Name the service, it doesn't matter, it's going to be cough in Australia

[andye]

Trip-trap trip-trap

 

[woodborer]

More competition (and the market probably can't support that, or is unwilling to do so because of 'golden handcuffs'), and fewer corporate expense accounts. Why should the Sofitel Melbourne worry with its outdated, drab, boring rooms and no pool when people on work are willing to pay $300+ a night? (C'mon - that hotel is seriously stuck in the 80s!)

Have to agree. The 80s wasn't really the best decade for wood panelling. Perhaps they should install some floorboards for out little termite friend.

 

[chocolate radiation man]

In general I have to agree with the first posters thoughts on hotels, but I do disagree regarding Qantas. I think Qantas has moved with the times and having the Sunday roast carved at the seat is a service long since past. I agree too with the comments on Virgin Australia and the low cost carrier stigma - the problem here is in my opinion is Virgin seems to have adopted a model very similar to Qantas (and others) so differentiation between the airlines is easy to see as the thought process is to base their service standards against Qantas. I said right at the onset of Virgin ditching the "blue" from their name was absolutely brilliant for the Australian market space, as long as they didn't emulate Qantas. Alas they did. I must say here that I am not a fan of Virgin and what they have morphed into, but I am one of thousands if not tens of thousands of daily traveling public, and Virgin are doing the right things by a good healthy percentage of the travelling population.

 

[Reggie78]

I firmly believe that if you are expecting flawless service, anywhere (yes, even 1st Class), you're setting yourself up for disappointment. And each person's version of service levels differs. Having performed Service roles, I know that everyone has a bad day (some more than others), and they are human after all. Some things shouldn't be let go, but generally they have come about because someone was a little to demanding or hurt that they weren't provided the service they expected.

On Hotels, there's many things that I expect (decent bed, decent pillow, decent shower are the main ones), and when I deem them not to a reasonable standard, I raise it as an issue with the manager. Adjust expectations (or remove them altogether) and you won't be disappointed.

On QANTAS, I flew about 20 flights in a 3 week period, not once did I receive any "bad service". I would only have received it if I complained about something (for the record, there wasn't anything to complain about), but why bother. I'm on the plane from A-B, my seat belt works, I get offered some food and drink. Why do I expect that the crew waits on me hand and foot, or that they come to me and offer me service. Their job is to assist us in our travel, not to bow to our beckon call.

I might be weird and strange to not expect service, but I am not disappointed.

 

[basso]

I would suggest my learned friend that one re-reads my first post and you then recalibrate your poor attitude toward me. My post clearly uses one hotel as an example, therefore if I need to satisfy your requirements to be a good little poster, I need to write a small novel. I am sure you do not want that as my writing style would possibly cause your eyeballs to pop right out from their sockets and proceed to strangle the life from you for forcing such content upon them - and none of us like cleaning blood from the carpet! So, not wanting to offend, but I will ignore your comments from here on in.

Talk about evading the question - I guess if you can't actually articulate the sevice failures, your are actually getting exactly the service you deserve.

 

[mannej]

I guess with a thread title such as "Name the service, it doesn't matter, it's going to be cough in Australia", that the OP is fishing for a response.

 

[Foreigner]

I was going to suggest Europe, but as my experience is limited as to / from LHR, I could say for sure.

My recent experience is limited to Air Berlin. My flights MUC-DUS vv were short, airplane was A320, chockers with passengers. Safety demo was in Deutsch and English, free coffee/tea/orange juice, and a snack on offer during flight. And upon disembarking, crew were handing out chocolates at door. Nothing to whinge about.

 

[harvyk]

My recent experience is limited to Air Berlin. My flights MUC-DUS vv were short, airplane was A320, chockers with passengers. Safety demo was in Deutsch and English, free coffee/tea/orange juice, and a snack on offer during flight. And upon disembarking, crew were handing out chocolates at door. Nothing to whinge about.

Which just goes to show good and bad service is not limited by geography.

 

[Foreigner]

Which just goes to show good and bad service is not limited by geography.

Definitely

 

[anat0l]

Which just goes to show good and bad service is not limited by geography.

Well, that's the other thing too.

