I had three tickets to fly yesterday with British Airways from London to New York.
My mother in law is 90-year old today.
But thanks to BA we will not be there…
London Heathrow airport had snow problems and many flights were canceled.
Including our flight to New York.
Let me start saying that I have been for many years a loyal and happy customer of BA, and I am a GOLD member of its Executive Club.
But my admiration and loyalty to BA collapsed yesterday.
For ever.
Why?
First, because BA didn’t contact me about these problems. And they have my email and my mobile phone.
Second, because once I found by myself the problems, I made several long distance calls at my cost from Paris to the “blue” line for BA Gold members and no real person answer any call. Instead, a recorded message told to go to ba.com and rebook, cancel or ask for a refund online.
Third, because I went to ba.com several times and all the times it was impossible, yes impossible, to rebook, cancel or ask for any refund.
So I sent several email messages to customer services and I got an automatic reply saying that because they don’t work on weekends… they will contact me next week.
Next week? But what if I wanted was to rebook, cancel of get a refund, right now!
Sorry, no way.
As thousands of estranged passengers of BA, during the last 24 hours, I have been ignored and forgot.
I have the feeling that in emergency situations like this is when you appreciate the real quality of a company.
The BA lack of response, the lack of action, the lack of respect and the lack of customer care shows that, I’m sorry, British Airways is gone.
Read these desperate reactions and comments from people like me in the BA Twitter site (great stuff for an incredible Business School case on mismanagement):
“I cannot change the booking on your web site and your line does not work either.”
“The messages are still not in synch & your call centres are directing customers to BA.com, which is not allowing rebookings”
“It is not possible to contact @British_Airways by any means. They have failed their duty of care for their passengers.”
“I’ve been on hold for 2 and a half hours to rebook my flight, should I just stay on the line and someone will soon pick up?”
“It does not work! Nobody helps!”
“Again, website does not allow me to re-book”
“Where is the customer care. Where are the text or email notifications i was supposed to get as a BA frequent flyer”
“After 2 hours of hold time the operator asked me about my flight then got me disconnected! Seriously?”
14 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply
I can’t get through on the phone or online to rebook. Even when I managed to get on hold, after 1.5hrs later the line died.”
“Why isn’t the manage my booking option to rebook working yet though? Surely it should be a priority?”
“Bag not deliveredTerminal 5 last night. Told on phone over 10,000 bags lying around. Chances of delivery or best come look?”
“Every time my call to your hotline, well, fails…What is the queue capacity of your hotline?”
“Ironic:”If your flight… cancelled, you’ll…to rebook it. If you’ve checked in online, you won’t be able to change online”
“I have been on the phone trying to reach the hotline for 5 hours. Got a phone bill of $200 just listening to the tape.”
And a final comment:
BA was a first class company with a third world website.
This spectacular on and offline collapse tells a lot about how the design of many websites is just crap.
You can save money cutting staff but only if your are able to handle in a better way situations like this.
BA has failed ion both sides: on and offline.
Tags:
BA,
British Airways
