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| Vietjet scores just 3/10 on Skytrax and 5/10 on airlineratings.com |
As you know my name is Stu Lloyd.
Only my mother calls me Stuart.
When she's angry.
But today is my turn to be angry.
You see, I've just been rejected by Vietjet Thailand to board my domestic flight because my assistant had inadvertently booked me as 'Stu' ... three whole letters short of 'Stuart'.
I've already explained that if another person by the name of Stuart Lloyd turns up, I am prepared to give up my seat for him.
Otherwise, in all probability that's me, not some cheap imposter.
Especially as I have a confirmation email, a passport, and a phone number which all tally with the information supplied.
"Even one letter wrong we don't board people," said the smug manager -- who I'd summoned in the vain hope of getting some sense out of -- with a sense of petty power and pedantic pride.
Understand, this is a new airline presumably looking to establish market share in the super-competitive Thailand market.
What I got was policy, policy, policy.
With so much seeming pride in her own disempowerment by process.
I asked her for other alternative solutions but was stonewalled.
"So there's no other solution, possibility or alternative way to sort out this situation?"
"No, we are a low-cost airline."
And that makes what difference to the need to delight customers???
When pressed on what other alternatives, options and solutions there were? Blank.
I asked her to call the most senior Vietjet person in the airport.
Then it escalated. Suddenly she's threatening to call airport police and they are here ... all -- count them -- six of them. Because I was "so impolite".
As I might well be, knowing I've been dumped from my flight, will lose my return tickets with zero refund, and will miss my specialist dental appointment that evening.
An interesting customer service strategy.
The officers are bemused when they see me: so THIS is your trouble maker??? The guy standing at the counter tapping out this blog on his laptop.
It seems she's most aggrieved by the fact that I took her photo which might identify her by her ID badge. (Which it didn't.)
The police ask me to delete it from my phone. Which I do right in front of their eyes.
She then, in Thai, accuses me of lying.
I surprise her by responding to her accusation in Thai, which rather shocks her.
"So now you're calling me a liar. Fantastic! This just keeps getting better."
No wonder Vietjet scores just 3/10 on Skytrax, 5/10 on airlineratings.com and 2.5/5 on TripAdvisor
The standoff just kind of fizzles out, I glower at her and return to writing this. The police shuffle off.
Net result: I missed my flight. That ticket and the return a few days later were deemed "invalid". (As worthless as the 500 Rupee notes I was issued in India a few days earlier.)
My assistant later spoke to the reservations department in Vietjet, who was a little surprised by that decision and action by their front liners.
And an airline veteran friend I spoke with laughed at the treatment meted out to me, incredulous that I should not be boarded, especially on a domestic flight, for that reason.
Anyway, I enjoyed a fantastic flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on Thai Airways and returned with the super perky smiles and energy of Thai Smile.
I can also fly between Chiang Mai and Bangkok with Thai Air Asia, Thai Lion Air, Nok Air and possibly others too.
So, Boo to you, ThaiVietJet. You clearly stated you did NOT want any of my future regular business, and you sure as hell will NOT get it.
And hopefully you, dear readers, won't support such behaviour either.
I may have been three letters short in my name. But I suggest VietJet is three letters short too ... in the A.R.T. of customer service.
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| Chiang Mai service counter looking closed (Nomadic Notes) |
#vietjet #thaivietjet #worstairlineservice #shitservice #vietjetthailand #boo
