SQ Response to My Complaint Letter

Tanggapan dari SQ - 2 hari kemudian.... atas email saya

Dear Mr Wibawa

Thank you for your email of 14 May 2005.

I am concerned to learn of your experience while traveling from Jeddah to Singapore and I would like to apologize for the disappointment caused in regard to the service accorded by our airport staff.

For the comfort and safety of our passengers on board the aircraft, many airlines, including ourselves, are stepping up on the enforcement of cabin baggage allowance. All airline operators in Singapore, including Singapore Airlines, have agreed to limit our Economy passengers to one cabin baggage each. Each cabin baggage cannot exceed 7 kilograms, and its dimensions (length, breadth and width) must also not exceed 115 cm.

Having said this, our staff are empowered and they do exercise a certain degree of discretion in granting a slight extension to the baggage allowance, especially if there are valid reasons to grant an exception. Although I am glad that our airport staff had granted an exception after reviewing your circumstance, I am concerned to learn of the level of service accorded to you by one of our staff, which is certainly not acceptable by our standards.

From what you have described, it is apparent that we will need to improve on our handling of such situations and provide a more informed service to our customers. Please be assured that I have shared your experience and feedback with our Airport Manager in Jeddah for review with the staff concerned. Appropriate action has been taken.

Thank you for the opportunity your feedback has given me to correspond with you, Mr Wibawa. We will endeavor to return the level of customer service and care to that which you have come to expect, even as we hope to serve you better in the future.

Yours sincerely
Patricia Ow
Manager Customer Services

Complaint Letter to SQ

Surat ini saya tulis via complaint form di website www.Singaporeair.com atas pelayanan buruk ground staff di Jeddah, Saudi - 11 May 2005


Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this email to file a complaint against SQ ground handling service (check in at Jeddah port). It took place during check-in for flight no. SQ455 Jed-Sin on May 11th 2005.

Before go to the details I want you to know that in previous time, I used to travel to this area using other airlines (SV or EK) but due to I expect better service, since last year I had been chosing SQ as my preferred flight service.

Aside of Middle East I also frequent travel to Europe. The better service I expect is not only at the air but also on the ground, especially during check in. I know especially in Jeddah where the airport is so not efficient it is difficult to expect convenience during check in, but at least with SQ I expect a little better service which later I found no difference.

It begun when I went to the check in counter about 4 hours before flight schedule. Since there was a long queue in Economy class, one of the check in staff allow me to check in through Raffles Class counter (which I appreciated). The person in charge in that counter (either Indian or Pakistan origin, not so sure) was very helpful and friendly. The check in process was done smoothly. Then after I got my boarding pass, just before entering the passport control, one man, not the police but I believe from airline service (from the uniform he wear) asked me to weigh my hand carry (cabin luggage) which I took only one.

My luggage showed about 10kg. Then I took out my jacket as I planed to wear it in the cabin and wore it immediately, took out mineral water and food I brought which I'm going to eat during waiting in the airport, because I must wait for about 4 hours in the airport. So now my luggage shows about 7.5kg something. But the man insisted me to get back to the counter, so did I. The man in counter (the same person) was wondering why I returned. I explained that the airline man didn't allow me to carry this bag as it's overweight. So he weigh on the conveyor and it shows about 7.5kg something. In his opinion this bag should be allowed to be brought to the cabin. The there passed a origin African man wearing tie with Singapore Airline logo on it. That nice man in the counter was trying to ask as like to have support for him that for weight 7.5kg something is OK to bring as the rule in SQ is 7kg. But instead of listening to the complete details, that man which later I found is SUPERVISOR for SQ simply said the bag is oversized and must be checked in.

I protested and try to explain that my luggage is in conformity with 115cm dimension (actual size of my bag is 35x25x50cm). But instead of listening to my argument he simply said, sorry this time the flight is full and your bag is too big. Then he left, walked here in there (which is actually nothing to do), with grin in her mouth as symbol of arrogance. I tried to explained to the nice man in the counter that I'm neither first time flyer nor moron that doesn't understand the rules. I said that indeed I'm frequent flyer and a holder of frequent traveler of AirFrance, Lufthansa, Emirates and of course KrisFlyer card as well (not to mention I travel with many other airlines but not a member of their frequent flyer program). And never on other airlines have I experienced this kind of stupid problem. The man said he understand my point and to him it is should be no big deal.

Comparing with people who travel for Umrah, my hand carry is only one piece. But he said that it is his supervisor decision and he cannot do anything againts him. After 15 minutes very exhausted arguments, finally I said to him about 115 dimension and let's check in the SQ dimension scaler (a box made from pipeline to fit the size of the bags), thanks God, he agreed and of course since I know what I'm carrying, it fitted to the scaler with no problem at all. The nice man surprisingly said that he didn't know if it fitted to the scale, should he knew from beginning he would allow me without any hassles. And so he immediately approved it and said he will talk to his supervisor later.