Service can vary as a function of culture or how people are used to it. For example, in Germany, sometimes (not all the time) the service interaction with staff can come across as cold compared to what we are used to in Australia. Some people review this as being rude. From the perspective of Germans, it may not be that at all. "Warmth" in service is not necessarily desired - simply to get what is needed to be done in a timely manner and that is that.

A similar observation can be made in France.

Of course, language barrier can play a lot into this. Don't forget that if you can speak English to the staff in a country where it isn't an official language, the staff are only doing this for you as a favour. Barring company policy, they are not forced to talk to you in English, and you really have no right to demand to be spoken to in English.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Of course, language barrier can play a lot into this. Don't forget that if you can speak English to the staff in a country where it isn't an official language, the staff are only doing this for you as a favour. Barring company policy, they are not forced to talk to you in English, and you really have no right to demand to be spoken to in English.

pfft!!!

Staff doing us a favour? Isn't it pretty much capitalism 101? I have a product that you probably don't need, and probably don't really want, but I want you to buy it anyway. So I'll speak whatever language it takes to sell it to you.

If I don't speak the language you do, I lose a sale.

Staff at a pharmac_ or hospital might be exceptions to that... although the hospital is prolly making a nice profit from your travel insurance.

 

[flying_duck]

I personally think that service is pretty bad everywhere, and that you get what you pay for. The issue for me is, in Australia at least, as tipping isn't a thing I don't have the option to pay to be waited on (i.e pay for the service I expect). I'm stuck with the service you get. That everyone gets. That's one size fits all - from super high expectation me to my previous poster friend who just wants to get A-B.

Examples:
1) In a clothing store, browsing for some time on my own, within 1 metre of a salesperson I bumped into a rack and my arm started bleeding - sales person looked at me, looked back at their work and kept going. Not even a "Hi' or "are you ok".

2) In Myer, trying to buy a laptop. Hovering over the 1K+ Vaios, wanting some help. Gentleman on staff continued stacking the cupboard less than 2 metres from me (yes he saw me). He finished, then walked past me to a couple looking at tablets that came in after me. The guy from next door department took pity on me and came for a chat thats how long I was waiting.

3) Same laptop shopping trip, Dick Smith. Tried asking a sales rep about what type of HDD was in a laptop. He kept telling me the size. I insisted multiple times I knew the size, but wanted to know about the hybrid part of it. He couldn't answer the question and wasn't interested in trying to look it up or ask anyone else.

4) Air New Zealand, LAX to AKL. Boarding at LAX, they call "premier" boarding or something, total chaos, not clear what zones/status etc, no signage, had both an Air NZ lady AND a lady seated in first class berate me for trying to board (As VA Plat). Another Air NZ lady told AirNZ lady 1 to let me board.

Good Service:
1) Air NZ on board that flight from point 4 above. I lost my chapstick (I am ocd about chapstick) I started having a panic attack when they came to introduce themselves and see if I had everything I needed. The on board service was 150% above my expectations every single flight with them. I explained about the chapstick and how I know it isn't sensible but if they could find something it really would mean a lot. Half an hour later they found some and bought it to me.

2) Every single bar in Manhattan I've ever been in. I tip 20% or more every single time. Constantly get good pours, free drinks, local knowledge, they introduce me to regulars so I can make friends, etc.

I know my expectations are above what is typically available here in this country and tend not to complain too much, I also know yelling gets me nowhere so I try to explain what I need and why when something isn't up to scratch in my opinion. Overall I do prefer to tip and tip well as I find it a better service model to suit my needs.

 

[anat0l]

pfft!!!

Staff doing us a favour? Isn't it pretty much capitalism 101? I have a product that you probably don't need, and probably don't really want, but I want you to buy it anyway. So I'll speak whatever language it takes to sell it to you.

If I don't speak the language you do, I lose a sale.

Staff at a pharmac_ or hospital might be exceptions to that... although the hospital is prolly making a nice profit from your travel insurance.

Many retailers here in Europe seem to be comfortably "non-capitalist" enough to survive without those customers prepared to make an effort to communicate with them.

Then, there are others who may think that if they speak the other language, they might garner more customers.

And then there are others who speak the other language because they can clearly capture the other market... and take them for all they are worth.

