Soulparking

Ode to Travelocity.com, South African Airlines, and ex-wives

Tuesday, 9 May 2006

Is there such a word?  In the new global marketplace – isn’t any customer in the world just as important as any local customer?  With the invent of the internet and having customer service centers sprinkled throughout the world – especially where some of my best friends live – Bangalore, India.  I should be able to be satisfied as a customer regardless of my geographic location.  Right? 

So on Monday of last week I found out that my mother had a heart attack.  It was just a quick email my dad had five minutes to write on the way to the emergency room.  Its at that moment I realized how far away I lived.  So then I scrambled to find money – money to buy a plane ticket to get home as soon as possible. 

It was also the day I got two reminders from my ex-wife, “Where is my alimony?” 

The anger rose inside of me.  When I am supporting people here in Africa that barely have one meal a day and people who are starving for an opportunity – any opportunity.  And our

So I sprung into action.  I contacted my travel agency to find the cheapest tickets through any connecting city.  The prices that came back were way out of my budget.  So I went online.  On Travelocity.com I found a ticket that was around R6000 cheaper.  That’s nearly $1000 less.  The only condition was I could only leave in a week’s time not immediately.

I found out through my uncle that my mom’s condition had stabilized.  And yes waiting would be better   because there was nothing I could do to help her currently.  So I went online and bought the ticket to leave.  Instantly I got the confirmation and a FedEx tracking number because they were going to send me a paper ticket international overnight mail (which is really two days).  So I was set.

Two days later I noticed that Travelocity.com had taken the money out of my USA bank account.  So I thought things were in motion.

So on Monday, I checked the FedEx tracking number to find nothing was going on with the tickets.  They were in limbo.  I called Travelocity’s Outside the USA customer service number to find out what was going on.  The first call – they put me on hold when I read off my Trip ID.  And when they came back they started reading a scripted answer that I should go to the Lost Ticket Desk of South African Airlines and to fill in paperwork to have my ticket replaced.

Living in a third world country, I already knew a couple of things.  South African Airlines doesn’t give a crap what the people in the USA do or don’t do.  They want to see a copy of a real ticket faxed to them.  And if Travelocity.com couldn’t find the ticket themselves, nothing matters.  Travelocity insisted all I had to do was show up at the Lost Ticket Counter – and it would be that easy.  I asked what happened to the tickets.  They didn’t know.  I asked why didn’t FedEx send the tickets.  They didn’t know.  Over the phone, they acknowledged it was their fault.  When I got their email, there was no written proof of their fault – only that I again had to go the Lost Ticket Counter of South African Airlines to work it out.  And worse case scenario, I had to re-buy the ticket again.

RE-BUY the ticket again?  With what money?  Again, I got another request to send my ex-wife her alimony which my bank in South Africa should already be doing every month through automatic transfer.  But its more manual transfer because I have to remind them over and over – and push for anything to happen.  Stress and worry levels rising.  I couldn’t get a hold of my parents.  I just wanted to be home.

So I go to the South African Airlines counter.  A customer service representative at the Cape Town International Airport who was named Sulaiman (the same name of my best Muslim friend and customer) tells me when I announce that my travel agency lost my ticket that I need to go to the police station to open up a docket for theft. 

“Theft? Why do I need to do that?”

“A paper airplane ticket is like a uncashed check.  Anybody can use it.”

“But isn’t their an identification number or some kind of link to match the paper ticket to my name?”

He answered, “Passports can be forged.”

“Can’t I get an e-ticket?”

“It seems that the technology in the USA has not caught up to South Africa.  We are completely e-ticket here.  But if the USA issued a paper ticket we cannot issue you an e-ticket.”

I rolled my eyes at the technology statement.  And I was beginning to get the impression that I was under suspicion.  But I let it go.  “What do I need to do to get this paper ticket re-issued?” 

“Have them fax a copy of the original copy of the ticket.”  As I had thought.

I nodded and went away to call Travelocity.com to get them to do just that.  After an hour and a half of running up a long distance phone bill to their customer service center, another customer service representative said they did not know where the ticket was – so they couldn’t fax a copy of it.

