Today I am ashamed to be Australian and associated with Jetstar as an Australian brand. The call center people you have placed in receipt of call stemming from the business conducted with fare paying passengers, are beyond incompetent in understanding what they actually say.
I had to rebook a ticket for my girlfriend who I told not to use JQ in the first place as I was already familiar of the distain and abhorrent customer relations you practice.
However, I congratulate whoever has trained the call center workers to remain calm and caring with phrases of "i'll be happy to help you with that Sir", or "we can do that". But in base point and fact, they can not. They are unable to make the connection between what they say, and what they do.
At no time was I abusive or demeaning to the people on the other end, they have a job to do. They have policies to follow like us all. However, just because it is a policy does not make it just or fair. As a customer these are basic values everyone expects and rights given to us under the ACCC.
Example paraphrased from today's call:
"Your website is not working and has instructed me to call you. Can you fix the problem?"
"Yes, I am most happy to help you with this problem Sir."
*Fantastic I thought*
Many mis-communications later...
"I can offer you the over the phone rate which is $30AUD more expensive..."
"What? How does this help me? You said you were going to help me with my problem, and you have not done that? Are you even aware of what you said? Are you in the habit of lying to customers on a regular basis?"
.... * silence * *muffled Philipino being spoken in the background*
"Sir, I am happy to offer you a voucher to use with us next time you fly."
"Madam, I am not happy to take that. I want you to fix the problem, and for you to do what you said you would do. Why would I part with $60AUD cash (two sectors to change) in the promise of getting a $50AUD Voucher. I already do not like your airline and do not want to fly with them."
"I can not offer you anything else Sir."
"Can you offer me the ability to do what you said you were going to do. Can you fix the website? Can you offer me the internet rate? How am I to trust someone that has already lied to me?"
"No Sir, I am unable to do that. Company policy has changed in line with other Australian airlines."
"Really Mam, I work in the aviation industry, and I know about the other airlines. I am a silver FF with QF and silver with VA... Both of these companies are amazing to deal with and I have never encountered any problems with changing things online, and the only time I did, the internet fare difference for baggage was allowed and honored at the check in."
"But Sir these are premium airlines, we are a budget airline... you can not compare us to Qantas, for example Tiger..."
"Please, Mam, stop. Tiger is not an airline, it is more alligned to a charter service for people that do not know any better. You said you were aligning your policies with Australian airlines.. There are three others to yourself, again my math's computes that the way you deal with me as a customer is not the same as QF and VA."
"But Sir you can not compare us to Qantas..."
"But you are part of the Qantas group, you should therefore have the same sense of decency, care and concern for your customers trying to do the right thing? Do you not share this concern?"
"I can only offer you the fare difference based on the call center rate Sir..."
FINE.... go ahead with it.
*sigh*
30+ minutes of my life wasted. Policy does not dictate fair business practice, and not having the service and charging an additional fee for using it when the fault lies with your company is very poor business practices.
Assuming you are not a Philippines based typist responding to my e-mail or based out of a ramshackle office somewhere in a subsidiary company offshore... what is the actual policy when it comes to fare differences and re-booking when there is an internet fault from your end?
Please be as formal as you like...
I happily await your reply.
Comments
PREAMBLE On March 27, 2012 I
PREAMBLE
On March 27, 2012 I booked my flight (JQ449) for April 19, 2012 from Gold Coast to Melbourne (Reservation Number X8L73Z) providing my new iPhone number 0432 125 960 to Jetstar. However I could not retrieve my Boarding Pass. I telephoned Jetstar on 13 15 38 to ask how do I see my Boarding Pass over the Internet so I could print it out. Your staff said I could not “go back” over the Internet and get my Boarding Pass. She said I have to go to Coolangatta Airport an hour early and check in normally. When I went to Check In the fellow said “The Boarding Pass would have been sent to your iPhone.” He then showed me on my iphone the Boarding Pass, sent as a short message service (SMS) All I had to do was show my phone as I boarded. I arrived at Coolangatta Airport an hour early but the flight left 40 minutes late (from memory). I am 69 yrs old and was experiencing an acute back pain, probably a pinched nerve, so I let the air hostess know. She said “the plane is 80% empty so you will have plenty of room to stretch out.” Which was true? During mid-flight the hostess did ask if I was OK and I did say I would really appreciate a small pillow to rest my head. I was surprised when she made it quite clear that my request was out of the question. This first paragraph is NOT a complaint.
