[rferguson]

nevereconomy I think where BA failed most spectacularly is in its complete lack of communication.

For example – the tannoy system in T5 failed. Then why not get some loud hailers/megaphones out?

The LED display boards were down. Then get some white boards out of the offices and write on them to get info across to customers.

And, communication from the top was nil. The first address we had as staff was a video update from our CEO at 17:00 – which was posted on YouTube first.

*Personal opinions only*

[nevereconomy]

I agree entirely – some of the areas so badly handled were the easiest to deal with, given a little initiative, but I do not think
management encourages that from some recent experiences. BA also does have a “secret army” – how many people in Waterside and other non front-line locations – surely even BA management have the intellectual capacity to be cross trained to man a phone and a computer in a crisis situation ? Every contract I have had always specifies “other duties as and when required. “

[rferguson]

Well that’s the thing nevereconomy. BA once had the loyalty and pride of staff who would consider coming in and helping the company on their day off when in crisis. Those days are long gone. Staff are well and truly fed up of voicing their opinion on cost cutting to then see their concerns materialise. To see the brand dragged through the mud time and time again. To cop the flack of PR disaster after PR disaster. No one is interested in coming in to have passengers yelling in their face and vexing their angst at them for a company that does not care.

In terms of those OBLIGED to come in on their day off that would be some middle managers that are on a standby duty. Other may come in under their own steam I guess to get brownie points. But the overwhelming bulk of frontline staff – not a chance. It was a sunny bank holiday saturday. I can imagine many a staff member at home on their day off switched their phone off.

* Personal opinions only*

[nevereconomy]

That is very sad. Most of my working life experience is in the US, a much tougher environment for employees, especially in
“right to work” states where there is little protection, and of course nationwide people depend on their job for their family’s medical insurance. It is often not a choice whether to work or not in such a situation, regardless of how an employer treats its’ employees. I suppose it is better that here people have the choice, though not much consolation for the customer …

[stevescoots]

I see the GMB has come out and directly blamed Cruz for moving the IT to India (cutting UK “specilaists”) at the same time. will be interesting to see the autopsy on this to see if it could have been averted or at least recovered much faster if it had been in teh UK

[rferguson]

Yes nevereconomy. Our days off are our days off. There is no way we can be ‘forced’ to come into work and help out. And as I say, due to the MASSIVE disconnect between the frontline and senior management there would be few that would volunteer to take a face full of abuse whilst senior management hide away in an office.

[SimonS1]

After all the cost cutting and dumbing down at BA, reducing costs and wages to the lowest levels possible, I think any suggestion of people helping out voluntarily is comical. More likely they will be sitting at home watching on TV.

In any case haven’t many roles been outsourced now – people on contracts with third parties and little or no interest in BA inability to manage their IT properly.

[seasonedtraveller]

[quote quote=809596]Yes nevereconomy. Our days off are our days off. There is no way we can be ‘forced’ to come into work and help out. And as I say, due to the MASSIVE disconnect between the frontline and senior management there would be few that would volunteer to take a face full of abuse whilst senior management hide away in an office.
[/quote]

I know more than a few ex BA employees who are finding this whole situation incredibly funny (in a kind of “I told you so” sort of way) & are hoping that BA & some of their so called Senior Team are “really going to pay for this.”

Childish & punitive maybe but it seems that this is the effect that Walsh & Co have had on the morale of once proud employees.

[openfly]

Dear Snr Cruz, are you aware that the buck stops with you? You have, single-handedly, destroyed a once-proud, world-renowned British product. You have demoralised thousands of excellent staff. This latest shambles is very much your fault. The lack of public management over the last 36 hours is an utter disgrace.
Might I suggest that you do the decent thing and resign? There are many capable individuals out there with more professionalism in their little finger than you, who must be cringing at the goings on at BA over the last two years, and in the last few hours.
Yes, stop damaging our airline…and go, now. And take Walsh with you.
Regards.

[UKFly79]

[quote quote=809608]Dear Snr Cruz, are you aware that the buck stops with you? You have, single-handedly, destroyed a once-proud, world-renowned British product. You have demoralised thousands of excellent staff. This latest shambles is very much your fault. The lack of public management over the last 36 hours is an utter disgrace.
Might I suggest that you do the decent thing and resign? There are many capable individuals out there with more professionalism in their little finger than you, who must be cringing at the goings on at BA over the last two years, and in the last few hours.
Yes, stop damaging our airline…and go, now. And take Walsh with you.
Regards.

[/quote]

[UKFly79]

Couldn’t agree more. Despite much sniping here about all things BA it’s evident lots of us care about our national carrier

[LuganoPirate]

I think Cruz will “resign” over this. Not without a big payoff mind.
Trebles all round!!!

[747foreverforus]

[quote quote=809610]

openfly wrote:

Dear Snr Cruz, are you aware that the buck stops with you? You have, single-handedly, destroyed a once-proud, world-renowned British product. You have demoralised thousands of excellent staff. This latest shambles is very much your fault. The lack of public management over the last 36 hours is an utter disgrace.
Might I suggest that you do the decent thing and resign? There are many capable individuals out there with more professionalism in their little finger than you, who must be cringing at the goings on at BA over the last two years, and in the last few hours.
Yes, stop damaging our airline…and go, now. And take Walsh with you.
Regards.

[/quote]

Time for the pair of them to go, of course they won’t

[capetonianm]

What will happen is that they’ll find a couple of Indians to sack, as scapegoats, and the guys at the top, the ones who made the insane and shortsighted decisions, will stay on for a few years and then go on ‘gardening leave’, which is what happened to Robert Ayling, the man who probably single-handedly did more to damage BA’s reputation and ethos than anyone before or since.

[747foreverforus]

[quote quote=809643]What will happen is that they’ll find a couple of Indians to sack, as scapegoats, and the guys at the top, the ones who made the insane and shortsighted decisions, will stay on for a few years and then go on ‘gardening leave’, which is what happened to Robert Ayling, the man who probably single-handedly did more to damage BA’s reputation and ethos than anyone before or since.

[/quote]

Why can’t the shareholders see what’s happening under their noses, by the time they do it will be too late. Yes they will sack a few Indians, the same way as they have removed all the BA groundstaff at various outstations (Germany is the one that affects me the most), great people who who gave their all to BA, all for the sake of the balance sheet and Walsh and Cruz bonus!

[Author]

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