First Working Trip

My first working trip in my new job, is surprisingly relaxed and enjoyable. Took a plane from Penang to KL and had the whole Sunday evening to myself, spending the entire night catching with a close friend that I have not met for couple of months.

The job assignment was as expected, a rapporteur. This is one of the most interesting rapporteuring experience for a very simple reason - strong personal interest in the subject of discussion. I even felt like raising my hands, asked questions and engaged in the discussion but I refrained from doing so.

It has been a pleasant working trip throughout until I reach the airport. I arrived about 2 and half hours before my scheduled flight. When to the ticketing counter to try my luck in getting an earlier flight home, which is due to fly off in about 50 minutes. Reaching the counter, I was given a number, indicating that there were 11 other customers in front of me. The 12-counters ticketing office was packed with passengers but to my surprise, only 4 or 5 counters were operating.

After 10 minutes of waiting, I went to the customer enquiry counter to reconfirm whether should I continue waiting or should I proceed to the check-in counter. The trainee sitting there proudly and rudely told me this is the only place to get an earlier flight.

By 3.20pm, after 30 minutes of waiting, I could not tolerate the inefficient service of the staff there. There were only 4 counters operating but there were easily more than 20 staffs hanging around behind the counters doing nothing. I finally got someone to check the ticket status, as I was visibly frustrated, as the flight is about to leave in 15 minutes. I was then told that my request to board an earlier should be done at the stand-by check-in counter in Level 5 and not in this "inefficient and useless" ticketing counter in Level 3. I know I'm going to miss the flight.

With a cunning smile, I went over to that trainee at the customer service and requested for her full name. Although slightly surprised at my request, she happily give me her full name. Following that, she asked me why I wanted her name. I then strongly told her the reason that I am pissed with the service and I had missed the flight, which I will proceed to lodge a complaint.

She then in a very uncompromising voice said, "Hello......". I just walked out straight.

After this incident, I can understand why our country's National Carrier is in such a bad shape. The customer service is horrible. Loaded with staff but highly or even completely inefficient. In other word, "rubbish". I am sure those waiting in the queue of the ticketing counter will agree with me.

The standard of food and beverages on board is lousy. A Rm500 two-way ticket from Penang to Kuala Lumpur is superly expensive. They only serve a packet of peanuts (cost less than RM1) and three-quarter filled cup of fruit juice, which was diluted with water. From this experience, I wonder why the national carrier is under-performing so badly.

Although it has shown sign of recovery from the financial loss, but from this experience, I wonder how long can the profit sustain. I will certainly not be taking such flight again if not for my employer's policy to only fly with the national carrier.