PostmanPat Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Amazing Thailand!! Was at the Air Asia Ticket Office in the airport at lunchtime today, there was a queue of more than half a dozen people, and behind the counter there are two customer points. One was open, the other had a sign up, "desk closed" BUT, there was a member of staff sitting there playing with her phone and taking absolutely no notice of the fact that half a dozen people had been queuing for more than 30 minutes, due to the fact that the first in the line had a complex booking to make (not her fault at all!). Myself and a German Tourist who was right behind me politely suggested that perhaps in view of the time we were all waiting, the second desk should really be open....customer service and all that, at which point the young woman simply said....."this desk closed. Cant you read?.....open 2pm!!" ( it was 1.45 and six people had already been waiting over 30 minutes!!). As a result of the people in the queue showing their justifiable but polite frustration at this rude answer , guess what happened next? The member of staff in question got on the phone to "Air Asia Security" and a couple of blokes turned up to police the annoyed crowd, not as I might have expected, to open the second desk!!! These two guys actually stood next to us in quite an intimidating way until the clock ticked down to 2pm, at which point, said rude young lady opens her desk with a haughty "next...." !! One of the most bizarre situations I have ever witnessed in a travel environment. It was as though the security came along to defend her right to sit there doing nothing for another 15 minutes!! I m sure that had any of us raised our voice, we would have been arrested, while the Air Asia desk remained closed!!! Air Asia. Use them at your peril!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mestizo Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 You must be new here. Welcome to Thailand! (and the air travel industry in general). -Mestizo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rakchaingmai Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Maybe she was on her lunch break and had no where to go in the Airport so she sat at her desk . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PostmanPat Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 You must be new here. Welcome to Thailand! (and the air travel industry in general). -Mestizo Not new. Seven years. Normally use Goodman Travel, very excellent service, but you can only book Air Asia at an Air Asia desk or online, and mine was a query on an existing booking hence Airport visit!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharktooth Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Pay peanuts you get monkeys... With a lunch break Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PostmanPat Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 Maybe she was on her lunch break and had no where to go in the Airport so she sat at her desk . There is an office/ recreation area right behind the front desk. You can see it, and staff coming in and out. Fair enough if shes on lunch and nobody else to cover, but dont sit at the front desk in full view playing with your phone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wales01 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Maybe she was on her lunch break and had no where to go in the Airport so she sat at her desk . There is an office/ recreation area right behind the front desk. You can see it, and staff coming in and out. Fair enough if shes on lunch and nobody else to cover, but dont sit at the front desk in full view playing with your phone!!! I hate AirAsia counter staff they are the most un-professional and rude people I have ever come across. I made the mistake of using Airasia to fly to Jakarta. Learnt my lesson, never again!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddhaMind Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Not that it matters, but has anyone ever sent a note to Air Asia corporate? I would imagine, though I could very well be wrong, that they might like to hear about such things. I mean, they DO have counters in other countries that require a certain level of service for that clientele. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post elektrified Posted August 23, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 23, 2012 Open at 14:00. What's the problem? Why should she open 15 minutes early from her break? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimincm Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 To easy,to her associate behind the desk,"I'll open,lunch owes me 15min."Decision made,aagh,in there lies the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptainrob Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Herein lies a inherent problem with "customer service" as perceived by Asians, particularly Thai's. We farang's should realise that Thai AA staff are probably paid little more than a basic wage. They have 'break times' ... same same as Immigration and NO incentive to break from rules just because there's a queue. CNX Immi 90 day reporting officer regularly works 30+ mins into his lunchtime .... there are exceptions to the norm 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyecatcher Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Slightly off topic, but we have a couple of return flight tickets to Phuket for the end of this month. Unfortunately we are unable to go, but a few people have requested the tickets from us; shouldnt be a problem, just a name change....surely. WRONG....went into the AA office at Thapae, to find out the cost to change the name. They do not allow, no transfer of name.....but if we want we can change the date!!!!! The girly quite rightly as frustrated as me, says she cannot understand AA, they are potentially alinating 2 new