Very ordinary treatment by J CSM

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I was on a CBR-BNE flight at 7.30pm last night and one of the Cabin staff Clint, is well past his use by date. Couldn't even crack a smile or nod of appreciation when the litter was politely handed to him during the trolley collection. It's staff like him that bring the Qantas brand down - as for his fellow colleagues, they were very polite and friendly. The waitress at the biz lounge was amazing and I've already sent my feedback (which has been acknowledged) to QF Customer Care on her exceptional service. As for Clint, his "I couldn't be bothered" attitude rubbed off on me and I haven't let Customer Care know.
 
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I was on a CBR-BNE flight at 7.30pm last night and one of the Cabin staff Clint, is well past his use by date. Couldn't even crack a smile or nod of appreciation when the litter was politely handed to him during the trolley collection. It's staff like him that bring the Qantas brand down - as for his fellow colleagues, they were very polite and friendly. The waitress at the biz lounge was amazing and I've already sent my feedback (which has been acknowledged) to QF Customer Care on her exceptional service. As for Clint, his "I couldn't be bothered" attitude rubbed off on me and I haven't let Customer Care know.

Uh, I think it MIGHT have been a Clint on my MEL-CBR flight.
 
Uh, I think it MIGHT have been a Clint on my MEL-CBR flight.

What time did your flight arrive into CBR? My CBR-BNE flight left from Gate 13 at 19:30. It sounds very much like the same FA. FWIW my flight left gate 5 mins early and arrived into BNE 15mins ahead of schedule.
 
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While 5 minutes delay is a delay, it is a very small one. I consider the plane leaving the gate anything within about 15 minutes of STD as pretty much 'on-time'.

Anyone can make a mistake, and as the tale is related I see no justification for the staff member rubbing it in.

I had two flights fairly close together last year, where on each a group of 7 or 8 people (same ethnicity for each group FWIW, but different people), who had checked in, with luggage, did not turn up to the gate until some time after scheduled time of departure. "How do these people do this?" is what I thought. Well, a few months later I missed a flight (first and only in about 300) through not hearing it called in the lounge (they assured me they did call it). I was heading to the gate anyway when they paged me and said 'run'. My point is that despite being cough about these things, I still managed to stuff up (and I'm still not sure how).

To wander a little more, the late-boarding pax I hate are the ones who delay the plane say 15 minutes, about to be offloaded, then arrive and just casually stroll down the aisle to their seat without a care in the world, not having raised even a bead of sweat, clearly not in any hurry at all. My anti-violent temperament gets sorely tested on those occasions. :)

So my sympathies lie with the OP (and wife) here.
 
I sent through some very positive feedback on an EXCELLENT J CSM on two international flights recently, and never received even a confirmation that they had received it. I imagine that any feedback I provide now will be treated in a similar fashion. Maybe being WP will change it? Who knows.

Being platinum doesn't change it.
 
More than likely. Not pointing the finger, but you made the plane late, and the crew now has to put in the paperwork explaining the delay. Frustrating for the crew.

Yeah because it is really hard to write "passenger left phone in lounge. Allowed them to retrieve it in the name of customer service"
 
I'm sure there is an established policy which Qantas prefer to follow and there might be issues that the every day or FF pax are unaware of. In any event maybe it all points toward collating stats and independent auditing of airlines for the purpose rankings such as: SKYTRAX | World Airline Audit
 
What time did your flight arrive into CBR? My CBR-BNE flight left from Gate 13 at 19:30. It sounds very much like the same FA. FWIW my flight left gate 5 mins early and arrived into BNE 15mins ahead of schedule.

My flight arrived CBR around 17:15.
 
Personally in that case I think the CSM should contact the lounge and they put it on the next flight and you can pick it up. I don't think you have the right to hold up the whole plane.

And let me be clear, I didn't ask to hold up the plane. I actually thought that they would just call the lounge and either have the phone mailed to us, or that they would send someone from the lounge to meet me halfway. Instead, the ground crew told me to run to the lounge, so I did as directed. I certainly did NOT want to hold up a planeload of people. The ground crew was actually still scanning people in when I left the plane and returned to the concourse.
 
