United Airlines? Let’s look to our own (price) gougers
Once again this week we have seen big business put the customer first – head-first out the door when it suits them, that is. The United Airlines omnishambles – which saw bloodied airline passenger Dr David Dao being violently manhandled out of his airline seat by three burly security men, as the airline decided they needed the seat he had bought for a crew member – is an example of how customer service is such a low priority.
Airlines are among the worst offenders. Not too long ago, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, the darling of the Irish right, gloried in his gruff, insolent and dismissive customer service. There were many examples of this outlined on Liveline, but one of the most egregious was when he accused a whole series of passengers – who claimed they all missed their Ryanair flight because it had not been announced or signposted – of not telling the truth.
They were subsequently proved to be correct by the airport concerned. An apology from Michael? Thankfully, he has now had a Damascene conversion to the rights of fliers. But still Ryanair’s ‘gift vouchers’ have expiry dates and severe restrictions, which means you have a fair chance of losing at least some of your money. Aer Lingus and other airlines are not much better – their gift vouchers have a most bizarre set of restrictions which seem to be designed to ensure you cannot use them, and often you lose them.
When was the last time you arrived early for an Aer Lingus flight from Heathrow to Dublin, and asked them to put you on an earlier flight, and they have not demanded a king’s ransom for a convenience that costs them nothing? Gift vouchers, in the main, are a rip-off. When you hand over your legal tender to buy one, why are you told that while your money is everlasting, the voucher is not?
There is also a new rip-off built into many ‘gift vouchers’ called an ‘administration fee’; this simply sees money being taken out of your gift voucher every few months!
How often have politicians announced that they are going to change the law on gift vouchers? A lot to do, nothing done.
Need I mention private clampers and hospital parking charges?
Don’t get me started on the rip-off prices in pubs and restaurants. Temple Bar in Dublin is the worst offender. A disgruntled customer sent me his receipt last week – it cost him €7.45 for a lunchtime pint, and €10.35 for a gin and tonic! Worse, when a publicans’ spokesperson was asked about these rip-off prices, he volunteered this was ‘what the market will bear’. Sounds like price gouging to me. Recently, I listened to a leading hotelier revel in the tourism numbers – justifying massive hikes on busy weekends, and labelling this rip-off as ‘dynamic pricing’. Again, sounds like gouging to me.
Many years ago supermarket king Feargal Quinn wrote a great book called Crowning The Customer, reminding retailers that the main aim is to get the customer to come back to your business or service a second time, and again.
This seems to have been forgotten. Statutory bodies have great powers when forcing taxpayers to cough up – but they are toothless when it comes to enforcing consumer rights. If the Dáil ever gets back to passing legislation, this should be top of the agenda.
Will the United Airlines debacle encourage other businesses to cop on to consumers instead of calling the cops? Let’s hope so.
YOU have to hand it to the discount retailers Aldi and Lidl, they are master marketeers. The day after it emerged water charges are gone, in all but name, Aldi announced it was selling outdoor four-person ‘hot tubs’ with 120 air jets – an ‘ohso-indulgent yet oh-so-right’ way to unwind, although a tub requires 800 litres of water every time you fill it! But hey, we don’t have to worry about water charges, as they will – like every other charge – simply be lumped onto the income tax bill of workers, who won’t have time to splash around in a hot tub.
TOMORROW, Easter Monday, Liveline is going back in time as we present a live show from Custom House Quay in Dublin at 1.30pm – in 1917! The first anniversary of the Rising saw major riots and disturbances in the capital – as locals tried to hoist a Tricolour over the GPO, while the British administration outlawed large gatherings. These are just some of the topics we will be reporting in the live broadcast.
WRITE TO JOE AT: The Irish Mail on Sunday, Embassy House, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4