I recently went to Melbourne for 4 days of R&R with the 19-year-old Daughter and Heir. We flew Qantas, and upon arrival in Melbourne, learned that my suitcase made it on to the same flight, but Daughter’s didn’t.
“No worries” the Baggage Services Representative minced, “It’s on the next flight from Brisbane. We’ll get it on the 1 o’clock courier for delivery to your hotel by mid-afternoon”. I explained it was really important to get it mid-afternoon, because we had a rather glamorous event to attend at 6 that evening. The Baggage Services Rep then spoke very slowly (obviously assuming that I hadn’t understood him the first time), and reiterated it would be on the 1pm courier, delivered mid-afternoon. Reassured, off we went.
The suitcase was in fact delivered at 6.30pm, after we had left to attend our event. Daughter was forced to commit the equivalent of fashion suicide by having to wear one of Mother’s dresses, and was eternally grateful to the social and fashion gods for placing her in another state, thereby ensuring she would never be recognised by anyone while having to suffer such a ghastly indignity.
And I was forced to consume several alcoholic beverages in quick succession, to calm down following an afternoon of phone calls to Qantas’ Baggage Services, whose staff were arrogant, rude, and couldn’t have cared less about the predicament they forced upon us.
In these phone calls I learned that Qantas doesn’t actually commit to take your luggage to the same place you’re going. It’s in the T&Cs apparently. And when I advised that airport staff had promised we would have the luggage by mid-afternoon, it was implied I was lying because company policy does not allow for such guarantees. I asked to speak to somebody to lodge a complaint, and was flatly refused, being directed instead to lodge one via email “if I wanted to”.
I continue to fume over this episode, and in doing so, can’t help reflecting on how many meetings will take place in boardrooms across Australia, to discuss lost customers and declining market share.
How many thousands of hours and dollars will be invested in developing strategies to find out why a business loses customers? To find ways to re-connect with customers? To make them more loyal? To re-position the brand to become relevant again? To develop new products to win customers back? To create new advertising campaigns to get their attention? To make them fall in love with the brand again?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s as simple as promising to deliver what you’re in business for. Efficiently, and at the best price. And making sure customers are regarded as an incredibly valuable asset, not a market share statistic. Which requires commitment not only in the boardroom and the marketing department, but right through the organisation.
I’ll bet Qantas’ marketing department would be reaching for soothing alcoholic relief much faster than I was, if they could have eavesdropped on my phone conversations. Especially in light of their latest ad campaign which espouses that Qantas is “committed” to delivering all sorts of things. Except your luggage, and a modicum of customer service.
Ah. The Spirit of Australia.
Michele Prescott is an Account Director at BCM Brisbane
I couldn’t agree with you more Michele. Many, in fact most, marketers make bold promises through advertising that they never live up to. It’s a classic case of over promise and under deliver. How can we possibly expect consumers to connect with brands if their expectations, which marketers set up, are not met. Now, with the hyper-connectedness (I think I just made up that term?) of the world via online and social media disgruntled consumers can voice their dissatisifaction – and to many thousands.
The QANTAS performance reaches new heights Michele (pun intended, my apologies, I’m winging it).
They lost my wife’s bag on a flight from Sydney to Brisbane (that’a a feat in itself). It was a Saturday night.
QANTAS called at 6am on Sunday morning to inform us it would be delivered sometime before 11am that morning. There went our Sunday morning.
When it arrived one of the wheels was broken.
Surely a business of their nature, who are in the habit of losing luggage, would have systems in place to handle the situations as efficiently and pleasantly as possible.
One suggestion I have:
e.g DON’T call customers at sparrow’s on Sunday morning.
See you all on Virgin Blue.
So true Michele. I never cease to be amazed by organisations whose employees are supposedly there to assist customers but seem far more intent on simply looking bored or making you feel as though you’re imposing on them because you’ve interrupted a rivetting conversation with one of their colleagues about how hung over they are, what a bastard Barry is, how Brittany from the other counter is a bitch, how much they hate their job, etc. It makes you feel extra special when they continue that conversation while ’serving’ you. We’ve all been there right?
More and more I find myself going out of my way to thank someone who provides a good customer experience because the expectation is so low. Clearly the rude people you dealt with shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for praise based on the way they’ve treated you (or maybe they should?)
So much time, effort and money goes into getting customers through the door you wonder just how much mystery shopping goes on these days. Surely in a lot of cases the service promise would be downplayed by those marketers more aware of the reaities of dealing with their organisation.
Michele/ Al, your comments remind me of a flight I took recently with The Spirit of Australia, where the flight attendants stood, as passengers left the aircraft, complaining about the shifts they had to work and what a dreadful company Qantas was- all in earshot of customers. Makes me wonder how many people join a company like Qantas, expecting glamour and excitement, to very quickly be brought down to earth with the reality. Perhaps a more effective screening/ recruitment process (which delivers motivated and empathetic customer-facing people) would be a better investment and prudent forerunner to a glossy brand campaign.
Another one today Michele. I caught a 1.35pm flight from Sydney to Brisbane. I assumed I’d get lunch. When the flight attendant offered me an afternoon snack I asked why they weren’t serving lunch? ‘They serve lunch from 12 to 1.30pm each day so they schedule these flights at 1.35pm so they don’t have the cost of a lunch service’ she replied. How silly of me to expect a customer focussed company like Qantas to actually serve lunch at lunchtime.
I was then told to look out for the 8.35am flights. Yep, you guessed it, they serve brekky up to 8.30am. Unbelievable.