OK, none else has said it so I will.

1) You deboarded the aircraft that was in the process of boarding holding up pax who would have been embarking (I have seen people walking back up the aisle during boarding and it is incredibly disruptive as pax have to move themselves, and their luggage). Presuming you were on a 738 it's a single aisle aircraft and you and your wife are coming all the way back from row 15.
2) As such, you did hold up other pax, the crew and the plane
3) There is no way a ground operator, charged with the responsibility of ensuring on time performance, and who is measured accordingly, would tell you to go to the lounge yourself.
4) An entire aircraft of pax, the aircraft and the crew were delayed by your actions. Every minute counts to an airline. Why do you think they have such strict cut off rules? The pilot would require an explanation and it's possible the paperwork could not be completed, and the doors certainly not close while you were running your errand.
5) Did you leave your toddlers unattended in row 15 while you were running through the airport?

Excuse the rant but when one pax put themselves above all the others, and inconveniences everyone, then decides to complain about a CSM, just doesn't sit right with me.
 
I'm probably going to incur the wrath of the AFF members who are cabin crew, but if the crew wasn't happy for you to get the phone they could have told you that you can't get off the plane (unless you want to lose your ticket), they might have even offered to get the lounge to find it and hold it for your next visit or post it to you. It was their call to let you go back, they should live with the consequences rather than taking it out on the pax. Although, its a bluff, suppose you had checked luggage (and with 2 toddlers that would be normal) it would have been a pain to offload all of the checked bags if you had decided you really needed the phone.

While the door is open you have the right to get off, once the door is shut to bad so sad.

Matt
 
OK, none else has said it so I will.

1) You deboarded the aircraft that was in the process of boarding holding up pax who would have been embarking (I have seen people walking back up the aisle during boarding and it is incredibly disruptive as pax have to move themselves, and their luggage). Presuming you were on a 738 it's a single aisle aircraft and you and your wife are coming all the way back from row 15.
2) As such, you did hold up other pax, the crew and the plane
3) There is no way a ground operator, charged with the responsibility of ensuring on time performance, and who is measured accordingly, would tell you to go to the lounge yourself.
4) An entire aircraft of pax, the aircraft and the crew were delayed by your actions. Every minute counts to an airline. Why do you think they have such strict cut off rules? The pilot would require an explanation and it's possible the paperwork could not be completed, and the doors certainly not close while you were running your errand.
5) Did you leave your toddlers unattended in row 15 while you were running through the airport?

Excuse the rant but when one pax put themselves above all the others, and inconveniences everyone, then decides to complain about a CSM, just doesn't sit right with me.

Rant away.

3) That is specifically what happened. The guy at the door of the aircraft told me to speak to the 'ground crew', and I went to them, and they told me to 'run to the lounge' (VERBATIM).
5) <redacted by OP> Of course not. My wife lost HER phone, she was in 3A (as I had swapped my seat with her). She came down to 15, and sat with the children whilst I ran to the lounge. Jesus Christ.

As to putting myself 'above all others', what would you suggest I do? Tell my wife 'the phone is gone. Sit down'? Are you married? I ASKED the CSM and I ASKED the ground crew.

CSM -> speak to ground crew
Ground crew -> run to lounge

I DID AS DIRECTED BY QANTAS STAFF. I did NOT insist on one method of retrieval over another. I didn't hold up the pax - Qantas staff did, by directing me to run to the lounge at a late stage in boarding.
 
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The story from the CSM? I don't know what I have to gain from telling mistruths on AFF.

I've very sorry to hear about this experience, and agree that this situation could have been better managed.

Your comments have been passed on to our Customer Care team for their reference. They'll be in touch with you soon to follow up.

In the interim, please pass on my apology and regards to Mrs cmdwedge.
 
And let me be clear, I didn't ask to hold up the plane. I actually thought that they would just call the lounge and either have the phone mailed to us, or that they would send someone from the lounge to meet me halfway. Instead, the ground crew told me to run to the lounge, so I did as directed. I certainly did NOT want to hold up a planeload of people. The ground crew was actually still scanning people in when I left the plane and returned to the concourse.

