(Angry) PAL DOES NOT Really Care!

Customer Care? WeCare@PAL?! Check your system and your emails to your “valued” customer and respond to a complaint more than in a form of a generic “we are looking into your complaint” and I will believe you.

It’s been 3 weeks and I hear nothing – absolutely NOTHING of value from PAL or its customer care. I’ve even been probably talked about and ridiculed by their ground staff in Cebu and they still haven’t acted on my complaint. I tweet them, they tweet back but no real action has been done.

 

The Complaint

On July 24 my company and I leave Boracay at the forsaken hour of 500AM to be able to catch our 7AM flight to Cebu. You see we were flying all the way back to Cagayan de Oro and the Cebu-CdO flight we have booked leaves at 120PM. Everyone who knows me know that I VALUE TIME, I try as best as I can not to be late. I’d rather be early than late. 

Since the next flight out of Boracay to Cebu was at 11(1120 to be more exact, I believe) and taking into consideration that there might be delays in flight (let’s get real, chances of delayed flights are higher than on time ones), we made sure to book the 7AM flight so as not to miss our 120PM flight.  Slightly expected but still annoying, our 7AM flight was delayed by 40mins. We arrived in Cebu about 830ish and I proceed directly to the Air Philippines desk for early check in. With computerized systems, I’m sure it was fine to check in early.

Upon handing her our eTickets I tell her to give us nearest seats coz we had a child with us and the bumpy ride going to Boracay few days before that scared her. She tells me ok but that the flight is at 210PM not 120PM. I looked at the ticket and tell her

ME: No that’s the arrival right, ETA = Estimated Time of Arrival

SHE: No mam look (points to the time 1410 below ETA), that’s our flight. Our flight to CdO leaves at 2PM po talaga.

ME: No, that’s arrival what is the purpose of the ETD 1320 if what you’re pointing at is the departure time.

SHE: Ay basta mam isa lang po ang flight namin, 210PM po talaga.

ME: Is there anybody I can speak with regarding this because to me this ticket is clearly stating ETD at 120PM not 210PM

SHE: Mam, you can go to booking of PAL office, we are just a carrier.

ME: Who’s here in your floor now, I want to speak to him or her. AirPhil or PAL. Give me someone to talk to. (I am not a morning person, I left at 5AM and still have not had my coffee but I swear at this point my voice was still calm but firm)

They then passed me from one person to another (from one airline to another, AirPhil then PAL) none could help me and one even answered me with a TONE (Mam, Operations kami sa Booking kayo magtanong!). My other companion also came to the desk with me but since I booked the flight, I insisted on looking into it. Finally they allowed me to enter the PAL “Customer Service” area to hear my complaint – for the 4^th time.

(My friend told me that while I was inside, he could hear and see them ridicule me that I was causing a scene – mind you I was not but yes my voice was a bit higher than usual and I was speaking in English. They even laughed a bit so he approached them and asked them to stop – Where is Professionalism in that?)

Finally someone had “an answer” (but not really). They insisted they emailed me a CHANGE of SCHEDULE – I insisted back that I didn’t. They show me a list of all email addresses they have sent and true enough my email was there. My phone allows me to check my email and I recheck – no they did not email me a Change in Schedule – they emailed me a CHANGE in AIRCRAFT –that we were flying through airphil. No other email or text came after that email.

 In the change in aircraft email, the ETD and ETA were even highlighted and a legend was written below to make sure people understand the difference between DEPARTURE and ARRIVAL. 

 

I asked if there is anything better they can do given the inconvenience it has caused us. I saw a Cebu Pacific Flight departing at 12nn, I asked that they try to rebook us to that flight – after only 1minute (I swear it was a minute, even less) he comes back to me and tells me there are no available seats. Really, in a minute?! That’s the EFFORT you are giving me 1 Freaking Minute?!

It was 920AM, I was hungry and sleep deprived so fine, I took the names of necessary people and filled up a generic COMPLAINT FORM. I wrote my complaint for the last time and handed the form.

 

The Tweets and Emails

I was still angry so I rant to my sister and she tells me PAL supposedly has a twitter account. I tweet PAL, they ‘apologized’ and asked me to EMAIL my complaint. I just wrote it and now they want me to email again? In some generic customer care email?! I am even angrier and I asked for a more direct and specific email. They DIDN’T Reply to the tweet.

3days after, I emailed them my complaint; Fine they want it documented online, I shall do so. And they reply to me the next day with same Bullshit of a generic reply – and guess what up to today 15AUGUST2011, I have not heard from them.

 

They haven’t even given me a Complaint Case Number and their darn twitter account (today coz I tagged it that I still hate PAL) is asking to have one so they can follow up? Gago! Kahit case number nga wala kaya ako Bwisit na Bwisit.

This is not caring! This is not handling a complaint well.  You say you are the best airline in the country – that’s because WE DON’T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE! But your Best is not at par with any of the best airlines out there. Not even your international flights, no you do not Shine Through with such poor service.  Granted you rarely are delayed now and you atleast serve coffee and lousy biscuits – but that is not BEST, that is not SHINING THROUGH and how you’ve been handling my complaint is far from actually CARING.

When you use words like Best, Care, Current, Handling the Situation, Shining Through – atleast have some decency and respect to check what the words mean. And if you can’t deliver, just don’t use it anymore. It irks us passengers even more.

P.S. – If there’s anybody out there who can give me a more direct email (to Lucio Tan) to CEO or head, kindly give it to me. I kept some names of the ground staff who could not help me. Or heck, just forward this post.