Airline service was a real dog

12 May 2015 - 02:08 By Wendy Knowler

A line in The Times on Friday, in a report on the latest Internet Banking SITEisfaction survey results, leapt out at me. Commenting on the fact that FNB was ranked as the top internet banking service provider, with a record-high 75% score, the head of that division was quoted as saying that the bank strove to see "everything from the client's perspective".You'd think that would be a no-brainer as an overriding principle for all businesses - and all divisions within a business - but you'd be wrong.Think non-virtual bank branches which close in the middle of the afternoon; mothers with young children made to stand in check-out queues lined with sweets and chocolates; product packaging that would be a challenge to penetrate even for a knife-wielding Chuck Norris; and armies of store staff who appear to regard customers as an annoying intrusion."Seeing everything from a client's perspective" requires empathy.It's all very well having wonderful mission statements and advertising taglines, but if the employees who are entrusted to interact with customers daily aren't willing or able to embrace them, they're meaningless.Take Johannesburg television producer Mark Veltman's experience at Cape Town International Airport last Monday.He flies business class between Cape Town and Jo'burg several times a month with his Boston Terrier, Olly.When he went to check in for his Comair-operated British Airways flight that evening, he was told that with effect from that day, pets were no longer allowed to fly."This came as a total surprise to me," he told In Your Corner. "I flew on BA with Olly just the week before and not a word was said."Veltman was given two options: arrange to leave his dog in Cape Town and fly home without him, or cancel the flight and go with another airline the next day."When I asked if I would be reimbursed for my ticket, I was told they didn't deal with that; they didn't know."In the end, Veltman opted to leave Olly with friends in Cape Town and fly him home later."How can BA implement a new policy without informing travellers who fly with their dogs regularly?" he asked."I was treated disgustingly. And the airline's website still says nothing of the new policy. It states: 'We know your pets are part of your family' but its actions say otherwise."Responding to In Your Corner's query, Comair's head of marketing, Shaun Pozyn, said that since last Monday the company no longer accepted pets at check-in counters. Instead they were transported by BidAir Cargo.While passengers may request that their pets were put on the same flight as them, this was subject to space availability, and bookings had to be made 48 hours in advance.Pozyn said the new policy provided pets with a superior flying experience - safe, comfortable "pet lounges" atOR Tambo, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth airports, a better tracking system, and transport to planes in an air-conditioned vehicle (OR Tambo only), rather than "with the other checked bags".And on arrival, passengers no longer had to wait at the baggage carousel for their pets to be brought through - they could collect their bags and go straight to BidAir Cargo or the pet lounges to fetch their pets "in an environment that is less busy and disturbing for the animals".Sounds great, but why didn't Veltman know about the change?Pozyn said a communications plan had been approved and implemented before the new policy went live, including:On-board announcements were made by cabin crew (Veltman said he didn't hear one on numerous BA flights);Flyers were distributed to all customers travelling with pets (Veltman says he didn't see or get handed one in the airport in the weeks leading up to the change);Communications and updates were sent to "various trade partners" (Veltman says as an Executive Club member he gets monthly e-mails; none mentioned the new policy);All customers have always been required to contact the call centre 72 hours before departure to confirm pet transport (Veltman didn't make that call); and the call centre staff were advising customers of the new policy.As a contingency plan, should a passenger not be aware of the policy, and arrive at a check-in counter with a pet, the check-in staff are to call BidAir Cargo and arrange for the pet to be taken to the cargo centre. (Veltman wasn't offered this.)"We are investigating why the airport didn't follow the contingency plan and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience that Mr Veltman has gone through," Pozyn said.He conceded that the website's pet policy had not been updated and that the airline was "working on it". At the time of going to press it remained unchanged.Seen from "the client's perspective", given how many people source such information online, that's a major fail.The good news is that the airline gave Veltman a complimentary return flight in order to collect Olly. Good save.Man and dog were reunited on Friday evening.ContactE-mail: consumer@knowlerTwitter: @wendyknowler..

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