrange with the airport doctor to cover the blood test, which I am sure would have been the easiest way to resolve the issue, they are coincidently DVT specialists.

Chocolate frog for you, markis10. I would never have thought of that, and that's a wonderfully constructive suggestion. This is why I come here to ask the tough questions .

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I'm also conscious about not wanting to drift off-topic on the subject of "should frontline employees be given discretion to deviate from business rules" as its a complex topic in itself.

That said - I do wonder if "discretion" (whether they are supposed to or not) is less common under NGCI due to Altea being "locked down more"..??

IMHO whether or not a port has cutover to NGCI makes absolutely no difference to Altea or any of its functionality as there is nothing than can't be done now with NGCI that was doable before.

If pax are on changeable fares and there is availability in that fare bucket the NGCI kiosk will prompt pax & ask them if they want to move to an earlier flight.

Also if you are able to pre-allocate yourself an exit row at T-80 (excluding OLCI) or are allocated one at a NG kiosk, you are able to verify that you are suitable & print your boarding pass there and then and therefore able to bypass a service desk queue to get it. If someone were to do this and were subsequently found to be unsuitable for the exit row they would need to be reseated onboard.

Sure, in bigger ports most checkin staff cannot override nonchangeable fares but it's more a situation of:

a) Is that staff member prepared to call someone who does have the authority and ask if it can be done (in this case for a medical reason not just on a whim)

b) Is the person who is called (eg Duty Manager) going to rule in favour of the pax or are they some whiz kid who's been with the airline less than 2 years that's going to toe the party line of "it's a restricted fare and it can't be changed on the day".

 

[NM]

In a way i can agree, they are more than welcome to head to the sales desk. But for the service desk they need to set a precedent there. If you let one person through, all the others will follow, and then say 'well that person was allowed in there'.

Yes, which is why I specifically mentioned the ticket sales desk and not the service desk. The service desk has its own function and that is not to make changes to existing tickets when a passenger's requirements change and the restricted fare originally purchased no longer meets their needs. That is a ticket sales desk function to resolve, and they have the wherewithal to present the options and if appropriate to seek permission to waive change fees.

 

[Lucky_man]

Please... When you get passengers all day who think they know more than an actual staff member, they need to be told directly and bluntly that it cannot/can happen. The way staff get treated by passengers is absolutly disgusting, they treat them like they are scraping **** off their shoe.

........

There are reasons why staff tell passengers these things, it is due to that they work for qantas, they are the ones who know policy and procedures, not the passengers! Generally the only time where staff start getting 'rude' is when people keep pushing for something they are not entitled to. Yes maybe more customer service training is needed, but customer service is not giving what the customer wants and the customer is not always right

Hmmm,
I'd like everyone treated with respect of course. But part of the problem is staff who think that because their pay comes from Qantas they actually fully understand every aspect of it.

I'm sure many here can give examples of where they have had to push to get what they were fully entitled to. Recently it took me nearly an hour to convince a Premium desk rep and his supervisor that a Full Y ticket could be reissued with an extra stop over even after the outward travel was completed.

Any one saying I'm right. your wrong about things so complex is very 'brave'.

Having said that OP aknowleged that he'd have to accept Qantas's call but then wanted to argue it after he got the answer (from the floor person) presumabley because it was not the answer he wanted. If the floor person had said yes and the service desk then said no, I don't think he'd prefer to accept the service desk answer.

 

[SamR]

Having said that OP aknowleged that he'd have to accept Qantas's call but then wanted to argue it after he got the answer (from the floor person) presumabley because it was not the answer he wanted. If the floor person had said yes and the service desk then said no, I don't think he'd prefer to accept the service desk answer.

No. No no no. I did not argue with anyone, I did not want to argue with anyone nor push for something I wasn't entitled to. She gave me her answer, I accepted it and walked away. Unimpressed with how the answer was delivered, and a bit puzzled as to why it was the way it was.

I merely wanted the opportunity to put my case forward to those I thought were probably the most appropriate and able to help and see what happened. It doesn't hurt to ask. (Ask. Not hassle, argue or demand. Ask. Nicely.)

I was fully prepared to accept the umpire's decision. What I didn't understand was why I wasn't even allowed to approach the umpire in the first place, which is why I brought it up here. And now, thanks to NM...

The service desk has its own function and that is not to make changes to existing tickets when a passenger's requirements change and the restricted fare originally purchased no longer meets their needs. That is a ticket sales desk function to resolve, and they have the wherewithal to present the options and if appropriate to seek permission to waive change fees.

... now I know, because it's been explained. No argument necessary.