Personal Welcome from Qantas Customer Service Manager

[acampbel]

OK - I was exaggerating in my earlier post for effect, but that fact that you as the recipient do not feel the "welcome" to be excessive or fawning does not in any way relate to how I as the observer view it.

I was using a hypothetical (and somewhat tongue-in-cheek) exchange to try and put that point across. It seems I have failed.


Cheers,

Andrew

.

 

[Nutcase]

I too have attempted to use humour on this forum, to little avail. It seems that there are of lot of pedantic, humorless people that travel the skies and who post there thoughts here.

Pity really that so much time and effort gets devoted to so many precious egos.

 

[Yada Yada]

It seems I have failed.

I always enjoy your posts, Andrew.

 

[simongr]

I have no objection to humour - I think might attempt to switch the humour on acampbell also failed. I am just seeming to sense some form of reverse snobbery - almost as if there is a benefit accruing to status pax they should be embarassed or be feeling guilty.

 

[Yada Yada]

I am just seeming to sense some form of reverse snobbery - almost as if there is a benefit accruing to status pax they should be embarassed or be feeling guilty.

I guess that is quite typically Australian - it is sport to sneer at certain levels of privilege when it is on show.

 

[Shano]

I guess that is quite typically Australian - it is sport to sneer at certain levels of privilege when it is on show.

Particularly when that priviledge is so visible. And I think that is perhaps a key point to this discussion. It is difficult to offer a discreet personalised greeting to a status pax in a full Y cabin, so those that miss out feel "mistreated".

Many industries offer benefits to loyal customers. Two related to travel (accommodation and rental cars) offer additional services (eg upgrades) to status members much more regulalry than airlines, but because it is not done in full view of the general travelling public (via dedicated checkin areas), is not viewed as negatively.

The few personalised greetings I have received have been extended with little fuss.

 

[Nutcase]

Good grief!

All this fuss about a greeting from a Qantas employee. Asking for some Noise cancelling headsets and some food. Approximate value $75.

I rest my case.

 

[Reggie]

I feel uncomfortable when travelling in J, and the Y pax are boarding the plane and making snide comments about the J pax, the seats, the cabin etc. I have (or moreso my company) has paid for the business class seat so I am entitled to what that gives. However I would feel even more uncomfortable with the personal greeting back in economy.

 

[Keith009]

It seems I'd never get the greeting as I use AAnother FFP. But on SQ I've been the beneficiary of a birthday celebration or 2, even travelling as an LH*G. It's little touches like these that make me think of an airline more fondly and thus more likely to choose one airline over another, all things being equal.

What's the fuss with an airline treating its most loyal and profitable customers better than its less loyal and lower yield customers?

As for the whole 'Y pax sneering at J pax' business - I'm afraid that's not limited to Australians. Praise be to double door boarding!

 

[simongr]

Good grief!

All this fuss about a greeting from a Qantas employee. Asking for some Noise cancelling headsets and some food. Approximate value $75.

I rest my case.

Umm what case are you resting? Have you actually made a point in your posts or just made snide comments about people with status or flying in premium cabins? In another thread people are celebrating that a government agency is spending/wasting time admonishing JQ for not getting back to their customers quickly enough about complaints regarding JQ enforcing rules that customers agreed to. In this case QF are not delivering on a service commitment they made.

Frankly I am fracking bored of people saying "Oh look a J/F/status pax isn't getting their underserved and upsetting special benefits - oh woe is them - aren't we all so much better for toughing it out in economy".

A few more more posts in that vein and I will PM people who have useful information, post my trip reports in some online blog and leave the anti-tall poppy mob to root out all vestiges of elitism so they can savour this forum as a retreat from the w4nkers who travel up the front or sit in an aisle seat.

 

[Keith009]

Frankly I am fracking bored of people saying "Oh look a J/F/status pax isn't getting their underserved and upsetting special benefits - oh woe is them - aren't we all so much better for toughing it out in economy".

A few more more posts in that vein and I will PM people who have useful information, post my trip reports in some online blog and leave the anti-tall poppy mob to root out all vestiges of elitism so they can savour this forum as a retreat from the w4nkers who travel up the front or sit in an aisle seat.

