The pointless pathetic penny pinching that pushes away customers thread

[OATEK]

<SNIP> This is all information that Qantas has at their fingertips, yet seemingly chooses not to use.

I recently had occasion to discuss my home broadband service with Optus. I have 4 different accounts with Optus, and some in their old systems, so do not have a single view of my accounts. However, they obviously do, because when I rang about upping the download limits, they responded with "Mr Oatek, you have been a customer of Optus since the year dot. In recognition of all the loyalty you have shown and the contribution to our bottom line, we would like to offer you an upgrade from 10 to 50GB for $1 a month extra, no contracts, no mucking about". Well, it went something like that.

So as Edge says, they could deal with customers on an individual basis just as Optus did with me, or they can continue to lump them in to large amorphous groups and hope that they are still happy. QF seem apply very broad brush rules, the reasons for which seem to reply on a $ made today instead of $$$ to be made in the future. My experience has been that if you treat your customers well, they will come back time and again.

Optus aren't perfect by any means, and I am sure there are lots of horror stories out there about them. But their ability to deal with you based on their knowledge of your business with them, and respond in a tailored fashion, is something that QF could think about.

 

[BadgerBoi]

80% of the Lounge and other ground staff should be sacked and replaced with people who are subject to regular performance review and not paid grotesque sums of money under union-strongarmed rates of pay. The other 20% should be given a bonus and used to train the new staff.

Those evil unions need to be banned, at least until they cease insisting on sacrificing virgins and eating the first born children of all non-unionists. At least that's how I understand things work, having read a few online forums.

 

[Spongbob]

And employers should stop paying for staff travel.

 

[eastwest101]

Earlier this year booked flights from Canberra to Fiji (2 adults, a 2 year old and a 9 month old) through the Qantas website - codeshare flights with Fiji Airways. Paid the $90 credit card booking fee for 3 tickets.
At Sydney airport asked to use a couple of strollers to help us get the kids through security, immigration etc. Was told that as it was "not a Qantas flight" we could not use them. Now I understand that the flight was operated by Fiji Airways, but given that it was booked through Qantas and we were travelling on a QF flight number I would have thought that letting us use a couple of strollers was not a big ask. Apparently not.

I know its history now, but maybe I am missing something blindingly obvious, but I have a question for jason_c - if you had a boarding pass with say QF391 or QF345 printed on it, or an itenerary with QF flight numbers on it, or even just direct their attention to the flight information display with FJ091/QF391 SYD-NAN then whats the issue?

Hello QF employee, meet QF customer with valid travel documentation for an international QF flight!!
:shock:

I don't care if the ground handlers are Monty Python enterprises or Black Adder Ground Staff Inc. - thats irrelevant.

Surely there must be more to this story? Is anyone a pram expert for SYD QF International? Is it staffed by QF checkin staff or by Macquarie Airport staff?

 

[straitman]

And employers should stop paying for staff travel.

Sorry but what am I missing with that comment:?:

 

[Spongbob]

Straitman, it is just the logical extension of the points made by leon_rex (#213). Obviously, employers only pay for staff travel because of strong-armed union pressure, or the threat / spillover effect (I cannot remember the correct academic expression lecturers used during my Uni of Syd business degree) that union-free employers apply.

In the digital age there is no need for staff travel. One only has to see the movie "Up in the Air" to appreciate the economic waste employers suffer due to paid staff travel. And in the end, this increases the price we all pay for goods and services.

 

[medhead]

Umm, yeah, sorry you can't network and achieve things by Skype. At least in a professional setting. Today alone I've made a couple of pretty important contacts for international collaboration.

 

[JohnK]

And employers should stop paying for staff travel.

Personal staff travel? I agree.

But I think you mean staff travelling for business is no longer required bringing in huge cost savings as everything should be able to be done with online tools available today.

 

[SeatBackForward]

In the digital age there is no need for staff travel. One only has to see the movie "Up in the Air" to appreciate the economic waste employers suffer due to paid staff travel. And in the end, this increases the price we all pay for goods and services.

Just to be clear, Up in the Air is a movie, a piece of fiction.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Mannej, my last off topic reply to OJ or AJ as in drinks.
Water us best he said.
At least on the MEL to ADL FA gave me water, full 250 ml bottle.
I will try to keep to the gist of website now.

 

[Spongbob]

SeatBackForward, I understand the "Up in the Air" story is fiction, but the notion that ICT can replace face-to-face meetings is not. Perhaps if the cost saving from ending staff travel was spent on improving the customer experience, there would be fewer of the examples of "penny pinching" mentioned in this threat?

 

[SeatBackForward]

SeatBackForward, I understand the "Up in the Air" story is fiction, but the notion that ICT can replace face-to-face meetings is not. Perhaps if the cost saving from ending staff travel was spent on improving the customer experience, there would be fewer of the examples of "penny pinching" mentioned in this threat?

Oh, so you are specifically referring to Qantas?

 

[OATEK]

SeatBackForward, I understand the "Up in the Air" story is fiction, but the notion that ICT can replace face-to-face meetings is not. Perhaps if the cost saving from ending staff travel was spent on improving the customer experience, there would be fewer of the examples of "penny pinching" mentioned in this threat?

I have been involved in a number of major assignments that utilised Video-conferencing and Skype, and yes they work sort of! If you don't mind not being able to see the faces and expressions of the participants because of the light from the window behind (and this in established VC facility for teaching) or you can cope with the pixelation and delays with Skype.

But to say that you can replace all face-to-face meetings and negotiations with ICT is not feasible in my experience. People often want to see you, shake your hand and look in your eye before they will commit large sums of money or agree to put their reputation at stake. So VC has its place, but it is unlikely to ever replace face-to-face completely. My travel for business is perhaps 10-20% of what it was 20 years ago, but I don't see that last portion evaporating.

