Qantas not responding to complaint - what next?

[Aussie_flyer]

If this is all 100% correct a credit card chargeback does seem appropriate. How utterly appalling.

However i dont quite get it either. ... a token points gesture is usually provided for minor issues

 

[N860CR]

This doesn't add up.

QF are proactive on providing compensation when hard products fail. I've had multiple vouchers for $600 or $400 each for broken IFE etc. The amount appears to vary based on class and status. We never complained, rather the CSD/CSM noted the issues and we received the MCO in the mail.

Don't Skybeds have a manual override for reclining and repositioning the seat for take off and landing? Did the staff do this for each pax?

I think it largely depends on which customer care person you get and if you've managed to "offend" them somehow. There are a few examples of headscraching moments that have come out of Qantas CC here.

 

[MrJetset]

I think it largely depends on which customer care person you get and if you've managed to "offend" them somehow. There are a few examples of headscraching moments that have come out of Qantas CC here.

Again, QF will have specific procedures for dealing with issues and appropriate compensation guidelines. The amount of points or cash offered may varied, but something just doesn't add up. A broken seat is a serious issue and one that is not taken lightly.

I imagine the bit missing from the story is that the crew manually overrode all of the Skybeds for sleeping and then made them upright for landing, if indeed the issue occurred as described.

As I stated earlier, much of this compensation happens automatically because the CSM would have filed a report at the end of the flight, the reference to 'offending' cc is irrelevant.

 

[N860CR]

Again, QF will have specific procedures for dealing with issues and appropriate compensation guidelines. The amount of points or cash offered may varied, but something just doesn't add up. A broken seat is a serious issue and one that is not taken lightly.

I imagine the bit missing from the story is that the crew manually overrode all of the Skybeds for sleeping and then made them upright for landing, if indeed the issue occurred as described.

As I stated earlier, much of this compensation happens automatically because the CSM would have filed a report at the end of the flight, the reference to 'offending' cc is irrelevant.

If the procedure was followed, which it regularly is not.

As per personal experiences (and as somebody who has spent a lot of time at 203 Coward St), Customer Care can be a world of their own.

 

[Pleb Status]

One thing I would advise the OP is to remove any references in their complaint to the new J seat versus the old Skybed J seat, as this may be clouding the other (more serious) issues the OP had with their flights.

As seen on AFF, QF CC are getting complaints which are solely new J seat versus old J seat based and these are being rejected outright by QF. Depending on how the OP worded their complaint, maybe QF CC have not carefully read the other issues experienced by the OP which definitely require some further attention.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I imagine the bit missing from the story is that the crew manually overrode all of the Skybeds for sleeping and then made them upright for landing, if indeed the issue occurred as described.

I have to admit this was my firs thought on reading the original issue - the seats should be able to be reclined manually. Perhaps if we can find out if that happened?

 

[opusman]

Even ignoring the seat entirely there should still be some compensation offered for lack of IFE.

 

[showstopper]

One thing I would advise the OP is to remove any references in their complaint to the new J seat versus the old Skybed J seat, as this may be clouding the other (more serious) issues the OP had with their flights.

As seen on AFF, QF CC are getting complaints which are solely new J seat versus old J seat based and these are being rejected outright by QF. Depending on how the OP worded their complaint, maybe QF CC have not carefully read the other issues experienced by the OP which definitely require some further attention.

I agree, and for that reason in correspondence to Qantas, no reference was made to a specific J product. I included the details here because I'm sure i would have been asked!

The old vs new J product is still luck of the draw. But regardless which J product you get - both should work as advertised.

 

[showstopper]

I have to admit this was my firs thought on reading the original issue - the seats should be able to be reclined manually. Perhaps if we can find out if that happened?

She was not aware that her seat could be manually reclined, nor was this offered to her by the FA's.

One other PAX in her row was making a huge scene about his faulty seat, and probably took up most of the time of the FA's on this matter.

IMO, the issue here isn't the faulty seat (faults happen sometimes, that's life), the issue is Qantas's response (or lack thereof). Zero effort to be proactive, and zero effort to resolve it once the correct complaint communication channels were followed. Their responses are generic and probably generated by a bot. If a real person in customer service looked into this matter, I'm sure it would be resolved promptly.

 

[Anna]

It shouldn't make a difference but I am wondering if a OWS is getting different treatment here from what a QF SG would get. It wouldn't be easy for QF to award some compensatory points to a OWS, unlike a QF SG. Maybe compensation has been put in the too hard basket.