I don't think anybody can deny your enormous contributions to this community, simongr. So please don't let a vocal minority stop ya.

FWIW i travel a fair bit in whY/why+ but I do enjoy your trip reports all the same.

 

[serfty]

Once upon I time I found such visits gave me mixed feelings.

These days I am ready for if it happens and I have simple (& easily achievable) options. It helps both the CSM and me!

 

[straitman]

I suggest that a few people (and I won't list names as you know who you are) should lighten up a LOT and get a sense of humour.

 

[ozmerish]

My greetings have been a bit hit and miss.

When it occurs, there is a brief exchange of pleasantries and thats about it. Sometimes on a light load, the FA or CSM may come around for another chat (though rare when in whY).

On the occasion when it doesn't occur, it doesn't bother me. It's nice when it happens, but I don't stress if they don't stop by.

I did have a number of sectors last year when they would read the BP and welcome me onboard by name. This was done with both WP and OWE printed on the BP (depending on which FFP I was crediting).

Best onboard greeting was a recent AA flight LHR-ORD. The captain spent 20 minutes or so moving through the F cabin and chatting with each pax. This was prior to departure and he was present when deplaning to thank us and wish us well. Have never had this happen before - then again I dont spend a lot of time in F

 

[dragonman]

A few more more posts in that vein and I will PM people who have useful information, post my trip reports in some online blog and leave the anti-tall poppy mob to root out all vestiges of elitism so they can savour this forum as a retreat from the w4nkers who travel up the front or sit in an aisle seat.

And that would be a huge loss to this forum. I have learned heaps from your posts. Hang in mate, you have a big fan club around here.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

So hypothetically, AC, how does that exchange make you feel?

How other pax feel on the plane is something for QANTAS to worry about - not for me to worry about.

Likewise, if someone else is getting some benefit I'm not entitled to (whether that be checkin privileges, lounge access or upgrade benefits), then my personal feelings of "missing out" are QANTAS' problem, not the problem of the person getting the benefits. If my feelings of "missing out" are affecting my perception of QANTAS and thus the custom I throw their way - that's QANTAS' problem.

Now, personally, I haven't been too fussed whether someone comes and says "Hi" or not. If the CSM does come and say "Hi", I'm not going to go and "rub someone else's nose in it". Instead I reply, engage in some chit chat and take the proferred newspaper (if I haven't already read it). No where do I try to make myself feel superior, or make others around me feel inferior. And if others around me do feel inferior, then they should make a comment to an attendant, and ask for similar treatment. They shouldn't be asking me to tell the CSM to "go away" or something.

Lastly, if QANTAS wishes to *advertise* a benefit and commit to delivering it, then I think people are entirely within their rights to complain (or comment) when that the benefit is not being delivered. Others might think it petty, but you know what they say about opinions: they're like a*holes - everyone has one... What might be petty to you, isn't petty for someone else.

 

[oz_mark]

I feel uncomfortable when travelling in J, and the Y pax are boarding the plane and making snide comments about the J pax, the seats, the cabin etc. I have (or moreso my company) has paid for the business class seat so I am entitled to what that gives. However I would feel even more uncomfortable with the personal greeting back in economy.

If you are travelling J out of PER, then your company would almost certainly be paying a decent premium for that seat over economy, so you should expect more. I just wish my employer would stump up for some J travel

 

[oz_mark]

I suggest that a few people (and I won't list names as you know who you are) should lighten up a LOT and get a sense of humour.

Many times on this board, and seen the reaction, and thought "humour is lost on some people". (I hope I'm not on your list

 

[NYCguy]

I feel uncomfortable when travelling in J, and the Y pax are boarding the plane and making snide comments about the J pax, the seats, the cabin etc.

That's when you sneer at them and hiss "Peasant!".

 

[straitman]

Many times on this board, and seen the reaction, and thought "humour is lost on some people". (I hope I'm not on your list

oz_mark,

I think you're safe though to be perfectly honest I haven't even bothered to make a list as it would probably be lost on those concerned :!: