This post is to reflect my bitter experience with KLM Airlines when I returned from US after 1.5 years for just 2 week vacation. I have been following CNN-IBN Citizen Journalist news for long from US and I wished to join CNN-IBN as soon as I get back to India. However, I didn’t know my story will start right from the time I land in India.
It started on 29th Dec 2007 when I landed on Indra Gandhi International Airport. Delhi. I has a connecting flight with KLM from Amsterdam and I landed at around 11:30 P:M. The unwanted did happen. One of my bags was missing. As I returned to customer care desk, the lady candidly told me that she has a message for me. My bad could not be loaded into the flight and would come next day. I calmly responded that “I understand you cannot change what has already happened. However, I would hope that you make an expedited and safe delivery of the bag to my address in Punjab”. The lady greeted me well and nodded. There were number of other people shouting on missing their bags. I, however, choose to hope that delivery would be made, only to find it far from truth.
Next day I got a call from KLM that my bag has reached India i.e 30th Dec and would be delivered to my address the next day. I was happy since I had a lot of New Year gifts in the bag and hoped to wear good clothes I bought in night’s party. However, all dreams were about to be crushed. By the evening I called them again only to be told that bag is on it’s way and would be delivered soon. Next day, again I was given the status that bag would reach me by evening. Leave aside the rudeness of the customer care, they did not know the correct location of the bag. Then, in next call they tend to shave off from the whole issue and gave me the number of supervisor for the driver. The number was 09813849651. The supervisor on repetitive calls picked once and would always say that he is not able to contact the driver. He could not contact his subordinate for 2 full days and never was able to tell me where my bag is.
In agony, Dec 31st and Jan 1st slipped away and I was still without my cherished clothes, my gifts n chocolates I brought from heart for my family. I woke up on Jan 2nd wondering that a bag reaching New Delhi on 30th December and thereafter, it could not travel 300 Km in 3 days. I called at the required number 011-25652420. A lady named Jyoti picked. I immediately asked to talk to the manager and she said she is the manager. After hearing my story, she said she will call back in 10 minutes. The 10 minutes that never came. I called after an hour and a guy called Karandeep picked the phone. Ironically, on my request to speak to some manager, he said they do not have any managers. And the bag, he said they have dispatched. When I insisted that I care about the delivery, he confidently said that I will get my bag in 2 hours. After 6 hours, I called back again. This time again, Mr Karandeep picked. Rather than having any clues about his claim to send me bag in 2 hours, he proposed that my bag will reach me in evening. Now, since I was hearing this since last 3 days, I insisted to find out where exactly the bag and the cab driver are. To my surprise, Karandeep had no clues and he gave me the driver’s number to find out myself. As I called the driver, he responded that he has no baggage from KLM and he no baggage for my address. I was tired, frustrated, and felt really weak.
With no clues to where to talk, I called back again to Karandeep. Again on request to talk to someone for escalations, there was noone. My Karandeep could not even tell me who else can I talk, how will he find the coordinates of my bag, when will I get my back so that I can plan my vacation to Shimla. After 1.5 years, I came for a vacation back home just to spoil everything due to the lousy services of an internationally renowned Airlines.
It is only in now that I have got a call from the driver who is some 100 Km Away from my location and he hopes to make it to my place today night or tomorrow morning. On my emphasis of the difficulties I am facing, he reflected that he hears the same from everyone. I have no issues or complaints against the driver. I have no issues or complaints against the missing baggage on the flight, it happens. But my issues is against the lousy customer service that has been provided. I wonder what image will be project with such service to the tourists to our country. I also wonder what actually is the service agreements of these Airlines with the courier companies. And I also wonder about those co-passengers whose both bags were missing from the flight !!!
I have proposed this story to CNN-IBN CJ Initiative and look forward for co-operation of CNN IBN to bring to surface such service issue. I would be happy to assist in manner as may be required.
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3 comments:
babaji
You got screwed!!!
HIHIHIHIHi
dada,, chocolates ka kya hua? melted?
I am experiencing the exact same thing right now with a KLM flight which landed in the UK. So far, my luck is as a bad as yours and the "agents" of KLM and their associates are absolutely terrible at customer service. Beyond that, most of the important contacts are not available 24 hours so now I have to wait another night and look forward to another torturous morning of hold music.
Finally talked to someone helpful! And she answered beyond "normal business hours". Try +31 20 474 7747 (it's the KLM main hotline or something, possibly the same number for reservations but you can skip around with the dial pad menu and get to general info or something. You can find that number buried deep in their website). I was on hold for more than 20 minutes but finally a competent person with meaningful computer access answered!!
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