Australian Politics Forum - Qantas "customer care"

sherri

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #30 - Jul 14^th, 2014 at 6:21am

freediver wrote on Jul 13^th, 2014 at 8:21am:

I got a response from them:

Thank you for your complaint. Your reference number is....

We will endeavour to respond in 20 working days. If you have further correspondence in relation to this complaint, you may submit it here.

I am going to contact my local federal MP and complain also.

May I also suggest Product Review.
Companies are starting to take it seriously. I put in a bad review for a building company and their rep was onto it like lightning.

Many companies are now monitoring it.
--------------
Out of interest, just had a look at the reviews on that website. The latest one I can see (made on Jul 7th) interestingly had this to say in part of the review:

Wrote to QANTAS no reply, mailed several times no reply. I will not fly QANTAS ever again, not even an Emirates flight operated by QANTAS. Going down the gurgler QANTAS

This was by a person who paid a lot of extra money to book a seat with extra leg room, changed flights (at an extra cost) but was not refunded the $600, even though he was not given a seat with the extra leg room.

Now that may be the ticket conditions, but it wouldn't hurt Qantas to at least give a professional answer via email.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt them to monitor what people are complaining about either because sometimes there are things that fall between the cracks, things that could be improved.

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« Last Edit: Jul 15^th, 2014 at 4:25am by sherri »

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President Elect, The Mechanic

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #31 - Jul 14^th, 2014 at 6:43am

freediver wrote on Jul 13^th, 2014 at 8:21am:

I got a response from them:

Thank you for your complaint. Your reference number is....

We will endeavour to respond in 20 working days. If you have further correspondence in relation to this complaint, you may submit it here.

I am going to contact my local federal MP and complain also.

oh for gods sakes...

you sound like one of those lefty sulks on the polly forum

Qantas couldn't make it any clearer on their sites about how much baggage you can carry...

its not rocket surgery...

we always fly Qantas/Jetstar... because they are the best in this country...

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fezz

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #32 - Jul 16^th, 2014 at 7:56pm

... wrote on Jul 12^th, 2014 at 9:42am:

sherri wrote on Jul 12^th, 2014 at 6:49am:

... wrote on Jul 11^th, 2014 at 3:27pm:

freediver wrote on Jul 11^th, 2014 at 12:29pm:

I recently tried to make a complaint to Qantas about inappropriate excess baggage charges. Everyone I spoke to in person (at the airport) or over the phone told me to contact "customer care". The guy on the phone explained that you can contact them by (snail) mail, fax or email. I suggested this was a dodgy way to avoid dealing with angry customers over the phone, which he politely denied. OK, so I ask for the email address. Well, they don't actually give you their email address. Instead they direct you to an online form. I filled this out over 24 hours ago, and still have not received a response - not even a confirmation email.

Has anyone gone through this process before? How long does it take to get a response?

Having a bad day were you?

usually these complaints are just some nice person pissed off at something else and want to someone to vent to. As soon as the person calms down, they realise it was nothing and don't take it any further -

sounds like you just need to chill.

Baggage charges are what they are. If you had an airline you could charge what you want, but you don't and they do....

No, it's not really fair, but venting at some poor bitch in a call centre has precisely 0.0% chance of changing that, but

it does make you a jerk

. Do you really want to be that guy?

I don't agree with you. I think if anyone has a complaint about something, in any business, they have a right to a voice, a right to be heard and a right to an explanation. In a timely manner. An immediate response is always best.

That doesn't necessarily mean they have a right to get exactly what they want. But there should be some easy way for any customer to raise a concern and have it quickly dealt with.
Basic customer service shouldn't be a luxury, not if any business is serious about staying in business or getting ahead.

The issue isn't really about whether freediver is in the right or wrong, or whether he will get a refund or not (I agree, possibly unlikely).
It is about the fact he can't get to discuss it with anyone in the first place.

Fair enough if something has actually gone wrong and needs to be fixed, for example lost luggage, they should provide facility to rectify it ASAP.

But complaining about fees? There's nothing to be fixed - That's just being a jerk.

