Qantas customer service drops another notch

[Sdtravel]

Here begins my rant
Move this if you think its not the right place

So it all started about 3 weeks ago
On a QF flight from BNE to SYD.
i had flown in from HKG a few days earlier and picked up another bag along the way so in my BNE to SYD i had 2 bags.
Both combined under my QC 32KG allowance total (combined 29KG)
Gt to checkin and was told i was only allowed 1 bag. I understand i am in the wrong and that black and wite in Economy i can only have 1 bag.
But i was hoping for a little lenience as a QC member. But no the guy was clear i had to pay. So there goes $40. i know qantas is really needing the money but good customer service and experience vs making money and bad experience??

After arriving back in SYD one of the bags got damaged its brand new and only the 2nd time i used it. it was 10pm and i had to be somewhere so i left. (NOTE: had the guy not charged me $40 the story would end here and i would have put it up to cough happens and been on my way.)
So the next day i make a luggage claim via email to report the damage

A week or so later i got an email saying they will pay for the repair. I can take it into one of a list of repairers or the airport.
I thought great i have a flight SYD to BNE ill do it then. I rang Qantas domestic baggage services sydney to make sure its ok and that a few weeks was ok. I was told yes its fine and i have 6 months to do it. Sweet!!

So i take it to baggage services this morning. Call the guy who plainly refuses me. Saying i must go to a place in the city. I say no it says i can come here and that you will do this for me. He again says not and says it doesnt say it on the paper i have. I say it does and i show him

"In order to have this baggage either repaired or replaced, please take your damaged baggage to a Qantas registered repair company for assessment. Alternatively you can return the bag to your local airport and Qantas will deliver the bag to our repairer on your behalf."

He then says well we dont do that you must take it to the city. i say it clearly says you do i rang you and you said its fine.
He says OK just this once ill do it for you but we dont do this and im really busy with something else. He says do you have still in there. i said yes a small bag i am using to for this weekened let me just get it out. he says ok press the call button and ill come out again. i said it will just take a sec. he left already. I spend 5 seconds removing a sports bag from it and press the button. (cant imagine he got to do anything in that short time.)

cant help but notice a huge qantas sign saying "your the reason we fly" and "we pride ourselves in customer service" just a few meters away.
Also that a bit of lenience from the guy at the start would have saved qantas this hassle.

i understand the first issue was caused by me and the black and white rule. BUt the level of customer service from these two people has been really bad. I cant fault anyone else though today other than the baggage guy in sydney. Checkin staff were fantastic today. Lounge staff were awesome.
Currently sitting in the QC domestic lounge and loving it.
Its a shame that two people ruin it for everyone else.

Thoughts? am i being over the top or is this a bad customer service experience?

also cant help but think im never going to see that bag again and i should have gotten something that said i dropped it off??

 

[zachary.august]

So... you as a QC member expected to receive treatment contrary to what you pay for? The age old adage of you get what you pay for is something to live by. If you go in expecting to get what you paid for then you're fine. You, seemingly, were treated in line with policy and procedure and I don't think it's fair to fault someone for following the rules... If every QC member (and judging by the occupancy levels and ease of membership I would say there is a fair few) got an extra bag then the rules would be pointless.

 

[mannej]

So the old customer is always right adage regarding the luggage allowance. Granted the piece based system is a real PITA in situations like this but you knew the drill and are spitting it because they didn't bend the allowance for you.

As for the second issue, I'd be flicking a PM to Red Roo as that shouldn't be occurring. If the staff member is going against what is publicised on the website, that should be fixed.

Really only one person ruined for you, the other was just doing their job (and it wasn't the person at baggage services...)

 

[RooFlyer]

On the first issue ... probably better left un-mentioned here. Little sympathy for not getting what you paid for.


Second issue - chase it up, hard; its unacceptable. And they should have given you a receipt for the bag you left. Go to a Qantas service counter and complain in person. Document all contacts.

 

[Sdtravel]

Hi Guys
Fully admit first issue was my fault. I know extra luggage bag isn't a perk and I don't expect them to break rules for me all the time but just hoping they might given I was definitely under the allowance. So I guess I don't have a gripe there.
So yes probably only one bad experience.

I had a chat to a person in the lounge who said I could call up or go back and ask to speak with a supervisor.
But I didn't have time as I had a flight. Now in BNE
Might have to call someone later today

So don't think I will see that brand new suitcase again.
How do I contact RedRoo? Thought only mods could?

 

[mannej]

You are able to PM Red Roo using the PM feature of the site.

 

[Sprucegoose]

There was a few days intervening the flights. We're they on the one PNR ?

 

[UP4014]

Did you get the names of the people you spoke to to and dealt with?

Makes complaining difficult if not impossible if you don't know who told you what. When dealing with a company with 25000 staff I have never 'lost' a difference of opinion on rules if I have the persons name.

Matt

 

[Red Roo]

How do I contact RedRoo?

Please do send me a private message as I'm keen to follow this up for you. I agree that these instances could have been better managed and communicated.

I will be able to identify the staff concerned if you include your name and/or Frequent Flyer number along with your flight details.