customers/future customers and losing us two at the same time. ok they have their money, they also now have 2 empty seats, Personally I stopped using AA a while ago, simply becasue Bangkok Air have that fantastic little food and coffee lounge to pig out in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptainrob Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 (edited) Slightly off topic, but we have a couple of return flight tickets to Phuket for the end of this month. Unfortunately we are unable to go, but a few people have requested the tickets from us; shouldnt be a problem, just a name change....surely. WRONG....went into the AA office at Thapae, to find out the cost to change the name. They do not allow, no transfer of name.....but if we want we can change the date!!!!! The girly quite rightly as frustrated as me, says she cannot understand AA, they are potentially alinating 2 new customers/future customers and losing us two at the same time. ok they have their money, they also now have 2 empty seats, Personally I stopped using AA a while ago, simply becasue Bangkok Air have that fantastic little food and coffee lounge to pig out in! I'll not defend AA or any LCC as such, but from a business perspective it makes sense to NOT permit name-change. Otherwise a 'Black Market' would emerge ... like 'scalpers', buying advance/cheap tickets and on-selling. Edited August 23, 2012 by kaptainrob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PostmanPat Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 Herein lies a inherent problem with "customer service" as perceived by Asians, particularly Thai's. We farang's should realise that Thai AA staff are probably paid little more than a basic wage. They have 'break times' ... same same as Immigration and NO incentive to break from rules just because there's a queue. CNX Immi 90 day reporting officer regularly works 30+ mins into his lunchtime .... there are exceptions to the norm Agree with all you say here, but what was really bizarre was the fact that the counter assistant seemed to think it was OK just to sit at the front counter playing with her phone while a large queue built up for her colleague to deal with, then got support from security who came and stood by us while we all watched her sitting there running down the last 15 minutes to 2pm. Wouldnt you think she would have disappeared inside the office where we couldnt see her, or maybe she enjoyed goading us!! It was very weird, six customers and three security people simply staring at her for 15 minutes as she sat there doing nothing!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBloodyMess Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 If she is on a break she is on a break. It is however highly unprofessional to sit at the main desk on that break. Even worse is using a personal phone at the main desk on a break... it is like a bank teller rolling out a picnic at their window/desk (I wouldn't be surprised to see this though ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellodolly Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Just booked a ticket to swampy and back next month with Bangkok Air Cost me 280 baht more. Well worth the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptainrob Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Herein lies a inherent problem with "customer service" as perceived by Asians, particularly Thai's. We farang's should realise that Thai AA staff are probably paid little more than a basic wage. They have 'break times' ... same same as Immigration and NO incentive to break from rules just because there's a queue. CNX Immi 90 day reporting officer regularly works 30+ mins into his lunchtime .... there are exceptions to the norm Agree with all you say here, but what was really bizarre was the fact that the counter assistant seemed to think it was OK just to sit at the front counter playing with her phone while a large queue built up for her colleague to deal with, then got support from security who came and stood by us while we all watched her sitting there running down the last 15 minutes to 2pm. Wouldnt you think she would have disappeared inside the office where we couldnt see her, or maybe she enjoyed goading us!! It was very weird, six customers and three security people simply staring at her for 15 minutes as she sat there doing nothing!!! Seen it before, not just in Thailand, but I agree it is very very poor form. Conversely ... ... I have lived in BKK, Phuket, and Ubon Ratchathani. Having dealt with Home Improvement stores in all the above AND now Chiang Mai .... CM rocks! Especially HomePro and Global House, Mae Hia/Hang Dong. Superb service! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob8891 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 We had exactly the same situation at AA desk in CNX last month,,, one person "working" and the other sitting behind a closed desk doing even less, despite the long queue. We were next in line, but after 20-30 minutes waiting, my thai gf tried to get her to open the second window, because a flight was about to depart, but it was a waste of breath (oooh there's a surprise).....and the response to a polite request was downright rude. The upshot was we had to wait 4 hours in CNX until the next available seat on Bangkok Air. gf hates AA at the best of times, and I agree.... From now on I will do all I can to avoid using them.... they are like Ryanair, but without the charm and the customer-centred ethos.