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Rex faces backlash after insulting letter goes public

written by australianaviation.com.au | July 31, 2012

Rex is facing an ugly backlash after an insulting letter to a passenger went public.

Regional Express hopes its ten year birthday party can distract attention from an ugly public relations mauling after an insulting letter it sent to a passenger went public.

In the letter, written in response to complaints of poor service on flights between Sydney and the southern NSW town of Griffith, a Rex employee writes that the airline is “still much better than all the airlines in Australia and most of the airlines in the world” and goes on to ridicule the passenger, prominent Sydney cardiologist Charles Thornburn.

“I would be curious to know if you would reimburse any of your patients who do not get well after seeing you? If you don’t why not?” says the letter, signed by a Rex employee who said he was writing on instruction of the airline’s chief, Singapore based Lim Kim Hai.

The letter goes on to snidely deny Dr. Thornburn’s request for statistics on timeliness. “Perhaps in the medical profession you are used to dispensing information on how long you make your patients wait or how often you misdiagnosed.”

Published by The Area News, a local newspaper, the letter drew a swift and angry response from Griffith leaders, who called on Rex to apologize and trotted out their own stories of poor service by the carrier, the only airline servicing the town. Dr. Thornburn threatened to boycott the airline and end his 20 year relationship with Griffith, where he provides visiting outpatient services.

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Nevertheless, Rex told The Area News that it stood by its response.

The generally well-regarded airline did send out a press release touting an upcoming celebration for its ten year anniversary, which rolls around on August 2. The airline said it would give a small gift to all passengers who fly that day. A larger birthday party is scheduled for September 8 at Rex’s Australian Airline Pilot Academy in Wagga Wagga.

Australia’s largest independent regional carrier, Rex was formed by the merger of Hazelton and Kendell following the collapse of Ansett.

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Comments (29)

  • Concerned!

    says:

    Rex does not know the word customer service it would appear. My experience was when I was contacted by Rex to say that they were moving my flight to King Island AHEAD an hour. I pointed out to them that I had to fly into Melbourne and I was on the first flight I could get into Melbourne and originally I had two hours between arriving in Melbourne and departing for King Island, a safe margin.

    This has made me very anxious, especially as Rex shut their gate 30 minutes before departure. I have to collect my bag, hope there is no delay into Melbourne and get from the Qantas terminal to the Rex terminal at Melbourne, from one side of the airport to the other in 30 minutes.

    When I asked that the gate not be shut until I got there the women on the phone told me bad luck. She said It was not their problem. When I pointed out that they created the problem by moving the flight departure ahead an hour she very rudely said again not their problem and hung up on me……so much for customer service.

  • Brad

    says:

    Good on you REX

    It can’t be insulting when it is true! I am a frequent commuter and have used REX on many occasions and the service has been great. It’s also great to see REX fly into towns that none of the other airlines would even consider.

    It seems this passenger got a response however in a fit that resembles a child decided to publish it because it was not the answer he wanted.

    The truth hurts

  • Jeff Atkinson

    says:

    Some times the truth hurts ! Who has ever had the chance to rebuke the medical fraternity ,Who are always behind in schedule and are never questioned about it .Not that they would even consider it.And yet airlines do have a lot of equal problems to keep up time tables . Give the man 50c and tell him to ring someone who cares?

  • Dan

    says:

    I agree with Jeff. Good on that employee for saying it as it is. Doctors are always notoriously late and think that their patients or better yet customers can work around thier daily life’s as you see them chating and drinking coffee chatting to assistance and then see you 30 min after your agreed time. I hope that REX employee is not made to pay for the bosses response. Thongs go right and wrong in the aviation industry. So Dr thornburn let’s see your on time performance stats then we will compare REX’s.

  • Dan

    says:

    I agree with Jeff. Good on that employee for saying it as it is. Doctors are always notoriously late and think that their patients or better yet customers can work around thier daily life’s as you see them chating and drinking coffee chatting to assistance and then see you 30 min after your agreed time. I hope that REX employee is not made to pay for the bosses response. Things go right and wrong in the aviation industry. So Dr thornburn let’s see your on time performance stats then we will compare REX’s.

  • Juan

    says:

    The contempt with which this airline treats its passengers makes Juan wonder how it treats its employees.

  • Air Observer

    says:

    His profession is none of their damned business, answering his concerns is. Don’t try to polish a turd! This is poor PR!