I get as frustrated as the next man by all the petty bullshit airlines make you go through - if the seat is reclined by even 1 degree during take off/landing they make you put it up, the way they make you open the window shutters during this time for no discernible reason, how they make you turn off your e-reader as if it would bring down a plane, or how if some jerk takes a liking to something in your carry-on they can't be convinced to let you keep it. Yes, the airline industry is a pack of sooks, but they're sooks backed up by the strong arm of the AFP. Complaining will get you nowhere, except maybe in a private room with a man in rubber gloves.

I agree with all you say here except for the highlight. There is a valid reason for this, shutters down is recognised by the airline industry as the indicator of a hijacked plane.

I'm a Platinum FF, so I do get the good treatment, but that still doesn't stop them from screwing up - 99% of the time I fly I only take carry on, but the last two times I've had check in, 12 months apart, both occasions my checked bag has failed to make the connecting flight to my final destination. I had a whinge, got myself two business class upgrades for that stuff up.

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freediver

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #33 - Jul 17^th, 2014 at 6:48am

President Elect, The Mechanic wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 6:43am:

freediver wrote on Jul 13^th, 2014 at 8:21am:

I got a response from them:

Thank you for your complaint. Your reference number is....

We will endeavour to respond in 20 working days. If you have further correspondence in relation to this complaint, you may submit it here.

I am going to contact my local federal MP and complain also.

oh for gods sakes...

you sound like one of those lefty sulks on the polly forum

Qantas couldn't make it any clearer on their sites about how much baggage you can carry...

its not rocket surgery...

we always fly Qantas/Jetstar... because they are the best in this country...

My baggage complied with the rules on the Qantas website, which are not entirely clear once you get into the details for unusual baggage. Qantas even acknowledges the ambiguity on some of the rules on its website. That is why I called to confirm.

I have now received 2 "automated" responses to the 3 submissions I have made. I say automated, but the second one took a few days to come through. Still no idea which response is for which submission.

The airline industry "advocate" wrote back and said I am ineligible to complain about the absurdly long response time from Qantas until I have waited the absurdly long response time, then gone through it a second time if I am unhappy with the first result.

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freediver

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #34 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 10:36am

Qantas got back to me a few days ago - to an email address other than the one I submitted with the complaint.

They said they aren't going to give me my money back and passed the buck onto the other airline. They ignored the key aspects of my complaint - that Qantas staff lied to me prior to the flight about the charges, and that the other airline applied the charges on behalf of Qantas.

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Grappler Truth Teller Feller

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #35 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 12:58pm

It is very sorry we are to advise you that our operator, a Tamil, has gone to Australia on board a tourist boat and is not expected to return until processed incorrectly. In the meantime please to enjoy our elevator music of sitar and drum, and we will return to you at some time soon. You will receive free pappadums on your next flight with QANTINDIA. Thank you for calling and please to hold the line.

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“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 47436 At my desk.	Re: Qantas "customer care" Reply #36 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 1:44pm LOL. Right now I would be happy to talk to some Indian bloke with a thick accent. It beats waiting weeks for the inevitable bullshit response.
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Annie Anthrax Gold Member Offline Take the plan, spin it sideways Posts: 7057 Gender:	Re: Qantas "customer care" Reply #37 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:29pm freediver wrote on Jul 11^th, 2014 at 7:32pm: So far my success rate with getting refunds has been 100%. Hardly surprising. They're probably throwing money at you to get you to stop arguing by the time you're done, aren't they? Tell me, do you take cheques?
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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 47436 At my desk.	Re: Qantas "customer care" Reply #38 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:34pm I accept paypal. There is a donate button at the bottom of the main forum page. I don't think they are trying to make me stop arguing with them, but to avoid more bad publicity. Some have even commented to this effect. I'm actually not usually the sort to stand at the counter trying to argue my way to what I want.
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Annie Anthrax

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #39 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:39pm

freediver wrote on Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:34pm:

I accept paypal. There is a donate button at the bottom of the main forum page.

I don't think they are trying to make me stop arguing with them, but to avoid more bad publicity. Some have even commented to this effect. I'm actually not usually the sort to stand at the counter trying to argue my way to what I want.

Do you mention you have a website with x amount of hits/ month etc? If so, does that work?