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackArtemis Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Had this problem as well, where as Nok air (I believe it's Nok) is next to them with 4 desks open. Might be good if we all whip out a camera and send off a pic and complaint to AA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansBlinkers Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 (edited) This type of thing happens to me all the time in 7/11. Air Asia are great! no frills, I like it. Buy your flight, be on time for your flight, know your flight, check into your flight, board your flight..pbai Lai! The desk is closed, not opening for another 15 min, end of story I love Thailand Edited August 23, 2012 by HansBlinkers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNXBKKMAN Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 If she is not due to work until 2pm its silly place to sit until your job starts. She may have been working the 2pm to 9pm shift or whatever but do people expect her to work for free because they booked on the cheapest airline at the airport and they dont like queing? Whilst waiting to be served they may have noticed the much bigger TG ticket desk with many more staff ready to help their customers. The TG ticket costs more although they also have cheap deals as do Bangkok Air. Not that much more than Air Asia's price if you book in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Puwa Posted August 23, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 23, 2012 Approaching any kind of counter in Thailand is a crapshoot. You could end up richer, poorer, incarcerated, married, bemused, frustrated, better informed, worse for the wear, long in the tooth, morally broken, sexually aroused, weighed down with worry, lightened by relief. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Approaching any kind of counter in Thailand is a crapshoot. You could end up richer, poorer, incarcerated, married, bemused, frustrated, better informed, worse for the wear, long in the tooth, morally broken, sexually aroused, weighed down with worry, lightened by relief. "Approaching any kind of counter in Thailand is a crapshoot" Or perhaps a 'crap-chute', since that's what they often hand you, or a 'khrap-chute', when they are polite to you ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptainrob Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Nok Air is our preferred domestic carrier. As pointed out above, excellent check-in facilities and onboard snack, FREE. 55 Best of all, they're often cheaper than AA and Nok's online booking system is far quicker ... actually user-friendly!!! We still use AAX for International and last March via KL to NZ and Aus all staff (outside Thailand) were exceptionally polite... seems AAX have lifted their act. Wonder what to expect of AAX/Don Muang in November ... could be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Slightly off topic, but we have a couple of return flight tickets to Phuket for the end of this month. Unfortunately we are unable to go, but a few people have requested the tickets from us; shouldnt be a problem, just a name change....surely. WRONG....went into the AA office at Thapae, to find out the cost to change the name. They do not allow, no transfer of name.....but if we want we can change the date!!!!! The girly quite rightly as frustrated as me, says she cannot understand AA, they are potentially alinating 2 new customers/future customers and losing us two at the same time. ok they have their money, they also now have 2 empty seats, Personally I stopped using AA a while ago, simply becasue Bangkok Air have that fantastic little food and coffee lounge to pig out in! The office at Thapae Gate is NOT an AA office, it is a private company that has no relationship with AA other than they want the public to think they are an AA office. I know this because I booked flights through them thinking they were an AA office, when it came to refund time for an AA cancelled flight the AA office at the airport gave me the heads up and as a result I had to wait two months for my money. Also, if you use the Thapae Gate AA look alike office and pay using an overseas credit card their charges are sky high and not advertised anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptheos Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 (edited) they are like Ryanair, but without the charm and the customer-centred ethos.... Yep http://www.dailymail...e_news_rss_feed I use all domestic airlines except Orient Thai and have never had a problem with Air Asia........strange. Edited August 24, 2012 by uptheos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rice_King Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 (edited) I think if I had been subjected to this that I would have made a video of the situation with my own phone. Capture the counter person idling her time and a slow pan to show the queue of waiting customers. Do this same shot over the course of the wait with a clock showing the time elapsed. Then post it on YouTube and send the link for my video straight to Air Asia's corporate headquarters. Edited August 24, 2012 by Rice_King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptheos Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I think if I had been subjected to this that I would have made a video of the situation with my own phone. Capture the counter person idling her time and a slow pan to show the queue of waiting customers. Do this same shot over the course of the wait with a clock showing the time elapsed. Then send the video straight to Air Asia's corporate headquarters and also post it on YouTube. Maybe Tony Fernandez is a regular on Thai Visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Open at 14:00. What's the problem? Why should she open 15 minutes early from her break? Correct, same as Immigration don't open the door until it's time, no matter how many are queueing outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyecatcher Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 This type of thing happens to me all the time in 7/11. I am not surprised; they dont sell airline tickets do they? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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