I really feel very thankful to that man which I forgot to asked his name. My thanks are for his patience, understanding and cooperation. But on the other hand I really feel VERY DISAPPOINTED with the treatment from the African Man called SQ SUPERVISOR.

Dear Sir or Madam, Should you ever travel to Jeddah personally, as a normal passenger with no privileges with you, you will know that the check in and arrival process in Jeddah airport is more likely nightmare. You will find most officers there with stubborn, ignorant and arrogant personality (forgive me for my words selection, but I don't have smoother synonym for that). You will find officers there are not to serve you, but instead to be a ruler like a King in their own small territory. They love to put you in trouble instead of giving you service and help you may need. Believe me, you cannot imagine it unless you try. And so as I explained in the beginning, the main reason I choose SQ flight is to get a better service on only at the air but also at the ground handling.

I more understand when dealing with border/airport police in Jeddah, but at least with SQ people I need better service as you must put same standard for all of your people regardless where they are stationed. But to my big dismay, your mighty SUPERVISOR seems doesn't in accordance with SQ policy, to serve the customer at its best. Your that supervisor is way too far from SQ standard that I expected. But about the man in the counter yes, he did a great job. Instead of giving solution or try to listen me, he keep repeating saying, the flight is full (which is not actually true), your bag is oversized. He even didn't bother to know better about 115cm dimension. And more didn't care when I said with this kind of service I may not flight with SQ anymore. This 15 minutes experience has ruined all my pleasant experience during fly with SQ before. Please, I think that SUPERVISOR is better to have promotion to be police/custom officer. As he likes being served as ignorant and arrogant officer instead of giving helpful service. Or at least please have him stationed in Singapore and get him better training on how to handling passengers properly with well-know Singaporean GST (Greet, Smile and Thankful) or let him have better knowledge about 115cm dimension.

Please, respond to this complaint. As it took only 15 minutes but mentally had put me in very deep troublesome. You can feel it as if you are debating with deaf and ignorant people. Until now I still feel being humiliated and very angry when remember that incident. Because otherwise why should I write this long complaint letter as like I don't have anything else to do. I travel mostly for business purpose. And different if I travel for Umrah or leisure where the airline is arranged by travel agent, I have liberty to choose the airline I like and also the power of recommendation to my business relatives all over the world. This kind of small things (but big disheartenment to me) has given me unpleasant experience in travel with SQ. Among your million passengers I may look nothing to SQ, but if you think one disappointed customer is a matter then I'm waiting for your respond at earliest.

Thank you and Best Regards
Dadang SS Wibawa

* Tanggapan dari SQ bisa dibaca di SINI

Dilarang Memotret!!!

Sambil menunggu rekan bisnis saya, Halit, memarkir mobilnya di sebuah gedung khusus tempat sewa parkir mobil di jalan Rumeli Cadesi saya iseng mengambil gambar sebuah synagog yg menjadi korban pemboman tgl 15 November 2003 ... Saat itu saya tidak tahu kalau itu adalah sinagog yg menjadi korban pemboman, saya iseng ambil gambar karena gedung tsb dipasang pagar dilarang parkir... dan disebelahnya ada warung kopi, jadi menarik untuk objek foto.

Eh baru saja saya ambil satu gambar seorang polisi yg berseragam dan seorang intel yg tidak berseragam tapi bawa HT nyamperin saya:

"What are you doing?"

"Taking picture" jawab saya...

"Why you are taking picture of that synagogue?"

Akhirnya dia terus nyerocos bilang kalau ambil gambar gedung tsb tidak boleh karena bekas korban pengeboman. Meski awalnya saya ngotot dan bilang kalau saya tidak melihat ada tanda larangan memotret akhirnya saya mengalah. Ya sudah daripada saya dituduh macam-macam, maklum ini isu sensitif. Akhirnya dengan disaksikan 2 polisi tsb, foto gedung tsb saya hapus. Untung saya pakai kamera digital jadi bisa dihapus. Kalau pakai kamera film, bisa korban tuh jepretan di tempat lain.

Gambar berikut adalah gambar di mana synagog tsb berada, tapi karena synagog nya tidak terfoto, gambar ini tidak perlu dihapus.

Mobil hitam adalah mobil Hyundai yg dikendarai rekan saya Halit menuju tempat parkir (sebelum saya ambil gambar synagog). Synagog tsb terletak di sebelah kiri foto ini di belakang mobil putih

Ini adalah foto saya bersama Halit, di kawasan Sultan Ahmet, sesaat sebelum menuju Rumeli Cadesi. Untung sang Polisi tidak minta gambar ini dihapus :-)

-- Istanbul, 04 May 2005