No longer a customer, but part of a process

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...the accountants have really sharpened their pencils and pared everything down to the bare minimum, hence the long queues at reception, the drab exterior and the unremarkable rooms.

They get away with such second-rate facilities and service because most people are just passing through. I am sure hotels like the Hilton know this could be people’s mind set and build that into the business plan.

Talking of poor service being built into a company’s business plan, Ryan Air has made an art of it. Customer service is way down on their list of priorities. Consumers are treated...

...like cattle and the business seems to be designed to heavily penalise customers for any tiny misdemeanour. But the consumer tolerates this because the cheap tickets mean they are prepared to shut down and allow themselves to be churned through the process.

For me the worst part of this nightmare is when I hit the security wall. Now, with all security walls - be that trying to get into the Houses of Parliament, the American Embassy or getting on a plane — you can forget customer service. The experience here reflects the State’s attitude towards its citizens and visitors.

At these security walls you are in a strange no man’s land waiting to see whether the authorities will allow you to proceed. These security walls invariably involve having to wait in long queues. Your comfort and time plan are of no consequence. Before now I have had to stand in the pouring rain for an hour queuing to get into the Houses of Parliament. I suppose no one has thought about building a shelter to protect visitors from the elements. We put up with this degrading service because over our heads hangs the threat that it is for our own protection against terrorism.... continued on page three >

 

 

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