Some of you would have been recipients of Velocity Rewards' erroneous email a few weeks back informing that you had magically achieved gold status with Virgin Blue Airlines.
That the email got out was an unfortunate mistake, and as we all understand and appreciate, mistakes do happen. However it is what Virgin Blue has done since that has got me riled up. I would like to share with you the email trail between myself and the airline so far.
What started out as a light-hearted attempt to point out their wrong doings is now much more serious. Here we have a major company who are not even listening to their customers. Worse still they are pretending that they care, however it is so transparent it is a joke.
I would expect this from many cost-saving, money hungry companies. I would never have expected it from Sir Richard Branson's "fun" and "fresh" airline. My faith in them is stained.
And so to the email trail...
From: Velocity Rewards [noreply@members.velocityrewards.com.au]
Sent: Fri 13/11/2009 5:52 PM
Subject: Gareth, surprise! You've turned Gold.
Hi Gareth
We've got a treat for you - a free upgrade to Velocity Gold! Given you came so close to making it on your own, we wanted to say thanks so much for your ongoing commitment to the Virgin Blue Group, we really love having you around.
To find out what's in store for you over the next 12 months, please keep reading.
Perks when travelling.
When you next fly with the Virgin Blue Group, we'll make sure you're treated like a VIP.
It starts with free Lounge membership, so you can catch up on work, relax and escape the airport crowds.
As before, you can breeze right through the airport with priority check-in.
You now get up to 32kg of checked baggage at no cost.
Plus, two personalised baggage tags (coming soon to your letterbox) and more.
If you're already a member of The Lounge, naturally Virgin Blue will automatically refund the balance of your unused membership. Please allow up to 60 days for your refund to be finalised.
Easier to earn Points.
Being Gold you now earn 40% more Points for every dollar you spend or miles flown than Red, and can collect more Status Credits than ever before.
Here to help you
If there's anything you need to know, velocityrewards.com.au/gold is a great source of useful information. Should you prefer to chat, simply call 13 18 75 in Australia or +61 2 8667 5924 if calling internationally (if the line's busy, rest assured you'll jump straight to the head of the queue – just another little Gold benefit our Members enjoy).
The Velocity Team.
From: Velocity Rewards [noreply@members.velocityrewards.com.au]
Sent: Fri 13/11/2009 8:43 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT: Please disregard our last email titled "You've turned Gold"
Hi Gareth
Oops! Due to an error you've received our previous email by mistake. Please disregard the free upgrade communication as unfortunately you do not qualify for that upgrade.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Warm regards,
The Velocity Team
Submitted on: 14 Nov 2009 - 08:41
First Name: Gareth
Last Name: Narunsky
Type of Feedback: Suggestion
Summary: Gold Upgrade Error
Dear Virgin Blue,
I appreciate and understand that mistakes happen - I did think the free Gold upgrade sounded too good to be true. However I was left feeling a little flat by the correction email that subsequently followed.
"Please disregard the free upgrade communication as unfortunately you do not qualify for that upgrade." - Ouch, I feel like a common peasant.
(Actually, it kind of reminds me of the South Park episode where Cartman buys an amusement park and then proclaims in his ads "YOU can't come!")
Believe me, if I could afford to fly more often I would, and it would be Virgin Blue every time.
I will continue to fly Virgin, yes in the hope that one day I can join that elite echelon of silvertails who get all those things that were offered to me before being cruelly snatched away... but mostly because Jetstar is cheap, bland and mostly late and Qantas... well, I'll leave it at that.
But how about this as a suggestion: To show you are truly sorry about yesterday's error, and to prove that you also "love having" the rest of us "around", how about a one-time free visit to The Lounge? Let us everyday folk, for once in our dull, over-worked/underpaid, economy class, lining-up-at-check-in-counters-and-standing-in-lines-at airport-gates-lives, know how the blessed few live. Just once.
I know it'd put a smile on my face. I hope my suggestion is considered.
In the meantime I will continue to fly your airline despite yesterday's error, while passing the time in the air reading Mr Branson's book for tips on how I may one day also be one of those fortunate enough to afford Gold Status.
Thanks for reading this and have a great day,
Kind Regards
Gareth Narunsky
From: info@velocityrewards.com.au
Sent: Wed 25/11/2009 3:02 PM
Subject: Our apologies and confirmation of your Tier Status
Hi Gareth,
Thank you for your recent feedback regarding Velocity Gold Membership.
By now it is fairly widely known that the Velocity Gold Membership upgrade email sent on Friday 13th November to more than one million Members was mistakenly sent.
It was intended for a particular group of our Silver Members who have flown so frequently in the last 12 months that they were extremely close to attaining Gold Membership. As a gesture of goodwill we upgraded these Members, and the email was intended to advise them of this upgrade.
Our team identified the email error very swiftly and intercepted it, however such is the speed of modern technology it had been automatically distributed to many of our valued Velocity Members.
We are relieved that many people immediately realised the email must have been an error as they did not fly frequently enough to qualify for Gold Membership. Many Members contacted us to advise that was the case and we greatly appreciated their response.
We of course understand that the email generated may have also confused and disappointed some Members including yourself.
Once again we apologise for any confusion caused. It was a genuine mistake and we have subsequently put in place some changes to our systems which will ensure nothing of the sort can happen again.
Regrettably, as we hope you can appreciate, we are unable to upgrade Members who received this email in error . We wish to remain fair and equitable not only to each Member who received this email, but also to our Silver and Gold Members who have progressed to their status via the frequency of their travel with us.
We do hope that we have been able to express the reasons why the original email was mistakenly sent. We certainly value your support of the Virgin Blue Group of Airlines through your membership of our Velocity program.
Karen
from Velocity Rewards
To: info@velocityrewards.com.au
Sent: Wed 25/11/2009 5:14 PM
Subject: RE: Our apologies and confirmation of your Tier Status
Thank you Karen for your response.
Unfortunately, the text of your email proves that you didn't even bother reading mine.
"We of course understand that the email generated may have also confused and disappointed some Members including yourself."
Had you read my email, the VERY FIRST LINE says " I did think the free Gold upgrade sounded too good to be true." That doesn't sound like me being confused. I am not an idiot Karen, so please don't speak to me like one.
The blah, blah, blah that follows is stock standard corporate "of course we care" rhetoric (again I'm not an idiot) then we get to:
"Regrettably, as we hope you can appreciate, we are unable to upgrade Members who received this email in error."
Again, if you'd bothered to actually read my email you'd know that I NEVER ASKED YOU TO. I suggested rather that recipients who got the email in error could be compensated with a one-time free visit to The Lounge. ONE-TIME. You could even put an expiry date on it. Most people would never even redeem the offer. But it's the gesture that counts.
Receiving a mass email that doesn't even address what I said is a joke. You'd have done better to not respond to me at all.
If I said I found the first correction email a little flat, I find this mail-merged mass communication utterly insulting. My loyalty to Virgin Blue, that I retained despite the upgrade error, is now wearing extremely thin.
How about this for future reference: ACTUALLY READ what your customers tell you.
I've attached the text of my original email below, to give you the opportunity to read it now. You will see that it is quite light-hearted and humourous. I regret that your poor treatment of me, your customer, has taken away my sense of humour right now.
By the way I agree that Gold flyer perks are for those who fly enough to earn them. I don't want priority check-in or 32kg of free baggage. I just want to be listened to.
Lastly, please don't reply to this unless you actually have something to tell me. More see-through corporate drivel might actually make me nauseous right now.
Kind Regards,
Gareth Narunsky (or as you know me, frequent flyer number)
I eagerly await their response... or maybe I don't. Either way I'll keep you posted...
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