Air France smashes guitar
mainClassical guitarist André Simão flew last week from Nuremberg to Lisbon, via Paris with Air France.
André writes:
They didn’t allow me to take my guitar as hand baggage… So, the worst happened: my concert guitar and my carbon guitar case was destroyed, with several cracks and damage in the top innerside!
Look at the photos. They even didn’t have fragile stickers at the front desk to put on my case! It is impressive, how they don’t care for the musical instruments.
Don’t expect any professional nor quick reaction or reply from Air France. On two occasions I had similar things happen and I was just handed a form and carefully filled everything out and handed it to the agent responsible. I was told that I would be contacted with one week. One month and a few days later, still nothing. I then called the number on the form and it just rang and rang. That went on day after day. I then called a general Air France number and was told that they couldn’t connect me to that department, but that, in any case, they were too busy to answer and I should just wait to be contacted. When I asked how long until a reply would come, I was told, “you will receive a reply to your matter when it is sent”!!! After weeks of calling, I received a reply, nearly three months after the event transpired and was told that I needed to fill out the form again, but they don’t use e-mail. It needed to be sent by post only! No apologies, no regrets.
France nowadays is like the Soviet Union in the late 80’s and, like the failed Soviet Union, in France they simply don’t have a clue as to what customer service is, how to cultivate customer loyalty, how to treat a customer. For those that would like to experience Soviet style service, straight out of the 70’s and 80’s, then a trip to France and a flight on Air France would be a nostalgic experience. In France wealth is a taboo, being an entrepreneur is looked at with suspicion and having Communists and Trotskyists as neighbors and work colleagues is not unusual. The country is so out of touch with the reality of the world that it will soon be a beautiful living museum, but one where service, customer care and respect of business and success remains in its infancy. Will they ever wake up?
Avoid the place,it’s airline and it’s inhabitants except foreigners is the moral of the story.
I live in France. Never had any problem with Air France and I flew with guitars or mandolins several times.
The comment about “Communists and Trotskyists” made me laugh, as the “Soviet style service”. Maybe I’m “out of touch with the reality” of my country.
In the meantime : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo