A line in The Times’ edition last Friday, in a report on the latest Internet Banking SITEisfaction survey results, leapt out at me.
Commenting on the fact that FNB was ranked South Africa’s top internet banking service provider, with a record high 75% score, the head of that division was quoted saying 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, sadly.
Think non-virtual bank branches which close in the middle of the afternoon; mothers with young children made to stand in long 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 clearly 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 tag-lines, but if the employees who are entrusted to interact with customers daily aren’t willing or able to embrace them, they’re meaningless.
Take Joburg-based television producer Mark Veltman’s experience at Cape Town international airport last Monday.
He flies, business class, between Cape Town and Joburg several times a month with his beloved Boston terrier, Olly.
But 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 make a plan to fly him home separately.
“How can BA implement a new policy without informing frequent travellers who regularly fly with their dogs?” he asked. “I was treated disgustingly. And the airline’s website still says nothing of the new policy,” he said. “It states ‘We know your pets are part of your family’ but their actions say otherwise.”
Responding to In Your Corner’s query, Comair’s head of marketing, Shaun Pozyn, said that as of May 4, the company no longer accepted pets at check-in counters.
They are now transported by BidAir Cargo and while passengers may request that their pets are 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” – at OR Tambo, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth airports – a better tracking system and transport to planes in an air-conditioned vehicle (currently OR Tambo only), rather than “with the other checked bags”.
And on arrival, passengers no longer have to wait at the baggage carousel for their pets to be brought through – they can 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 was approved and implemented prior to the new policy going live. This included:
l On board announcements were made by cabin crew (Veltman said he didn’t hear a single one on numerous BA flights);
l 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);
l Communications and updates were sent to “various trade partners” (Veltman says as an Executive Club member he gets monthly emails; none mentioned the new policy);
lAll customers have always been required to contact the call centre 72 hours prior to departure to confirm pet transport; the call centre staff were advising customers of the new policy (Veltman didn’t make that call); and
l 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 Veldman has gone through,” Pozyn said.
He conceded that the website’s pet policy hadn’t been updated and that the airline was still “working on it”. At the time of going to press it was unchanged.
Seen from “the client’s perspective”, given how many 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 at the weekend. Good save. Man and dog were reunited on Friday evening.
CONTACT: E-mail: consumer@knowler.co.za or Twitter: wendy@knowler
Flying dog’s wings clipped
Commenting on the fact that FNB was ranked South Africa’s top internet banking service provider, with a record high 75% score, the head of that division was quoted saying 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, sadly.
Think non-virtual bank branches which close in the middle of the afternoon; mothers with young children made to stand in long 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 clearly 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 tag-lines, but if the employees who are entrusted to interact with customers daily aren’t willing or able to embrace them, they’re meaningless.
Take Joburg-based television producer Mark Veltman’s experience at Cape Town international airport last Monday.
He flies, business class, between Cape Town and Joburg several times a month with his beloved Boston terrier, Olly.
But 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 make a plan to fly him home separately.
“How can BA implement a new policy without informing frequent travellers who regularly fly with their dogs?” he asked. “I was treated disgustingly. And the airline’s website still says nothing of the new policy,” he said. “It states ‘We know your pets are part of your family’ but their actions say otherwise.”
Responding to In Your Corner’s query, Comair’s head of marketing, Shaun Pozyn, said that as of May 4, the company no longer accepted pets at check-in counters.
They are now transported by BidAir Cargo and while passengers may request that their pets are 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” – at OR Tambo, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth airports – a better tracking system and transport to planes in an air-conditioned vehicle (currently OR Tambo only), rather than “with the other checked bags”.
And on arrival, passengers no longer have to wait at the baggage carousel for their pets to be brought through – they can 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 was approved and implemented prior to the new policy going live. This included:
l On board announcements were made by cabin crew (Veltman said he didn’t hear a single one on numerous BA flights);
l 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);
l Communications and updates were sent to “various trade partners” (Veltman says as an Executive Club member he gets monthly emails; none mentioned the new policy);
lAll customers have always been required to contact the call centre 72 hours prior to departure to confirm pet transport; the call centre staff were advising customers of the new policy (Veltman didn’t make that call); and
l 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 Veldman has gone through,” Pozyn said.
He conceded that the website’s pet policy hadn’t been updated and that the airline was still “working on it”. At the time of going to press it was unchanged.
Seen from “the client’s perspective”, given how many 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 at the weekend. Good save. Man and dog were reunited on Friday evening.
CONTACT: E-mail: consumer@knowler.co.za or Twitter: wendy@knowler
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