[PatJordan]

I remember having an issue with BA a few years ago (in the good old days when BA flew in and out of Dublin!) and like all previous contributors, I had little satisfaction exchaging letters.

One day, I decided to try the trusty telephone, and after a little persistance I spoke to a very helpful lady who managed to resolve everything within a few minutes.

I don’t know if I was lust lucky in speaking to somebody who was empowered to make decisions, but that lady did more to restore BA’s standing (in my eyes) than others tasked with resolving customer service issues. Now if only BA serviced Dublin again……..come on Willie, Ryanair are cutting their flights to and from Dublin. Bring BA back and wipe Michael O’Leary’s eye!!

[jonathanmiller]

I have to say that it was not the same in Rod Eddington’s day. I wrote to him twice – one a complaint, the other praise. The complaint was when I was getting nowhere further down the tree. In both cases I received (by fax) a response within a week, one signed by him and the other by his PA. Furthermore – and this is probably the crux – both replies addressed the substance of my communications.

A far cry from today’s systematized, insincere and meaningless gobbledygook.

[georgecj]

i wonder how BA would get on if they used the Ebay system of scoring positive or negative on every ticket sold it would open eyes for sure. The response to compaints is a joke however i have had a fair few miles out of it.

[jonathanmiller]

Georgecj – sure. Problem I think is that they’re not honest with themselves – and their response is institutionally defensive from the start. Unlike, I must say, my experience with Rod Edd’n (see above) where they said – “oh bugger, really sorry. Here – have an apology”. And that’s that. Great. One man answers one letter and they don’t have to employ a whole bunch of muppets to push endless repeats of meaningless boiler plate. Like the published feedback idea. Could be revealing. For them, I mean!

[georgecj]

for sure the’re not Honest you just have to listen to the captains when coming into LHR T5 …………

[Potakas]

I have just submitted a complain about my last CE return trip,a chewing gum was on the seat which i didn’t see it… after landing i had to go embarrassed to elemis showers to change clothes..

I am just curious what they will say to me.

Regards

[Delsurrey]

I gave up writing to BA some time ago. When BA receive a letter of complaint (or compliment for that matter) the person dealing with the letter enters a few key words into their complaints system which then generates a standard reply. As indicated on this forum more often than not the response bears no relationship to the actual complaint/compliment and it is frustrating if you are doing this to praise a particular member of staff. Given how important BA treat the respones to the feedback forms that are handed out in flight I cannot understand why nobody within BA is interested in this long outstanding weakness.

[jonathanmiller]

Delsurrey, Is that a guess (a damned good one) or do you know that to be their standard operating procedure? One had, of course, long suspected that to be the case – nothing else satisfactorily explains the sheer bovinity of their responses … unless they have a policy of employing carefully de-cerebrated quasi-bovines, of course … but could scarcely believe one’s own conclusion. I have to say the response I quoted in my post of 22/11 (above) takes the biscuit …. “thank you for your reply which we did not receive”!!!! Oh dear.

[Delsurrey]

Educated guess Jonathan. I work with the NHS where every written complaint is read and signed by the Chief Executive before it goes out. It would appear that for BA complaints are not treated seriously and are left to very junior staff to respond to (another guess)! Derek

[RoadKing]

How blind can you be. BA is no better or worse than any other airline. I have received a nonsense answer of a question to SAS. Lufthansa has chosen to never reply. The list goes on.

Since this thread is full of negative experiences, I would like to post a positive one.

A couple of years ago, I was over a period of a couple of weeks doing a number of trips with the last departure from LHR, on two occasions the flight were very late to depart. Consequence was that public transportation was done for the day when we landed and I had to go by taxi which was a very expensive alternative.

When this happened the second time I wrote BA and politely asked them if they could try to reschedule their flight earlier or perhaps try to keep the time table. Mind you, I did not ask for any compensation.

The response from BA was an apology and that if I provided the taxi receipts, they would reimburse me in full. On top I received a decent amount of exec club pts.

Obviously I was very pleased with this.

I have had similar experience with SAS as well. Lufthansa is the one negative experience.

But, point is, BA is no worse (or better for that matter) than others.

Travelling is a risky sport, the carrier is but one small part of it.

[jonathanmiller]

My dear old RoadKing (1) a fraction less aggression would be nice (2) I am not blind (3) while your evident presumption – that your experience is greater, more accurate and of greater weight than everyone else’s – may possibly be true, don’t you think that is a conclusion more elegantly arrived at by your readers than shouted at them?

I am so pleased you had a good experience.

[RoadKing]

jonathanmiller;

My sincere apologies if you found my post offensive. I did not think of the phrase “how blind can you be” as aggressive.

Certainly was not meant to be. Indeed it was not meant personal either, but a post to the general complain.

Anyways, I obviously ain’t in possession of the only truth or experience. Didn’t mean that, I just wanted to express that I find the critic of BA being a bit unbalanced.

There is all kind of justification behind being annoyed by a nonsense answer, and I have been there myself. But as I stated, unfortunately BA is not alone. Not that that makes it any better of course. 🙂

Have a great weekend!

[jonathanmiller]

RoadKing .. not offensive, just a bit startling in its initial poke in the eye followed by an apparently vehement defence of the indefensible. That something is bad or badly done is not improved by the occasional doing of something good … even though, in part, it may be balanced by the latter. And the fact that other people also do it badly is not, and can never be, an acceptable reason or excuse. Anyway, thanks for your words. You too.

[jonathanmiller]

Delsurrey. Derek, I suspect your guesses are right on the money. Sad, eh? Jonathan

[travelworld]

It’s as plain as a pikestaff that Delsurrey is right and complaints are simply dealt with by very junior staff with no proper supervision. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone from BA was reading this and could actually promise to do something about it?

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