UKNM: FW: pretty poor if you ask me (KMM342302C0KM)

[David Bentley]

Thought this might be interesting.  Here is an email I sent and its response

from customer services.


I Had a bad experience trying to book a flight to NYC through Last Minute -

I couldn't book online and I couldn't get anyone to answer the phone over

Saturday and Sunday last w/end - so even though I knew the flights were

available (at a fine price I might add) I couldn;t get one and by the time

Monday came they had all sold out.  My plans crashed and I have had to delay

my trip till peak season ended.


I am a fan of Last Minute and admire what they have done, so I certainly

don't want this mail to turn into another slanging match which has to

attract a response from Brent...  However it does prove a point.


If you are gonna do business online you need to (1) invest in the

infrastructure that allows customers to buy what is being sold.  (2) There

must be an effective second method of contact - usually a phone helpdesk.

(3) If something goes wrong and a customer complains then these issues need

to be effectively delt with to make the customer feel satisfied (rather than

placated!).


Sounds basic doesn't it.  Well it is - and even though it is a tough job to

get right it has to be done if any business is to be taken seriously.  This

is particularly true online.  IMHO events like this effect the industry as a

whole because a consumer has the power to turn off completely.


I think the idea of distressed inventory being sold online is a great one

and will be a smash hit, but if that potential is not realised due to poor

customer service and mechanisms - well then they only have themselves to

blame.




-----Original Message-----

From: Hello [

hellolastminute [dot] com (mailto:hellolastminute [dot] com)

]

Sent: Friday, August 18, 2000 5:44 AM

To: David Bentley

Subject: Re: pretty poor if you ask me (KMM342302C0KM)



Hello David


Thank you for your email and your interest in lastminute.com.



I am sorry that you experienced so many problems on our website. I will

forward the info you have sent us to a technician - who will look into

this. However a lot of these problems are related to the web itself as

it is not a fully developed machine yet. We will check our system to see

if we can improve the service; it may also be a good idea if you check

your system to see if their is something you can do.


I suggest that you contact us on 0207 659 4900 where we will be able to

book offline if necessary.


Once again I apologise for any inconvenience caused by our system.

Thanks for visiting lastminute.com - the first place to look at the

lastminute.


Alice Richards

Customer Services Team

lastminute.com

4th Floor, Park House

116 Park Street

London, W1Y 3RA

tel. 020 7659 4900

http://www.lastminute.com

do something

lastminute.com





Original Message Follows:

------------------------

30 minutes worth of trying to book a ticket which was telling me I

couldn't

book it even though it was "checking database" for availability

throughout

the set up process...  tried every permutation of dates and no luck at

all


followed by...


30 minutes waiting for someone, anyone, to pick up the phone at the

telephone number that was specified...  no-one answered and so I leave

with

no tickets, grumpy, and unlikely to buy anything from you guys again -

whats

the point - the prices sound great but if I can't book it then it is

just a

tease...  this isn't the first time this has happened to me but I get

the

feeling it will be the last.


Now you might take a rather blaze attitude - one one person - but I know

many who are disgruntled with this service


NOT HAPPY.


--------------------

David Bentley

tel: 0796 873 2009

fax: 0870 161 4550

e-m:

dbdprop [dot] com

icq: 516035

--------------------


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