Happy Endings …

This story ended with a happy note

1) Make My Trip refunded all money for second Ticket of higher value

2) Go Air gave gift voucher which can be redemmed within next six months (hope that will happen smoothly

So, monetary harm has been taken care of … However it would be meaningful if they learn their lessons from this and take some steps so that it is not repeated in future. However there is immediate need for following upgrade:

1) Central view of all the communications that happen with the consumer. Be it via mail or on phone or any other mode. Every call center rep should have access to this central updated data. This will save us from repeating our story to every other call center rep. There were instances when i received more than one mail asking for same data which I had already provided. This problem is common to most of these call centers, as is also highlighted by Sachin in this Ezeego Case

Updates on Ticket issue and Air India

On this whole issue of Air Tickets following are the responses from Go Air and MakeMytrip ( other than the comment from Gp Capt Sachdev from Go Air)

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MakeMyTrip

Mail 1

From: Service <Service@makemytrip.com> to siddharth sharma <siddharths@gmail.com>,
date Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 3:00 AM
subject RE: who will Refund my Money?
mailed-by makemytrip.com

Dear Mr.Sharma,
Greeting from Make My Trip!With reference to your mail,please be informed that the attchment is the only e-ticket, further please note that you need to take the print out of your e-ticket along with the valid photo id proof.
For any further assistance we are available round the clock on our toll free number 1-800-11-8747 (MTNL/BSNL)/1-800-102-8747 (Airtel)/ 95124-4628700 (Any Landline).You may also write to us through reply email or writing to Service@MakeMyTrip.com or visit us at www.MakeMyTrip.com.

We value your business with us and look forward in assisting you with all your travel plans.Saba Siddiqui,MakeMyTrip (India) Pvt. Ltd.103 Udyog Vihar Phase I Gurgaon -122016 (Haryana)Toll Free: 1-800-11-8747 (MTNL/BSNL phones)
Toll Free: 1-800-102-8747 (Airtel subscribers)
Tel: 0124-4628747, 0124-2898747 E-mail:Service@MakeMyTrip.ComYou are welcome to write to our management with feedback about our services. CLICK HERE: share.feedback@makemytrip.com

[I cant make head or tail out of this mail, what are they trying to say and highlight, seems like responded to mail withouht even reading the whole story. As a next step I have replied and forwarded the conversation at feedback id given in this mail]

Mail 2

Received an auto mailer from MakeMyTrip, saying that money has ben refunded and will reflect in credit card account within ten business working days. I am not too sure what this refund for, may be for the connecting Air India flight (on 3rd April) i got cancelled at air port

Telephone call

In evening got a call from MakeMyTrip, they need details of my new flight which i took on 4th April he was looking for fare of both the flights and would refund the money as soon as they get these flight details.

[Have mailed them the same, lets see what they intend to do with it]

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GO Air

1) Comment from Gp Capt Sachdev

2) Call from their cost rep that their manager Richa will soon contact me on this whole issue

3) Checked with MakemyTrip database that my account no with their records was wrong, updated the same.

I appreciate the fact that Go Air management has been quiet prompt and responsive so far…

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Air India

Further I managed to catch my flight today ( i was at check in counter one and half hour prior to departure time ) – Today i could see the logic in my Dad’s advice of reaching railway station early and not just in time…

There was lot of chaos at mumbai airport while catching connecting flight fo Air India ….However it taught me good lessons for consumers

Keep Your Eyes wide open: IC 157 flight which was supposed to leave at 8:55was delayed by half an hour. I was lucky to notice the same at the check in counter display. Person delivering my boarding pass never cared to inform me about the same…

As a consumer they want you to keep your eyes open, look around and pay attention to detail.

Be patient: All the display boards except one at check in counter were showing old time and there was no info about the boarding gate of flight. I asked the concerned person, who smiled and asked me to wait in the lobby, there will be an announcement about the same.

It was 9 am now, by this time couple of other air india flights were also delayed and departure time of all was nearly same. So there was a mad rush at the gate no 8, there was single queue for all these flights, nobody was sure when will their flight leave. Staff was repeating same sentence – will inform in few minutes sir, please be patient.

So as a consumer you got to be really patient and keep asking the same question no matter if you get the same response.

Be on your toes – As the density of crowd at gate was increasing and the time was half an hour past 9, I decided to join the crowd and i realized it was wise decision for a Air India staff person standing near the gate was making an annoucement, only audible within the crowd. She was actually calling out the flight no and people were accordingly moving out.

I got lucky around around 9:30 am, when she announced about the boarding of flight no IC 157. How foolish i was sitting in the lobby and waiting for the announcement information to come to me through some speaker, or on any of the LCD display

As a consumer you are not supposed to sit and wait for the information to come to you… make an effort, move your ass and go as near as you can to the information source … again keep your eyes and ears open … Be on your toes ..

Finally I could board the flight and somehow managed to reach my destination, it was realy a sense of achievement, it would have been really boring journey, thank you all for making it so eventful and adventurous.

By the way … think twice before making any commitments to others… you might not be able to reach on time .. or may be not reach at all