Dear GIA (Garuda Indonesia Airline),
I am very sorry that I should write this article and post it in my blog. I never feel this bad with GIA except in Balikpapan Airport. So far, I am one of the Garuda Frequent Flyer Member, a loyal customer and have a very big trust on GIA. Unfortunately, I happen to experience a very bad service conducted by the counter check-in staff in Balikpapan airport.Let me share my experience so that may be somebody in GIA have a willingness to fix this problem, improve quality of service to customer so that no more GIA passenger facing this kind of problem.
I have an OK (confirmed) GIA flight ticket for BPN-JKT which is GA 521 on sunday, August 24, 2008 Depart 18.05 and should be arrived in JKT 19.05.
On August 22, I called the call center and ask to re-schedule but I should stay in the waiting list. I checked many times but still in the waiting list up until August 24.
At 09.45 I have arrived in front of check-in counter and ask whether I can join the flight at 10pm or not, then the staff (her name is Lidya) answer with a very bad attitude way and said that the seat in not available anymore. All seat already checked-in. Then I asked her to list me in a waiting list for the next flight which would depart at 12.40. But she refused and told me that I should coming back at 10.40. I have no idea of why I should coming back to her at that particular time.
I thought it will be quite a long time that I have to wait arround 50 minute for coming back at 10.40 to the check-in counter and then I should wait again arround 2 hours to the flight time at 12.40. I ask her whether I can coming back to her just around 40 minutes prior to departure (12.00). And she said Ok for that.
I arrived again at 12.00 in front of this check-in staff (Lidya again) and ask about my waiting list status. She said nothing except asking me to just wait until the boarding time. Then, what happened next? She just said that I didn’t listed in the waiting list. It was really surprising when she told me that I was not listed. Then, she just simply said that I have to coming back to her at 13.30 to register my name in the waiting list for the next flight (15.30).
Very disappointed with this check-in staff, I went to the customer service and tell them my problem. Then the officer said her appology and simply register me in the waiting list for the next flight. This is quite strange why Lidya said that I should wait for more than 1 hour just to register my name (at 13.30), but the other GIA customer officer (which is just 20meters in front of the check-in counter) said that she can just directly register me for that particular flight without asking me to wait.
This is very bad that I lost opportunity to join flight at 12.40 and have a hard time to register my name for the next flight. It is not because an acceptable reason, but I lost this opportunity due to un-cooperative staff who refuse to register my name in the waiting list. It is really not acceptable quality of service.
I should say that GIA have a very serious problem with the check-in staff in Balikpapan Airport. They are showing a very bad attitude in handling customers/passangers and have a very poor (unclear) way of communication. This is very bad that passanger should delay their flight due to unclear communication, very bad attitude and not helpfull check-in staff.
With this kind quality of service, I feel like Garuda Indonesia greet the passengers by saying “Dear un-valued customer, you are not important for us. You need GIA and GIA don’t need you..”
Oh, Garuda Indonesia Airlines.. Hope you can fix this kind of problem and improve your quality of service significantly.
As one of the Garuda Frequent Flyer, I would like to ask you (Garuda Indonesia Airline) to improve your quality of service. Would you?
Warm Regards// Adi Anggarayudha