  • Jude

    says:

    Well I suppose this is a Aviation site so perhaps there are some people here commenting with their heads in the clouds, ie the Jeff’s of this world who think that it’s clever for a company to feature in the National papers for treating it’s customers in tsuch a negative way. Rex comes across incredibly badly, as a company that personalises a complaint from a customer that should have been incredibly valued given his standing and that would have been easily dealt with. Now they have a public relations disaster on their hands due it seems to one or two people’s egos and their unfortunate staff will be cringing. Perhaps they think they have a monopoly out there. Maybe so, but I’m sure at least some people will cancel, delay or look for alternative transport. True masters of business and public relations.

  • Jo

    says:

    This is not poor PR at all. Sometimes people deserve what comes there way. And REX was right to brand him with the same questions he had given them. This country is becoming a country of whiners. Wake up people. Australia aviation services are well above the bunch from Europe and the Americas

  • Keef

    says:

    I agree Rex staff need some better PR skills I have had the misfortune to fly with them several times only to suffer delayed or cancelled flights, them not been able to uplift checked baggage and to top it of by experiencing shocking customer service skills from gate staff. I dont use them anymore, I drive!

  • Air Observer2

    says:

    I agree with Air Observer. Your missing the point, and the point is Rex’s bad customer service. I did not right a letter but instead rang them to sort out a problem of Rex’s creation, they moved a flight ahead an hour which then left me with very little time to get from my other flight to their flight. For my trouble I got a very rude woman who told me bad luck. Rex seem to have a bad attitude which is particularly problematic when they are the only airline servicing the port.

  • puppysparkes

    says:

    Dan, Jeff Atkinson, congratulations on demonstrating a impressive lack of insight.

    There are many reasons why doctors can be late. Specifically, a patient may require urgent medical intervention in which case you will be required to wait. Consider this, your in a serious motor vehicle accident and are transported to hospital, you will be treated before other patients. Less serious situations occur in general practice on a daily basis. You will be triaged according to your presenting condition by receptions staff and seen accordingly.

    You just aren’t going to be seen for you sore toe before someone who is suffering chest pain, deal with it.

    Hopefully both of you do don’t live in the Griffith area and do not suffer a heart condition.

  • Gerry

    says:

    I love the response that REX gave. It might be poor PR, but it is funny. Maybe this doctor should join doctors without borders and go and work in Africa for a while. Flights are always late over there. And even if they are late and you end up missing a connecting flight sending you $2500 out of pocket they dont even care to respond to you even after 6 politely worded letters. REX offers a great service from Adelaide to Whyalla, and I am happy to fly with them at any time. Funny thing is, people are so quick to complain because they are a small airline but truth be told Qantas, Virgin, Emirates they all get delayed at some stage. Doctor, you are no more special than any of us. We all breath the same polluted air.

  • RichardAero

    says:

    Rex would do well to concentrate on their own business performance. Their customer’s business performance is not their business. Rex should apologise unreservedly and get on with improving their own performance on every flight.

  • Reality

    says:

    This is typical of REX, the problem starts at the top with the managerial dictotrship which filters down to its employees. Trying to run an Australian business under a different culture attitude doesnt work. Its time that REX truly showed its customers the proper respect that they diserve.

  • DB

    says:

    This is horrendous. If you are in any kind of customer service, your job is about the customer not your ego. What the customer does for a profession is irrelevant when you are at fault. What a bunch of boneheads. Perhaps those at REX should take note of the most consistently successful airline in the world (Southwest) . On their employee payslips is says “From our customers’. If you get a complaint apologise- There are few exceptions. As a former Airport GM in Chicago for Continental, we often had people bitching at us for their flight being cancelled because we were snowed in- and believe me no-one complains like New Yorkers wanting to go home! Could we help the snow? Of course not but we understood the stress passengers are under and tried to be as accommodating as possible. Our reward?( Apart from airline of the year a bunch of times)- very loyal customers!

    REX’s comments smack of hubris and arrogance and most likely a lack of competition in that market. Remember who pays your salaries people!

  • Dennis Rutzou

    says:

    This is appalling public relations for which Rex will receive the public backlash it deserves. Whether the passenger was a doctor or a dustman is immaterial as he was seriously inconvenienced and incurred costs as a result of a flight cancellation for which Rex should have been apologetic and offer recompense in some form or other. The reply is arrogant and self serving and would certainly make me think twice about travelling with Rex although they do have the luxury of offering the only service on many of the routes they fly. Perhaps, that is the proble,m as I couldn’t imagine in my widest dreams a situation when Qantas or Virgin would make this type of response to a justified customer complaint.

