Qantas Customer Service Manager Greeting

[Chris_Leo]

Hi...

I just have to say...despite all the negative press that Qantas has received over the past year, it is still pleasing to note that I have received my customer service manager greeting 4 out of 4 times in the last two months on my transpacific flights in Nov/Dec 08.

While the greeting is never more than idle chit chat, and i never see the customer service manager again after the initial greeting (unless i specifically request something), it does allow travelling long-haul on Qantas to be a little more endurable.

Just my little rant for the day.

Chris

 

[straitman]

Hi...

I just have to say...despite all the negative press that Qantas has received over the past year, it is still pleasing to note that I have received my customer service manager greeting 4 out of 4 times in the last two months on my transpacific flights in Nov/Dec 08.

While the greeting is never more than idle chit chat, and i never see the customer service manager again after the initial greeting (unless i specifically request something), it does allow travelling long-haul on Qantas to be a little more endurable.

Just my little rant for the day.

Chris

Chris_Leo,

Always good to hear a 'positive rant' for a change.

 

[Febs]

Have never had it since I started flying Y SYD-LAX, however on my recent LAX-SYD in Y I had something just as good:

- J headphones given without asking
- Express cards (great for collecting and giving to family ) given shortly after asking
- A large glass of Noble One being given 30 seconds after I asked for it. That's a two class drink upgrade!

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[NYCguy]

Am I the only person on this board who just wants the crew to leave me alone unless I ask for something?

 

[NSWhere]

You're not alone NYCguy, I'm the same. I also seem to be in the minority here when it comes to my taste in wine - to me Noble One tastes like cats pi55 after it has been on a crazy sugar binge, but then perhaps I haven't flown up front of Qantas enough to develop a taste (tolerance?) for Australia's finest :?:

 

[medhead]

The only Noble One wine I'm aware of is the botryis (spelling ) which is supposed to be sickly sweet. Of course, it never occurred to me that it's a premium wine in terms of price.

 

[serfty]

It's when one is travelling in WHY that these visits can be most appreciated. A warm greeting, headphones, a beverage sourced from the pointy end, an amenity kit, a small plate of bickies and cheese ... one or more of these have happened to me and go towards making the flight somewhat more bearable.

 

[nlagalle]

Am I the only person on this board who just wants the crew to leave me alone unless I ask for something?

I don't mind personally. When I travel with my daughter they go out of their way for her (she is only 5 now). And it didn't matter if we were travelling in Y or J.

The best Manager i have seen was on a DRW-ADL flight. as we were boarding he was cheerily greeting everyone, changed the filler music to something more upbeat - he even said during the pre-flight why he put it on.

I wish i had gotten all his details at the time, but i didn't know you could nominate them for their service.

 

[NYCguy]

... to me Noble One tastes like cats pi55 after it has been on a crazy sugar binge...

When it's very young (ie when served by Qantas) it is full of aldehydes, OTT with fruitiness. Once it's had at least 5 years in the bottle, it settles down considerably. At 10-15 years it's generally at its' best, though superior vintages can last much, much longer. The same goes for the famous Sauternes/Barsac wines. Don't expect airlines to go cellaring it for you, though.

 

[JohnK]

It's when one is travelling in WHY that these visits can be most appreciated.

CSM came down the back to greet me the other day on a QF HKG-BNE flight. He mentioned that there was not too much he could do for me sitting in WHY but if I needed anything to just ask. So I asked for a business class amenity kit. No problem came back with one a few minutes later.

I think most of the crew were aware I was a Platinum. Before we took off one of them said to me there is a spare middle row further back and if I wanted it to try and get it after take off. I said I specifically wanted exit row aisle. Later on I asked for business class headphones and they gave me some. Early on in the flight I asked for an express arrivals card and I was given one without having to ask again. The vodka and orange was more like a triple and I was given extra orange juice to dilute the vodka. It is these little things that makes status a little more appealing....

 

[serfty]

Hmmm ... I have noticed that such attention seems to happen more often on the smaller aircraft like 332, 333 and 763 ...

 

[JohnK]

Sorry. Should have mentioned it was a HKG-BNE flight....

 

[ggm]

Maybe its my british-stiff-upper-lip upbringing, but I always feel like a total gimboid creep when I indulge these kind of petty status-entitlement rights.

Others seem much more able to relax, chill and get what they can, and with a 14+ hr fight (sorry flight) ahead, I can understand why.

But, I can't help feeling like I'm showing off, or alienating everyone else around me who isn't entitled to the extras. Communal experiences work best for me: if we're all in the back, then lets share and enjoy.

The 'meet and greet' is a bit .. odd. Generally, I like to be left alone. When they bother to memorize your name before they see you its nice to be greeted, when they front with the cheat-sheet in hand, crouch down, repeat what you heard them say 2-3 seats in front, its a bit 'why bother'

 

[JohnK]

If I can get a little freebie, if I can get an upgrade to business class, if I can pre-allocate an exit row, if I can get express arrivals/departures card, I can get lounge access etc then I do so because I have earned these benefits by flying a lot more than most people down the back of the plane on their once in a blue moon trip. Should I share these experiences with the other passengers or simply refuse to accept them? Why am I alienating the other passengers? Why would they even care what extras I receive? Jealousy?

I do more than enough for my fellow travellers. I am a polite and thoughtful traveller who does not hog armrests, I lean away into the aisle to give the person next to me more room and I don't leave things lying around all over the place. If my fellow travellers down the back were even remotely close to being polite the trip would be a lot more enjoyable.

And by the way the WHY cabin resembles more like being in a pigsty than an aircraft cabin on most long haul flights. Not an enjoyable experience and anything I can get makes it a little more bearable....

 

[ggm]

Oh, I won't turn down any upgrade, anything which gets me out of the back of the plane is fine! I'm with you there.

But if I'm stuck in the back, and can't escape, I still find the parade of nice extras a bit too much like rubbing it in. I think once I got my own noise-canceling headphones, being offered a not-very-good amenities kit became too tokenistic.

I certainly couldn't come at a set of P-Js.

(I didn't know you could bludge the meals and extras actually. I wonder if I can overcome my embarrasment next time?)

 

[medhead]

If my fellow travellers down the back were even remotely close to being polite the trip would be a lot more enjoyable.

Hear, Hear

 

[serfty]

... (I didn't know you could bludge the meals and extras actually. I wonder if I can overcome my embarrasment next time?)

Once upon a time I did find the visits uncomfortable - I even used to get them occasionally as an SG.

However, I have got over that and make sure I enjoy it when it happens.

I have posted about this previously:
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...al-welcome-qantas-customer-service-10883.html