Don't want to sound too harsh, but your phone, you get it. While nice to have them bring it to you it's not their remit and to think they would automatically do that is a bit much. :D

Matt
 
Don't want to sound too harsh, but your phone, you get it. While nice to have them bring it to you it's not their remit and to think they would automatically do that is a bit much. :D

Matt

For sure. I don't mean that as some snobby DYKWIA person! I really meant that they'd do that to avoid holding up the flight, and I'd pay for the Express Post bag back to Canberra or something like that.
 
OK, none else has said it so I will.

1) You deboarded the aircraft that was in the process of boarding holding up pax who would have been embarking (I have seen people walking back up the aisle during boarding and it is incredibly disruptive as pax have to move themselves, and their luggage). Presuming you were on a 738 it's a single aisle aircraft and you and your wife are coming all the way back from row 15.
2) As such, you did hold up other pax, the crew and the plane
3) There is no way a ground operator, charged with the responsibility of ensuring on time performance, and who is measured accordingly, would tell you to go to the lounge yourself.
4) An entire aircraft of pax, the aircraft and the crew were delayed by your actions. Every minute counts to an airline. Why do you think they have such strict cut off rules? The pilot would require an explanation and it's possible the paperwork could not be completed, and the doors certainly not close while you were running your errand.
5) Did you leave your toddlers unattended in row 15 while you were running through the airport?

Excuse the rant but when one pax put themselves above all the others, and inconveniences everyone, then decides to complain about a CSM, just doesn't sit right with me.

WOW

Bit harsh and you obviously didnt read the post or a stupid question such as number 5 wouldnt have been posted.

I have been in the same boat where I had left something in the lounge fortunately for me I was able to get to the lounge and back with in the scheduled departure time. I would however do the same thing if needed and it indeed if it meant a small delay to the deprture of the aircraft.

To me the DYKWIA person or people who opt to have another drink in the lounge and await that final call Baggage about to be offloaded unless you get to the plane NOW or even those that are aobviously so important that they need a personal invite to board are the reall arrogant people that cause dleays to flights and inconvinience people.

Rant over !!!!!
 
I consider this the same as pax who are last to board, clearly late, holding up departure as the staff attempt to work out whether to unload them and their luggage or not, yet board ever so leisurely. They really just don't care about anyone other than themselves.

I tend to respect other people, and understand there are many other pax, and my actions can affect everyone, collectively - connecting flights, transfers, people picking them up at BNE... the list goes on.
 
I consider this the same as pax who are last to board, clearly late, holding up departure as the staff attempt to work out whether to unload them and their luggage or not, yet board ever so leisurely. They really just don't care about anyone other than themselves.

I tend to respect other people, and understand there are many other pax, and my actions can affect everyone, collectively - connecting flights, transfers, people picking them up at BNE... the list goes on.

You want a medal? Again I ask, what SHOULD I have done? I agree that me running to the lounge held up the plane by 5 minutes (and no more). I agree that it was my wife's fault for leaving her phone there, but accidents happen and it's not a huge one. I don't, however, accept that it's my FAULT that I went back to the lounge - I was told by the ground crew to do so.

This has devolved into finger-pointing about what I should or should not have done. I did as directed by Qantas staff. No more, no less. My issue is that the CSM was particularly nasty to my wife for the entire flight as a result, and it was an unbalanced response to the mistake she made.
 
You want a medal? Again I ask, what SHOULD I have done? I agree that me running to the lounge held up the plane by 5 minutes (and no more). I agree that it was my wife's fault for leaving her phone there, but accidents happen and it's not a huge one. I don't, however, accept that it's my FAULT that I went back to the lounge - I was told by the ground crew to do so.

This has devolved into finger-pointing about what I should or should not have done. I did as directed by Qantas staff. No more, no less. My issue is that the CSM was particularly nasty to my wife for the entire flight as a result, and it was an unbalanced response to the mistake she made.

Well unfortunately you have brought the issue to a public discussion forum so this is to be expected. Had you wished this to be dealt with in private without discussion then an email to customer care would have done the trick.
 
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