It's not very often one the best travel experiences happen at the check in
counter of an airline. However, I am very pleased to say that I was so
pleasantly surprised by the level of service recently from a staff member from
Air New Zealand, that it deserves a mention. I
think everyone should travel with them on the off chance you'll get the same
customer service guy (whose name I have now inconveniently forgotten) that was
so helpful in Christchurch
airport.
He was friendly and enthusiastic about his job, and was a real ambassador
not only for Air NZ, but for New
Zealand tourism in general. He approached me
with a smile and the offer to take my bags to send them down the shoot into the
bowels of the building and onto the flight. Now this may not seem that special,
but it was the whole set up of this check in area, and his generosity, which
was the icing on the cake. Let me explain:
Normally, checking in at the airport is best forgotten and more likely the
first story recalled as you rant about how nasty or grumpy that check in person
was or how much they stung you for excess luggage*. And God forbid,
imagine a luggage handler/ airline check in customer service person that actually
carries or touches your bags? They are a dying breed thanks to OH&S
regulation, which seems to prevent them from lifting a finger but doesn’t stop
them barking orders to tell you’ve got the bag up the wrong way ‘cause they can
not get at the handle closest to them (the poor dears!)
With Air New Zealand, you can check
yourself in at one of many handy little kiosks, to print both your boarding
pass and luggage tag. These booths and the instructions are quick, easy and
painless. Now, self service check in kiosks are not new, I know this, but the
difference is how easy it was to drop off your luggage once you've checked in.
Whoever it was that designed the layout of Air NZ’s Christchurch domestic check
in area is definitely a traveller: they get that when you've got heavy luggage
(particularly a long roller bag that holds skis or an overloaded trolley that
doesn't go straight) that it's REALLY difficult to negotiate those stupid
queues which, to save space, corral those of us in cattle class back and forth
between taped bollards. Instead, they
just put one of the big travelators right near the kiosks, so you can just put
your bags straight on. No queuing, no hassle.
Plus, they put some of thee most friendly and congenial customer
services people there to help (and it works!).
It wasn’t the kiosks or the layout of the check in that made my day. It was
the that aforementioned customer service guy who, when I showed him the printed
boarding pass as I handed over my bag, went above and beyond to change my
allocated seat “as I was a visitor to this country, and should get a great view
when flying into Queenstown”. This all happened without even the slightest
request or comment on my behalf, so it was totally surprising, and for that
reason, so memorable. (He was right, when flying into Queenstown, it’s worth
having the last window seat of the plane – it’s first on, first off and has
stunning views as you skim the mountains to land!)
To all other airlines: it’s not rocket science people, just a travel
experience – it’s true that people just want to get to their final destination,
sometimes their tired, hungry and probably forgot to pack their manners and
brains, but all it takes is a bit of common sense and well trained, genuinely
helpful and happy staff to make checking in painless, and getting on with the
travelling part so much more enjoyable.
Snaps to Air New Zealand and their cool
check in counter guy (who’ll unfortunately remain nameless) – guess how many
people I have told already about your quality service, and still I feel
compelled to write this to tell more. I
will be back!
(* and as an aside while I am at it - boo to the reduced
check in limit for Qantas international – do you really think it is possible to
pack skis, boots and snow skiing gear for under 23 kg? those extra 2kg we used
to have makes all the difference)
