I'll use my private jet next time.
S$4260/- is the price you pay for a first class Singapore/Bangalore/Singapore ticket.
But the service you get is as if you’ve paid 50 cents for a bus ride.
That’s why I laughed when I read in the papers this morning that Singapore Airlines is spending big bucks retrofitting its planes.
It should retrofit the mindsets of some of its staff.
It’s not the hardware but the heartware!
I’m a Solitaire PPS Club member of SIA but this is the experience I just had:
I flew SQ503 on February 11 from Bangalore to Singapore; first class, seat 1B.
The Leading Stewardess (green uniform) was rude, abrupt and condescending.
Before takeoff she asked if she could get me a drink.
I’m usually served champagne before takeoff so this time I asked “What single malts do you carry?” and she gave me this look that said “What a frigging moron you are” and retorted loudly “We can’t serve alcohol before takeoff!”
Having consulted with all kinds of organizations including airlines and having conducted all kinds of training in the course of my work – including customer service training for cabin crew, etc – for over 25 years, I thought she would have said sotto voce “Sorry, authorities in India don’t allow us to serve alcohol before takeoff, but can I get you a juice or a Perrier instead, and your single malt once we’re airborne? In the meantime here’s our wine list.”
Instead her loudness caught the attention of other passengers and embarrassed me, making me feel like an idiot.
I didn’t even ask for a drink, I just wanted to know what single malts they carry on board!
In my opinion, I think she’s better suited to work as a bus driver.
The other cabin crew members, especially the males, were all very professional, polite and efficient.
A complaint to SIA resulted in the following reply:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your online feedback of 15 February.
We are very sorry to learn of the manner our cabin crew had responded to your drink request onboard SQ503/11 February and we hope you will accept our apologies for the upset caused.
The crew should have been more professional and polite and it is embarrassing for us to learn of such lapse.
We do not want to provide excuses for your experience but would like to assure you our Crew Performance Manager will be counseling the crew concerned and her performance will be closely monitored in the future.
We appreciate your feedback as it enables us to better monitor our service standards and take the necessary corrective action. We can do better, and we sincerely look forward to be service to you under more pleasant circumstances.
Yours sincerely,
Nella Mok
Customer Affairs Manager.
Well, at least I get a reply, unlike those retards at Royal Caribbean.
Two emails to the cruise company – including one sent on February 20, 2010, to their Corporate Communications Manager Chin Ying Duan – remain unanswered till today. If their Corporate Coms Manager is incommunicado, why was she even hired in the first place?