Wednesday 27 July 2011

EASYJET - THE SAGA CONTINUES

As you would expect, I received this totally patronising and insulting rubbish from Easyjet. From my own experience you can only make a first impression once, and my first impression of the "Customer Care" department is, unfortunately, exactly what I expected. Ignoring my relevant point that the gate was closed while 19 people with children stood there. The reason I put so much informatiuon in my original contact was to pre-empt any misunderstanding but unfortunately you are dealing with people who think that Easyjet is KING.

Unfortunately this type of thing goes on far too often and most people give up This is what they rely on. I just want to get them to the point where they admit fault and then I'll go for the compensation. But I have to get them to that point first.

As I say my next step is the MD and the Trading Standards Department, another bunch of useless idiots! Ah well! It gives me something to do, as if I don't have enough anyway!!!

EASYJET’S REPLY
Our Reference: 110726-001018
Booking Reference: EHPNQXZ

26th July 2011

Dear Mrs Cordner,

Thank you for contacting us regarding your flight. I am very sorry to hear of the inconvenience caused to you and your family on the day of the 19 July 2011.

Airport security has the right to uphold any passengers coming through to do their security checks and this is something which we cant change or prevent. In this case we advise all our passengers when they make a booking with us to arrive at the airport as soon as check in opens to allow time to get through to security and to the boarding gate.

Our check-in policy is included in our Carrier's Regulations which we ask you to read before confirming your booking. We also ask you to confirm that you have understood and accepted our Carrier's Regulations by ticking a box. Without doing this, you would not be able to complete your booking.

For your information I have included a link to our ‘check-in' section online:-

http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Flying/index.html

One of the ways we can guarantee a good level of on time performance is to ensure all our customers are at the gate on time. We will always try to help our customers when we can and exceptions can sometimes be made only if there is enough time for the necessary security checks to be completed and the departure time will not be affected.

As you mentioned in your e-mail you took the option of a transfer with us, this is at the airports discretion and cannot be offered all the time. As you took this option I cannot refund the cost of the transfer fee or the other costs you mentioned as easyjet is a point to point carrier and therefore does not deal with transport or supplements after a flight has been taken with us.

Therefore, I am unable to offer you a refund and I hope that this issue will not stop you from choosing to fly with easyJet in the future.

I do hope I have been able to answer your question fully.

Yours sincerely,

- Jennifer Hagan -
Customer Service Representative

MY REPLY ON 26TH JULY 2011

I did not ask for reimbursement, I merely listed my out of pocket expenses. The full history of that event was to aid your investigation. You will see from my email if your read it properly is that we DID comply with your terms and conditions i.e. we were through check in before your own cut off period of 40 minutes and at the gate before your cut off period of 25 minutes.

I will now escalate your reply to your MD unless my queries are answered. Please comply with my email request to listen to and time the conversation between your employees at the gate and ascertain for yourself why they closed that gate when 19 people with young children stood there.

14 comments:

Sueann said...

Ahhh! Customer service....don't cha love it?! Ha!! It's a bunch of bull!!!
Good luck
Hugs
SueAnn

Maggie May said...

Don't these *lovely letters* always insinuate that somehow its all your fault..... and don't they seem yo get out of it beautifully. I am just going to be sick!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

DogLover said...

I don't really understand what happened here.

You cleared the check-in in good time, so no problem there.

You eventually arrived at the Gate at 0650 after being held up by Security for a random liquid test.

0650 is the stated time for the closure of the Gate. If you had arrived at 0649 you'd have been in time, but arrival at 0650 is too late, isn't it?

I'd have thought the dispatcher would have let you through even so, but wasn't she entitled to refuse entry?

The problem was caused by Security and the EasyJet email puts the blame on them for "upholding" you, as they seem to me to be entitled to do.

Isn't the question: why did Security take you out of a queue which would have allowed you to reach the Gate in good time? Was there any sign saying that buggies must queue separately? Were you at fault for being in the "wrong" queue?

I'm being Devil's Advocate, as you'd expect of me. I would say that, having watched programmes on TV about EasyJet, I think most of their staff have an appalling attitude of treating their customers as nuisances sent to spoil their day!

Mimi said...

Keep going if you can muster the energy.
Would love to see you win!
It's so annoying when they give the "standard" reply, and won't even bother to read an email.

Jay at The Depp Effect said...

I do the same; when I complain, I put in ALL the relevant information, in a non-threatening, but assertive way, and in a clear, orderly, easy-to-read way, but do they read it all? No! Well, they probably do, actually, but what they specialise in is delay, delay, delay, and official-sounding waffle, platitudes and patronising attitude. They hope (as you rightly say) that you'll be intimidated and give up. Don't give up!

I shall follow this saga with interest! More power to your elbow - I hope you get somewhere.

RNSANE said...

Keep it up...for all the good it will do you. I hope the other delayed passenger are writing as well. I think that may help. I trust you have the names of the employees that we SO helpful that day.

By the way, was your Swiss vacation wonderful?

Unknown said...

GO GET EM, KIDDO!

I admire your dogged determination. That response letter was so much dribble that I wanted to scream, "What, didn't you read her letter?".

One time that I had a complaint and I didn't think it was getting high enough up into the organization I sent it regular mail to the office of the highest member of the company I could find. I applied bright red lipstick and put a big kiss mark on the front, marked it personnel, and plied the letter with the strongest perfume I could find. It got to my target. I guess it got passed on because the underlings were afraid to open the letter. I got to the top and got results. Don't know if it will work today, but, who knows. kt

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

They don't even know the meaning of the word SueAnn

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

It's that "blame culture" at work again Maggie!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Devil's Advocate of usual DogLover? I can only give it my best shot! Life is too short to get hung up on this sort of rubbish is it?

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Believe me I'd love to win Mimi and I will give them a run for their money that's for sure!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

That's what I need Jay, more elbow power.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

The Swiss vacation was great Carmen, but unfortunately the weather was rubbish!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

I will bear that in mind KT.