Air Baltic outsourced both flights from Helsinki and from Riga to Dusseldorf BLUE LINE (see the picture bellow).
The ground crew in Helsinki airport aren’t Air Baltic but some outsource group. no wonder that they treat customers as they do seeing that THOSE AREN’T THEIR CUSTOMERS......
Also APPLE outsources some of their work, however, what a difference...(will mention more about this later)
When I arrived to RIGA I had a 30 minutes connection time to my next flight with “Air Baltic” to dusseldorf.
So, I had to move fast as I did.
There was a ground staff crew guy waiting at the the entrance to the airport (where the bus from the Helsinki airplane arrives) and he was screaming “who is to Dusseldorf”?, I said that I am... he said- “you must run” as the gate is closing.
Carrying a trolly with some weight, I could not run, but I walked even faster....
It took me less than 3 minutes to be at the gate TO DUSSELDORF.
When I came closer to the gate....another ground staff crew hostess was screaming at me “where are you” we were waiting for you. I asked her to stop screaming and added that I WONDER IF SHE HAD LOST HER MIND...I told her that as an Air Baltic ground staff she should know that I arrived with an Air Baltic flight from Helsinki (their airline)!!!!!!!! Air Baltic are the stupid ones that planned a 30 minute connection flight (not me).
If you wonder what happened to my suitcase that I was overcharged for overweight??? Yes, you are right......it did not arrive with this flight and fortunately it arrived one and a half days later........so, let’s say that I needed to continue to fly to another destination? It simply means that I would need to buy new clothes new toiletries etc...
When I went to report the missing case to the “lost and found” guys in DUSSELDORF AIRPORT, they were not surprised at all.....the guy there said “ahhh Air Baltic? thats a normal situation that luggage does not arrive with the flights”
Outsourcing- the flight with BLUE LINE was terrible, small plane, old plane, unclean and unprofessional crew....now wonder....those are not their customers as they are “outsourced”
I have nothing personally against outsourcing on condition that it contributes positively to the end users/consumers.
As mentioned- APPLE and other big brands outsource, however, they do not allow the “outsourced companies” to be in direct contact with the consumers as the consumers are APPLE’s consumers and they feel responsible for their customers satisfaction (differently to how Air baltic treat their customers or better to say “leave their customers satisfaction in the hands of third party companies” such as Air blue).
Conclusions:
- Know the process and plan your work so that you NEVER scream at customers.
- Never scream at customers (as they are the ones that keep you business alive)
- If you outsource, make sure that you or your representative are present ON LOCATION if your customers are in contact with the outsourced company.
- If you outsource, try to make sure that the outsource work is happening in the background and you are the one that is in constant contact with the end users/your consumers.
- Pay extra attention to your BRAND NAME and do not cause situations that others “TALK BADLY” about your business as with the guys in DUSSELDORF AIRPORT “lost and found”. A BAD NAME spread fast.....
- If you think that you don’t outsource...you are wrong.....as you “outsource” work to your staff and the same “outsourcing story as with Air Baltic” may happen right under your nose......educate your staff that your customers are their customers as you all earn from the same customers (yours and theirs)
- I/O (inside out marketing) activities with your staff is the first priority and comes before anything else!!!!!!
PS - I read some further news about Air Baltic and NOTICED that the CEO MR. Bertolt Flick mentions the opening of new destinations such as Madrid, Beirut etc...
I suggest to the CEO Mr.Bertolt Flick that before looking for new customers/people in NEW DESTINATIONS he should first invest in his own people/staff and in his current customers satisfaction............as...........bad news about Air Baltic travel fast via the Internet and that BAD NEWS won’t get stuck on any Air baltic flight .