 

[thommo50]

Buy a stronger bag.

 

[Intra]

Rules are Rules - Who is to say this isn't the first time you have tried to do this either! You have QC membership? That's nice.... So do afew other thousand or so!! (Catching my drift)

As for the drop-off of baggage for repairs, poor form by QF Staff - Shouldn't have happened but you find those people everywhere!? It's a wonder how some of them keep their jobs

 

[Sdtravel]

The bag is a Rimowa. From what im told these are really good bags. (someone bought it as a XMAS gift) so i am just taking their word on the quality.

I just remember the good old days a few years back. On a Red E Deal SYD to BNE. I simply asked at check in "Is the flight on time?". Next thing i know im on the next flight out. I didnt ask for it.
As a QC and especially on a Red E Deal i know im not entitled to change flight. So it was great customer service at that time several years back to get moved at no cost. Was just hoping for similar situation. Again i know thousands of people have QC and im not entitled to it.

Thanks RedRoo, i have sent you a PM. If you didnt get it please let me know. I was using my phone

 

[risky]

If you had stuffed both bags in a cardboard box, or into one of those oversize plastic/canvass red/white/blue bags you sometimes see in the $2 shops, they would have taken it as a single bag (less than the magic 32kg). Maybe next time you can go to the oversize baggage counter and get one or more of those big plastic bags they put strollers into, and wrap everything inside that...

And then the luggage handlers would have had to dealt with a single unwieldy and heavy item, which seems to be contrary to efficient loading and OHS provisions. It is a real shame that Qantas decided to change to a single bag rule away from a total weight rule.

 

[Lucky_man]

Are the little luggage services offices near the baggage belts frequently staffed by grumpy bums? I've known them do great things - like when I went to Adelaide one to see about a stroller we left in Sydney International baggage claim accidentally. I wasn't expecting to see it again but actually the guy had it right there - it had been brought through customs without us. This was fantastic service but the man's attitude and negativity and rudeness turned what should have been a great momment of customer service into an unpleasant experience.

 

[Rox]

I've only had one experience at MEL with luggage that didn't make the same flight as me ( from LHR- BA's fault) and he was great - we commiserated about confiscated duty free alcohol
Luggage was delivered to my doorstep 24 hours later, as promised.

 

[scheps]

The bag is a Rimowa. From what im told these are really good bags. (someone bought it as a XMAS gift) so i am just taking their word on the quality.

I would be really really upset if they broke my Rimowa bag, they are really good bags for those who don't have one. Mine have not been broken thus far. I have had a hard shell no zip samsonite cruiserlite (sp?) smashed open when flying SIA. I guess cough happens sometimes.

 

[CamDownUnder]

The bag is a Rimowa. From what im told these are really good bags. (someone bought it as a XMAS gift) so i am just taking their word on the quality.

They're top quality bags, I have owned two Rimowas during my travels, they cost a bit but are worth it, betetr than over-priced Tumi.

 

[Sdtravel]

Hi Everyone
Thought I would update on the current progress (if anyone still cares)
I contacted Red Roo who responded saying that I will be contacted about the bag issue.

Got a call yesterday morning saying my bad has been fixed and is ready to be picked up ot dropped off at my place
Needless to say I opted for a drop off (return ticket to the airport, I think not)
Thats super fast repair. Really happy with the turn around. Must have been a part that is easily replaceable and in stock.
Also got a call from qantas again in thr arvo to make sure that someone had contacted earlier about the bag.
They advised that the social media team are following up the issue with baggage services and apologized for what happened.
I have requested someone follow up and let me know the outcome and what's being done to ensure it doesn't happen again.
They advised they would note it and pass it to social media team to contact me.

Last night my bad was dropped off at my place. Took a look and the part looks good all fixed. You can obviously tell the difference in parts but that's to be expected with repairs. Really happy to see the bag again and the turn around time
Thank you qantas and red roo for fixing that up.

At this point just waiting for an outcome on the customer service issues.

 

[markis10]

Hi Everyone
Thought I would update on the current progress (if anyone still cares)
I contacted Red Roo who responded saying that I will be contacted about the bag issue.

Got a call yesterday morning saying my bad has been fixed and is ready to be picked up ot dropped off at my place
Needless to say I opted for a drop off (return ticket to the airport, I think not)
Thats super fast repair. Really happy with the turn around. Must have been a part that is easily replaceable and in stock.
Also got a call from qantas again in thr arvo to make sure that someone had contacted earlier about the bag.
They advised that the social media team are following up the issue with baggage services and apologized for what happened.
I have requested someone follow up and let me know the outcome and what's being done to ensure it doesn't happen again.
They advised they would note it and pass it to social media team to contact me.

Last night my bad was dropped off at my place. Took a look and the part looks good all fixed. You can obviously tell the difference in parts but that's to be expected with repairs. Really happy to see the bag again and the turn around time
Thank you qantas and red roo for fixing that up.

At this point just waiting for an outcome on the customer service issues.

Good outcome! keep in mind if there is a next time, taking the bag to a repairer often results in the offer of selecting a new bag rather than a repair, something not available if requesting repairs at the airport.