Re: COMPLAINTS
However, my Itinerary from Melbourne to Gold Coast on the April 28, 2012 was a total disaster. I booked over the Internet on April 12, 2012 (JQ450) from Melbourne to Gold Coast (Reservation Number LBIK9A) I was holidaying at my son’s home and he doesn’t have the Internet. Saturday morning I telephoned Jetstar on 13 15 38 because I had not received my Boarding Pass on my iPhone. The girl said Jetstar still had my old mobile number (0413 304 505) – it had not been replaced with my new phone number as previously requested by me. The Jetstar girl said the Boarding Pass also cannot be sent during the last 24 hours. I told your girl that my old phone had failed on the April 18, 2012 and 0413 304 505 does not exist now. She said my flight was confirmed but I would have to arrive at least an hour early to check-in normally. So I arrived at 7pm waited in a long queue and finally was told my flight was cancelled and that they sent me an SMS around 5pm. I checked my iPhone and there was no message. If Jetstar had notified me of the flight cancellation it would have saved me & my son a lot of time and my son would have saved a lot of Toll money. The Check-in woman said I have to come back the next day (April 29th). I requested an accommodation voucher for the Hotel near the Tullamarine Airport. She said the cancellation was due to bad weather (and NOT a low number of passengers) she said I can stay at the airport overnight. My son drove me from his Brighton home along the TOLL ROADS. By the time I was told my flight was cancelled my son had returned along the same Toll Roads to the other side of the city. I’m a pensioner so I cannot afford to stay in hotels at my expense. My son did not want me to stay up all night at the airport. My back is OK but now I have been suffering with toothache (2 teeth) or it may be an abscess so he drove back along the Toll Roads to pick me up and then again along the Toll roads to his home in Brighton where I could rest in comfort. The Service Desk woman gave me a boarding pass for Flight JQ7402 which supposed to depart at 6.00am Sunday morning.
I got up and dressed at 3.30am (I could not sleep) and on the way to the airport, along the Toll roads, I telephoned Jetstar again just to confirm everything was OK for 6.00am departure. The girl said “No, the plane departs at 6.20am and she would send me an Email of the Itinerary” I told my son there was no rush because the first flight was delayed by 20 minutes. Once again I never received the Email on my phone. When I got to the boarding gate the woman said the 6.00am plane (not 6.20am) JQ7402 has been cancelled because it only had 8 passengers (not the weather this time!) She said she can get me on Flight JQ430 which leaves at the same time from Gate 26. She telephoned the Service Desk to reserve a seat for me. Then she said her computer will not allow her to change the booking. She said I have to go back to the Jetstar Service Desk and go through X-ray inspection again.
When I got to the Service Desk the girl said JQ430 to Gold Coast is full?? And I have to fly to Brisbane with Qantas then a long bus ride to the Gold Coast. At the Qantas desk I was given Flight QF 604 boarding at 6.45am.
At Brisbane airport I requested a train ride to Nerang (where I live) but was told by Qantas that I could do that at my own cost. The asked the bus driver if he could go up off-ramp #71 at Nerang, let me off, then go back down onto the M1 (Pacific Hwy). The driver said “no” he said he had to go directly to Coolangatta Airport 40km further on and I can make my own way back. This bus left Brisbane airport then was recalled to pick up some late passengers. The driver missed the pickup point and left the airport again. The driver once again returned to the airport and finally picked up these late passengers.
I then caught a local bus to Varsity Lakes train station. Unfortunately all trains were cancelled and I had to catch a “Rail Bus”. The driver would not stop at my bus stop in Nerang and continued on to Nerang Railway Station. I had to make my own way back to Nerang. I eventually arrived at my home at 1.00pm
I am totally dismayed with Jetstar’s performance and lack of compassion for this return trip to the Gold Coast and really feel I should be compensated in some way. It is quite bizarre that I have been turned away from three consecutive flights. Previously I have been quite happy with Jetstar.