I arrived on the AI-140 flight from JFK to Mumbai. I had 4 pieces of checked in luggage and received only 2 at the baggage claims. I filed a written report and the staff at that moment was very helpful. They told me to come and pick-up my luggage (preferably since i stay close by). They mentioned that u can pick ur baggage from the claims when it arrives on the same flight, same time next day.
The next day, i reached around 11.15 (since the flight was delayed). I went to the airport arrivals exit door. Told that i needed to collect my baggage. The guards at the door pointed me to the AI counter sight in front of this entrance. At the counter, a clearly free from work Shama was sitting idle. I asked if she could help me, i had some baggage issues. She said " Baggage is not my department, please go inside for baggage (pinting me towards the corridor to her right)
As a naive layman, i walked along the corridor trying to see if i could find a Baggage help desk. I found none. I reached the customs area and walked across the lost baggage kiosk. Nobody stopped me or questioned me to check. I had a baggage slip that they had given the earlier day, i thought that was probably my permit.
Unaware, i reached the counter, found the nice girl who helped me the previous day. She was handling another customer and very nicely asked me to wait. She was gone for quite long, so i decided to ask the other person on desk about my baggage.
I asked Ms. Choonawala or Soonawala (a parsi lady maybe in her 50s). I very nicely asked if she could help me.. she said yes... I told her my case and instantly, she started yelling at me... 'how did u come in, who allowed u inside... you have breached security etc etc... I told her what had happened so again she started yelling at me, that i was putting a blame on their innocent staff... She went on for about 10 mins... just yelling in front of everyone around. I was really embarassed... I said that i agree that... i shouldnt have been able to get to that point without any security interruptions... it could've been anyone else with a bomb. Calmly... I said that the security was not right in letting me go without any documentation. She was right, but i was not at fault... it was the faulty security. She again started screaming and insulting me. Finally, i got really angry and i started yelling at her... I asked her if this was her defense for not giving me the baggage... at this she asked me to leave the premices. She told me, i wont give u anything, ... get out and come back with the proper procedure... She walked me... harshly to the exit... and in front of the 1000s of people waiting outside, she told the guard not to let me in unless someone comes and gets me. In front if her, the lady shama came and defended her case that she didnt tell me to go inside... Soonawalla left without giving me any guidance as to what to do next... Shama started yelling at the security guard ' Baggage is not my department so dont send baggage people to my counter' ...I told them, that because they dont want to do any work outside their work zone, people like us suffer. The guard told me to go upstairs and get a pass. Me and my old parents walked all the way to the upper help desk, only to hear ' Go down.. u'll get a pass there'... We requested to see the supervisor... A very nice guy, Mr. Adil, said he will help us, and he called the nice girl from the baggage zone.. She then helped me with the pass etc. Eventually, i got only one piece of my baggage, soonawalla said the other oe would come the next day.
I spoke to a lot of customs officers about my case. They said that the lady is absolutely rude to most customers. Some of them had actually seen her scream at an innocent gujarati lady passenger. At this, she was instructed by an official not to dominate the poor lady who was almost on the verge of crying.
I guess this lady feels, that talking loudly and rudely to customers might help the airlines hide the flaws... maybe thats how she talks to her family too... BUT SUCH PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE IN A CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT because they dont know the basic manners and etiquette of talking to customers. I REQUEST THE RESPONSIBLE OFFICERS TO FIRE HER from this position... she has no right to stand there and talk trash to people!!! that she can do at home...
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