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Aussie

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #40 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:56pm

freediver wrote on Jul 27^th, 2014 at 1:44pm:

LOL. Right now I would be happy to talk to some Indian bloke with a thick accent. It beats waiting weeks for the inevitable bullshit response.

Annoying isn't it when you make a complaint, ask a question or make a suggestion even, and either get zero response or half smart, supercilious irrelevant crap. I would not tolerate that freediver. You deserve much more. That sort of service to users is just not on, is it.

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« Last Edit: Jul 27^th, 2014 at 6:30pm by Aussie »

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freediver

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #41 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 7:59pm

Annie Anthrax wrote on Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:39pm:

freediver wrote on Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:34pm:

I accept paypal. There is a donate button at the bottom of the main forum page.

I don't think they are trying to make me stop arguing with them, but to avoid more bad publicity. Some have even commented to this effect. I'm actually not usually the sort to stand at the counter trying to argue my way to what I want.

Do you mention you have a website with x amount of hits/ month etc? If so, does that work?

It worked well with a hotel that refused to give me a refund (or the room I had paid for). There is a thread about it on here somewhere. Basically they became very polite about three seconds after I sent them a link. I think I did the same with a few other problems I have had. Bad publicity and the relevant ombudsman are both very powerful tools, in my experience - except of course the airline industry ombudsman, which is a "voluntary" one owned and run by the same people screwing you over with bad customer service in the first place.

I have informed Qantas of this thread, which so far hasn't worked. My next trick will be getting this thread higher up on the google results. At the moment it is on page 4 for "Qantas customer care".

Quote:

Annoying isn't it when you make a complaint, ask a question or make a suggestion even, and either get zero response or half smart, supercilious irrelevant crap. I would not tolerate that freediver. You deserve much more. That sort of service to users is just not on, is it.

As a last resort, there is always "taking your business elsewhere".

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Grappler Truth Teller Feller

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #42 - Jul 27^th, 2014 at 8:40pm

freediver wrote on Jul 27^th, 2014 at 1:44pm:

LOL. Right now I would be happy to talk to some Indian bloke with a thick accent. It beats waiting weeks for the inevitable bullshit response.

Kindly to wait and listen to the music.. you will be attended to the moment one of our Tamil workers on $1 a day is available. Your query has advanced in the queue, Sahib.

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“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
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sherri

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Re: Qantas "customer care"
Reply #43 - Jul 28^th, 2014 at 8:01am

freediver wrote on Jul 27^th, 2014 at 7:59pm:

Annie Anthrax wrote on Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:39pm:

freediver wrote on Jul 27^th, 2014 at 4:34pm:

I accept paypal. There is a donate button at the bottom of the main forum page.

I don't think they are trying to make me stop arguing with them, but to avoid more bad publicity. Some have even commented to this effect. I'm actually not usually the sort to stand at the counter trying to argue my way to what I want.

Do you mention you have a website with x amount of hits/ month etc? If so, does that work?

It worked well with a hotel that refused to give me a refund (or the room I had paid for). There is a thread about it on here somewhere. Basically they became very polite about three seconds after I sent them a link. I think I did the same with a few other problems I have had. Bad publicity and the relevant ombudsman are both very powerful tools, in my experience - except of course the airline industry ombudsman, which is a "voluntary" one owned and run by the same people screwing you over with bad customer service in the first place.

I

have informed Qantas of this thread, which so far hasn't worked. My next trick will be getting this thread higher up on the google results

. At the moment it is on page 4 for "Qantas customer care".

Quote:

Annoying isn't it when you make a complaint, ask a question or make a suggestion even, and either get zero response or half smart, supercilious irrelevant crap. I would not tolerate that freediver. You deserve much more. That sort of service to users is just not on, is it.

As a last resort, there is always "taking your business elsewhere".

Said it before but will say it again.

Why don't you write a review on Product review?
Most big companies and quite a few smaller ones now have reps monitoring the site and replying.
They care because they get an overall star rating and more and more people are using the site now.

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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 47436 At my desk.	Re: Qantas "customer care" Reply #44 - Jul 28^th, 2014 at 7:06pm Maybe I will. I haven't posted on any other sites yet. I like to keep it proportionate, so I can wind it back if they do come to the party.
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