Air France “Quality Observer”
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at 07:00 by Charles-P.
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DavidGordon10ParticipantI have had an email from AF-KLM inviting me to be a “Quality Observer”. “If you accept … you can be a Quality Observer for your flight AF0896 from Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Brazzaville, Maya Maya (BZV) on …”
This would require me to “… record your experiences with your mobile phone using the Quality Observer mobile App during the different stages of your journey, each stage should take less than 5 minutes to complete.”
Now let us suppose that the total time I would need to devote to this for each flight where I was a “Quality observer” was about 15 minutes. What is the reward? – either a discount on some articles in the AF-KLM online shop, or “500 Flying Blue Award Miles”.
How much is 500 miles worth? Comparing the miles needed for a return flight ABZ – AMS (currently promoted as needing a reduced number of miles) and the cost of the same flight purchesed off the website, 500 miles seems to be worth about £10.
£10 for 15 minutes work? – £40/hour, maybe up to £400/day?
This is not at all worth it, for me. If the reward counted towards renewal of the Flying Blue Gold Card, maybe, but not something that would take 30 flights as a “Quality Observer” to buy me that ABZ-AMS flight. No.
23 Jun 2014
at 10:03
Bath_VIPParticipant… and yet here you are on BT reviewing flights and making comments for free!
it’s an interesting example of economic incentives. When you are free to choose how to spend your time, you are quite happy to review for free. When someone else tries to pay you to the do the same thing but at their convenience, we balk. I would agree that the value proposition is poor here but why are you prepared to do the same thing for free on BT?
23 Jun 2014
at 10:37
canuckladParticipantI gave up on my Flying Blue account ages ago, for a variety of reasons not least because of their stinginess.
Having said that I think it’s a great idea to essentially make customers “mystery shoppers”….
I wonder if the crew know who the observers are?23 Jun 2014
at 10:51
TominScotlandParticipantBath_VIP, canucklad +1
I think it odd to think of a scheme like this in terms of normal hourly remuneration rates. Clearly what AF-KLM are doing is providing an incentive, albit modest. Unless you are remoreselessly productive on your long-haul flights, DavidGordon10, maybe you should see these miles as a wee bonus for time that might otherwise have been spent unproductively. But then, you do come from Aberdeen (as I do, I should add!!) or at least have adapted to the local culture.
23 Jun 2014
at 11:16
travelworld2ParticipantTo be honest it sounds like quite a good idea to get more people to respond to airline surveys. My experience is that airlines generally expect you to do it gratis and I suspect many don’t bother. To do it “as you go” is also likely to get a more accurate and comprehensive response.
23 Jun 2014
at 11:20
DavidGordon10ParticipantBath_VIP – very fair point as always, but here I feel I am talking to (mostly) friends, a kind of discussion in the bar of the virtual Travellers’ Arms, and in this scheme I would be just doing a little work for an airline.
Tom – yes, my Aberdonian ancestors would always make me look for every penny. The genes have been diluted by rural Lincolnshire.
I do think it has the germ of a good idea, to make passengers “mystery shoppers” in Canucklad’s felicitous analogy, and should improve feedback to the airline. I suppose my attitude is related to what one values in the frequent flyer programme. Some of us on this forum value the air miles and avios: others, like me, do not value them nearly as much as the lounge access and the priority check-in. If this scheme had given a reward that made renewal of my Flying Blue gold card more certain, then I would have leapt at it.
23 Jun 2014
at 11:56
LuganoPirateParticipantI’d quite like the idea of having to be a “Quality Observer” on a flight. There’s nothing much else to do and at least my opinion would actually count for something.
As for remuneration I agree what’s offered costs them nothing and is a bit mean, but then I’d do it for free for the fun if it. Perhaps a more appropriate gift would be a model plane or a goody bag with the sort of giveaways we all like but cannot buy.
23 Jun 2014
at 17:21
JohnHarperParticipantI’ve been on the receiving and of similar from BA. I was asked to take part in a review of Business Class seats at the end of last and was offered either a huge number of Avios which I don’t collect or what I regarded as an acceptable sum paid to me for a day’s work. I accepted the money and did the day’s work. A couple of months later I was asked to take part in a second day, the Avios offer had been cut to less than 10% of the first offering and the alternative daily rate had dropped similarly to £200. I laughed and said I would do it for the same rate as the first time but wouldn’t even consider it for £200 – after all Wee Willie is now on a daily rate of £13698 after his recent salary review.
Needless to say I was told my expertise was no longer required.
23 Jun 2014
at 21:54 -
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