I would persist somehow, because an unreclining seat in J on an overnight flight is seriously unacceptable IMO. The seat is basically what I pay for J for, the rest is frills.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

She was not aware that her seat could be manually reclined, nor was this offered to her by the FA's.

One other PAX in her row was making a huge scene about his faulty seat, and probably took up most of the time of the FA's on this matter.

IMO, the issue here isn't the faulty seat (faults happen sometimes, that's life), the issue is Qantas's response (or lack thereof). Zero effort to be proactive, and zero effort to resolve it once the correct complaint communication channels were followed. Their responses are generic and probably generated by a bot. If a real person in customer service looked into this matter, I'm sure it would be resolved promptly.

The manual seat override was somewhat important because QF probably assumed the crew would have done that - so the main issue left would have been the IFE.

Given the crew didn't offer such a service means there are probably three issues to be dealt with... lack of proactive crew (they really should have done better, either with manual recline or arranging to have customer service meet the aircraft with compensation); the non-reclining seat; lack of IFE.

I would email the CEO's office directly with this.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

The manual seat override was somewhat important because QF probably assumed the crew would have done that - so the main issue left would have been the IFE.

Given the crew didn't offer such a service means there are probably three issues to be dealt with... lack of proactive crew (they really should have done better, either with manual recline or arranging to have customer service meet the aircraft with compensation); the non-reclining seat; lack of IFE.

I would email the CEO's office directly with this.

I doubt the customer centre people would be aware of a manual seat override. Either as a proper reply is a must.

 

[JohnK]

I'm not sure I understand why Qantas customer care is ignoring this issue.

I have had on board compensation for partly functioning IFE and I have also received compensation from customer care for non functioning IFE.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I doubt the customer centre people would be aware of a manual seat override. Either as a proper reply is a must.

Perhaps. I was thinking customer service would have a list of suggested answers and talking points to deal with issues and for 'malfunctioning seat', manual override would be one of things they'd include or consider in their reply.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Maybe everyone's on holiday and some junior person is dealing with it?

Seems a bizarre response - as others have said, if you don't have a bed you have purchased a very expensive Y fare .

My (very few) dealings with Qantas Loyalty and Customer Care have always been good - I have never asked for compensation though, just wanted acknowledgement of the problem.

 

[Cynicor]

I'd wait til Jan 6th (giving the service people a day or two to get their act together post holidays) then chargeback if I hadn't heard anything.

 

[hutch]

I'd wait til Jan 6th (giving the service people a day or two to get their act together post holidays) then chargeback if I hadn't heard anything.

Out of curiosity, has anyone had any success with a chargeback in a situation similar to this?

 

[MrJetset]

There is no way a chargeback would be approved. The pax flew as ticketed. If the pax was downgraded they would receive the relevant compensation.

Frankly, I don't believe that the crew failed to manually recline the seats. As Judge Judy says: "If it doesn't sound true, it probably isn't."

The OP nor being the pax also adds an element of hearsay. My take is if the pax insists this us what happened then she is probably lying to you.

 

[kpc]

My take is if the pax insists this us what happened then she is probably lying to you.

Big, bold call given you weren't there!

I'd wait til Jan 6th (giving the service people a day or two to get their act together post holidays) then chargeback if I hadn't heard anything.

Good advice.

 

[JohnK]

There is no way a chargeback would be approved. The pax flew as ticketed. If the pax was downgraded they would receive the relevant compensation.

Frankly, I don't believe that the crew failed to manually recline the seats. As Judge Judy says: "If it doesn't sound true, it probably isn't."

The OP nor being the pax also adds an element of hearsay. My take is if the pax insists this us what happened then she is probably lying to you.

I don't believe the passenger flew as ticketed. The product was not provided as advertised both for the IFE and for the non-reclining seat.

If that had happened to me I can assure you I would not accept anything less than what I deem to be satisfactory compensation. I want the controls of the seat to be working as I am not comfortable in the same spot for too long. Wouldn't want the crew to be manually adjusting throughout the flight. And I want functioning IFE as I don't bring my own IFE.

Personally I do not understand the attitude of customer care or Qantas. If you haven't delivered what you advertised and it's this bad then give the person a free flight in the equivalent class plus compensation for the inconvenience. It's not rocket science and it makes for great customer service.