 

[medhead]

SeatBackForward, I understand the "Up in the Air" story is fiction, but the notion that ICT can replace face-to-face meetings is not. Perhaps if the cost saving from ending staff travel was spent on improving the customer experience, there would be fewer of the examples of "penny pinching" mentioned in this threat?

Do you understand that this thread is about penny pinching by Qantas against their customers? Other businesses reducing staff travel will not help Qantas, in fact it will make matters worse for Qantas. Perhaps you mean Qantas should stop staff travel; strangely I don't see a safety demonstration working via video conference.

 

[Timsboot]

I do a lot of BKK-SYD flying. Have come to know QF 23/24 very well. Last year on a J class flight we were handed first class amenities kits. "That's nice" I said to the CSM or FA. "What's the special occasion?". "I think they change the packs in first class on international so we have handing them out to business class", was the reply. "Nice" I say again. Fast forward a year and they are still handing out those packs on QF23/4 in J. But - and this is a big but - the packs are now so old and have flown backwards and forward so often that the liquids in them are hardening. The toothpaste is more like a tooth-fudge and the moisturiser is more like a hard-sturiser. Serving out of date left over amenities packs is (now) classic QF penny pinching

 

[JohnK]

Has there been any suggestion this does not happen at the whim of Qantas when it suits Qantas?

Arrived BNE airport ~5:00pm for a 6:55pm flight.

Went to check-in counter downstairs and handed over QFF card. Asked if they were flow forwarding. She looked at my booking class and said it was not eligible. I said don't worry about it. She said hang on a minute and took my card and wandered down to supervisor at the last check-in counter. Came back and said not a problem.

I could have rushed and got on the 5:25pm flight but I chose the 5:55pm flight although best seat I could get 18D. Not the end of world but a long way from civilisation. It probably does not matter that flight was already delayed and then delayed further because I was on it. And then another 5 minutes lost waiting for 14 rows of economy to disembark. As it turns out My original flight which was a 767 with me in bulkhead and a dinner flight was only ~20 minutes behind me. I didn't achieve much getting on earlier flight.

So does this count?

 

[medhead]

Arrived BNE airport ~5:00pm for a 6:55pm flight.

Went to check-in counter downstairs and handed over QFF card. Asked if they were flow forwarding. She looked at my booking class and said it was not eligible. I said don't worry about it. She said hang on a minute and took my card and wandered down to supervisor at the last check-in counter. Came back and said not a problem.

I could have rushed and got on the 5:25pm flight but I chose the 5:55pm flight although best seat I could get 18D. Not the end of world but a long way from civilisation. It probably does not matter that flight was already delayed and then delayed further because I was on it. And then another 5 minutes lost waiting for 14 rows of economy to disembark. As it turns out My original flight which was a 767 with me in bulkhead and a dinner flight was only ~20 minutes behind me. I didn't achieve much getting on earlier flight.

So does this count?

If this was yesterday it doesn't count. Firstly, they moved you at their whim, not because of your request. 2) they were accommodating a large number of virgin Australia/Jetstar pax because of the power failure at SYD T2.

 

[Sdtravel]

Not so sure it does.

i hate to say it but meal times are pretty standard. If you opted for an earlier flight you should have been aware of the refreshment vs meal service differences.

As to the flight changes
i know I have shown up a few times and simply asked the question "is the flight on time?". Next thing I know I'm on the earlier flight either because I turned up really early or they are being nice. I'm always on red e deals.
it benefits them really. No point having an empty seat on an earlier flight if you can fill it and sell mine.
delays happen. It's the luck of the draw.
Was travelling with a French colleague, he opted to change from the 18:00 service to the 17:50. His flight ended up being delayed and on the smaller qantas link planes.

 

[JohnK]

If this was yesterday it doesn't count. Firstly, they moved you at their whim, not because of your request. 2) they were accommodating a large number of virgin Australia/Jetstar pax because of the power failure at SYD T2.

So it doesn't count when they move me. And it definitely does not count when I asked to be moved. I wonder when it does actually count?

FWIW I was tired on today's SYD-BNE flight in 4D and wanted to use toilet. The cart was only around row 9-10 so I used the toilet at the front. Both CSM and FA were quite cheerful. Came back out and asked for some cahsews/pretzels and I got 2 packets. First one had 5.5 cashews and second one had 4 cashews. FA asked if I would like a drink. I said I would love a beer but I am not entitled to one. FA said I would love to get you a beer. That is when CSM came over and recommended the 50 slashes. Or is that 150 lashes? No bottle opener but he managed to open it with another gadget and the beer went everywhere. Missed me but went all over him. We had a good laugh. Then the CSM said here let me show you how to open it. So I helped by holding beer down and she opened it. They also gave me the half bottle of beer as well.

 

[Mr_Orange]

I have been involved in a number of major assignments that utilised Video-conferencing and Skype, and yes they work sort of! If you don't mind not being able to see the faces and expressions of the participants because of the light from the window behind (and this in established VC facility for teaching) or you can cope with the pixelation and delays with Skype.

But to say that you can replace all face-to-face meetings and negotiations with ICT is not feasible in my experience. People often want to see you, shake your hand and look in your eye before they will commit large sums of money or agree to put their reputation at stake. So VC has its place, but it is unlikely to ever replace face-to-face completely. My travel for business is perhaps 10-20% of what it was 20 years ago, but I don't see that last portion evaporating.

Agreed. My experiences with VC and TC are mediocre at best and more often than not the quality is poor.