In all cases, they don't have to talk to you in English. Some may do so to their advantage, and in some cases very much for their advantage. What I hate are people who simply walk into shops, never try to speak a word of the local language or try their best to meet in the middle and continue blurting and ranting in English. That is not only embarrassing, but is culturally insensitive. Even if they were worth millions of dollars, who wants to associate with a cretin like that? If it were at a hospital, they might decide to wheel that patient off to the waiting area rather than to immediate treatment.

In any case, we're not talking about any marketing, capitalism or the like here, we are talking about service.

 

[zainman]

I was quite surprised to see earlier this week at the Intercon in Sydney that they had a $6 charge for room service food delivery?! Wasn't expecting that to be honest..

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Many retailers here in Europe seem to be comfortably "non-capitalist" enough to survive without those customers prepared to make an effort to communicate with them.

Then, there are others who may think that if they speak the other language, they might garner more customers.

And then there are others who speak the other language because they can clearly capture the other market... and take them for all they are worth.

In all cases, they don't have to talk to you in English. Some may do so to their advantage, and in some cases very much for their advantage. What I hate are people who simply walk into shops, never try to speak a word of the local language or try their best to meet in the middle and continue blurting and ranting in English. That is not only embarrassing, but is culturally insensitive. Even if they were worth millions of dollars, who wants to associate with a cretin like that? If it were at a hospital, they might decide to wheel that patient off to the waiting area rather than to immediate treatment.

In any case, we're not talking about any marketing, capitalism or the like here, we are talking about service.

lol... you're clearly not British are you?

my point remains... aside from a pharmac_ where I may need 'urgent care', I can't really think of a situation where a shop or member of staff is 'doing me a favour' by speaking English if that's what I wanna speak.

They either speak what I want, or we communicate by some other means, or I go elsewhere. This is nothing about being smart, or DYKWIA, or how rich I might be... it's just reality.

Companies and businesses involved in retail transactions are there to serve us... not the other way around. There are no 'favours' involved.

 

[anat0l]

lol... you're clearly not British are you?

my point remains... aside from a pharmac_ where I may need 'urgent care', I can't really think of a situation where a shop or member of staff is 'doing me a favour' by speaking English if that's what I wanna speak.

They either speak what I want, or we communicate by some other means, or I go elsewhere. This is nothing about being smart, or DYKWIA, or how rich I might be... it's just reality.

Companies and businesses involved in retail transactions are there to serve us... not the other way around. There are no 'favours' involved.

LOL... you're not a white supremacist, are you?

Your second statement is correct - they speak what you would want, communicate by other means, or you go. Who actually loses out is not completely clear all the time; it is not always the business.

Companies and businesses are certainly in the game of making a profit by serving customers, but we all know that not all customers deserve to be served.

Putting aside the business transaction, it also reflects a lot on you in terms of manners, tolerance, courtesy, etc.... or rather, lack thereof it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

perhaps you could edit that remark please?

Pandering (or not) to a snooty French waiter has nothing to do with skin colour.

 

[Foreigner]

I was quite surprised to see earlier this week at the Intercon in Sydney that they had a $6 charge for room service food delivery?! Wasn't expecting that to be honest..

IMO that's not unreasonable. Consider time to deliver tray during room service hours and time to bring back tray back to kitchen.

 

[Reggie78]

I was quite surprised to see earlier this week at the Intercon in Sydney that they had a $6 charge for room service food delivery?! Wasn't expecting that to be honest..

You'll find this at most hotels, well, I have seen it at most. There's always a small line at the bottom of the page, but it's like $3-5. I guess if you can afford Intercon, you can afford the extra coin

 

[zainman]

IMO that's not unreasonable. Consider time to deliver tray during room service hours and time to bring back tray back to kitchen.

You'll find this at most hotels, well, I have seen it at most. There's always a small line at the bottom of the page, but it's like $3-5. I guess if you can afford Intercon, you can afford the extra coin

I think it is. I've stayed at many good hotels and haven't encountered it anywhere I can recall.

And going by that logic, the fact that QR is charging for Spa treatments in their new F class lounge, does that mean just because I can afford F class I should be paying for massages when other lounges offer complementary treatments? Should I also pay for food just because I can afford it?

Also I stayed at the Intercon in Fiji last month and don't recall them having a room service delivery charge so I don't think it's actually that common. As far as I am concerned its unacceptable really for a 5 star hotel.