  • Chris

    says:

    I will continue to always fly with Rex in preference to qantaslink, etc. Rex is the only regional airline to have continued support to a lot of the regional centres when others have failed. Don’t get me started on the carbon tax. It should not be punishing the regionals in an already cut throat industry. The only people who will lose will be country passengers. At least this doctor will not have to complain once there is no airline that can afford to service Griffith. Maybe she will enjoy a bus ride more?

  • ron

    says:

    When I used to work in banking we were taught, “The customer is NOT always right, but the customer is always the customer.” To personally mock & snide someone is just plain wrong. Maybe people should read the Bible a bit more: “A gentle answer turns away trouble, but a harsh word stirs up anger”. (Proverbs 15:1)

  • Clog

    says:

    There may be more to the story than we all know. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Dr acted like a pompous git before and during the flight. Sure REX could have handled it better, but for this particular Dr to threaten ending his relationship with Griffith due to a letter makes me think he has an elevated sense of self. Get over it buddy and deal with it without dragging a needy community into it.

  • Jeff Atkinson

    says:

    Gee ! Opened up a can of worms on this one, Didn’t I . Firstly ! I have my own small business,And secondly,
    I understand what and have always made customer service a priority in the way i run my company. I was only Saying what a lot of people want to say out there but cant. Business is tough as every one knows .But please ! Lets not let the opportunity to let the customer know that occasionaly shit does happen and you gotta get over it.Please !

  • Air Observer

    says:

    I think the comment about whinging is valid but misdirected. The people dealing with complaints are morons. Years ago I started work in numerous crap jobs where I bore the brunt of customer complaints. With no training but some common sense, the words “on behalf of (whoever) I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience blah blah”. Its not rocket science. If Rex wrote me a letter bitching about my profession and me with it I would be spitting chips. This poor bloke could probably give them more tips than most on improving service. They hold a monopoly though. For the moment.

  • Brian P Bunbury WA

    says:

    Having been in the airline industry 20 years or more before retirement (not QF) the response is appalling No matter how misdiretcted or inacurate in terms of fact you never denigrate a customer in writing.
    Rex deserves the treatment it will probably get.
    Such a complaint cocncerning on time [erformance is always a bone of contention sometimes not caused by the airline, a complaint is an opportunity to woo a customer back instead of putting thousands off side by such derogatory responses.
    His profession has nothing to do with the problem and Rex being a single operator to many ports lends itself to critisism if the staff training is not up to scratch particu;arly in customer service.

    Whoever wrote that letter would have been fired instantly in my day at TAA

  • Jo

    says:

    Love what Chris has to say.
    I agree. The people should be thankful that REX flies to Griffit. Bet you this DR would rather a few late services than to take a bus there…… Or maybe he wouldn’t?

  • Hutch

    says:

    Brian hits the nail on the head. You never respond to a complaint in a dismissive manner, you stay professional. It does not mean you have to grovel to the customers needs, but a good response will allow you to keep the customer content.

  • Ray

    says:

    There are too many unknowns here for us to give informed answers. We dont know whether the Dr is a good passenger or a rude passenger. We dont know if the Dr received genuinely poor service or not.
    I hear lots of complaints about Drs and Airlines, but my overall experience with both, is if you are nice to them they are nice to you.
    The biggest issue for airlines is late departure and I suspect most of these are out of their control. I think airlines let themselves down more with issues on the ground than in the air. They do not keep passengers properly informed on delays, cancellations etc and the reasons for them. Similarly, if Drs let patients know about their delays, patients would be less critical. We customers should accept though that we also fail dismally by being late and rude.

  • Observer

    says:

    Lot’s of banter about this one.

    Just remember one thing, the customer is always right – even when they are wrong!

    The Rex employee would be fired in any quality organisation. If they condone a response like this I would love to see who wrote their service manual or perhaps they don’t have one?

    Disgraceful

  • HAYJ

    says:

    It sounds as though the originator of this letter (our friend in Singapore) is surrounded by “Yes Men” or should that be “Yes persons”. It would probably be good business practice when you are in a different culture to listen to your employees at the local level to guage local acceptable responses rather than to be dictatorial that may be acceptable in your culture.
    Rememebr you get more with honey than vinegar!

  • phil balsom

    says:

    some people think that thay are more important than the paying public and flights can be held back because thay say so flights are set at a time for conviance of others

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