“You probably have to re-purchase your ticket again and follow the procedure to get reimbursed from Travelocity.” Samantha, the customer service lady said over the phone.

“But you have taken the money out of my account!   I don’t have anymore money to buy a new ticket.”

There was a pregnant pause.  “Well you could go to the Lost Ticket counter and…”

I cut her off.  “I know, I know.  I have been told that numerous times before.  And I am telling you I can’t get a Lost Ticket that you guys lost if I don’t have a fax copy of the original ticket sent to South African Airlines…!”

After running around in circles and nothing getting accomplished, I went to the South African Airlines counter to just see what prices would be to get another ticket issued.  A new, very sweet lady sitting beside Sulaiman attended to me this time.  As I was looking at options, I casually explained my situation to her.  I told her that Travelocity could not find my plane ticket.

Sulaiman spoke up loudly, “You are changing your story!”  And he looked up at me accusingly.  “That is not what you said before!”

I was completely shocked.  “What?  I haven’t changed my story…”

“You said it was lost!” he said loudly.

“I said my travel agency had lost it.”

He turned to the lady and spoke to her.  “He told me he lost it in the Post earlier.  It keeps changing…”

I was pissed.  “What are you talking about?  Are you accusing me of something?”  And then I don’t remember what I said.  Everything turned red.  I remembered using the word “fucking” because he told me to refrain from cursing at him.  I also asked him – if something had happened to his mother wouldn’t he be upset?  Whatever words were screamed back and forth, the manager was summoned. 

“This man keeps changing his story,” he explained to his manager. 

The manager was a very beautiful and patient woman.  But she was already leary of what was going on and looking suspiciously at me.  “Can you explain what he is talking about?” leaning her head toward Sulaiman.

Then that’s when I started to question myself or I felt guilty.  Guilty for what?  Wanting to be at my mother’s bedside?   I felt like I was a crook.  I got incredibly nervous.  Emotional.  I tried to explain – that me saying it was lost – didn’t mean it was lost in the post.  I had told him the travel agency had lost  it.

“Can I speak now?” Sulaiman asked. 

“Whatever.” I said.

“He told me that the Post had lost it. Not the travel agency.”

I went quiet.  The manager said something rather sweetly and explained South African Airlines position on the matter.  I was so upset I couldn’t hear what she was saying.  I pulled out my Nokia N90 and asked if I could take a picture of him for my online magazine.  At first he said he didnt care, but then he thrusted his hand in front of me – and refused.  New customers came up for Sulaiman to “help”.  He was fuming but he put on his best fake smile to help them.

I moved over to the nice customer service lady.  Poor woman, she had been a witness to it all.  I felt sorry for her.  She had actually helped me.  Found a cheap ticket (if I had the money) and said my dates would stay the same.  She put the ticket on hold. 

Slowly my heart rate came down and I apologized.  And before I turned to leave, I also extended my hand to Sulaiman to apologize to him.  I told him that it was the stress of my mother’s condition that made me overreact. 

The rest of the day I was emotionally drained.  Again, I felt like a crook. I don’t know why.  I hate being accused of anything.   Like the time I was accused of being a racist – from a South African black policeman and the time a co-worker had accused me. It drives me crazy.

Eventually my second boss (my boss’ executive administrator) in the Cape Town office called FedEx and discovered FedEx had never received the tickets from Travelocity.  Then she went after Travelocity.  She waited on the phone for two hours until someone confirmed verbally that my tickets would be waiting for me at the Cape Town International South African Airlines counter the next morning.  They also promised they would fax a confirmation of this transaction. 

So I pack tonight.  But I have my doubts.  I just want to get home to check on my mother.  And I am so dreading seeing the same people at the South African Ticket Counter tomorrow.  But if the ticket is waiting for me – it will be a triumph.  If not, again, the feeling of guilt and despair might sweep over me. 

So if I see this Sulaiman again, I will hand him my Soulparking business card like I did the off duty pilot on my flight to Las Vegas in January (who tried to put me in jail for taking a picture of him) – but that’s another ejournal for another time.  And if I am lucky, Sulaiman will read this.  And he will know – I am just an only son trying to get home to his sick mother.  Not a crook trying to work the system. 

If Travelocity.com or the lawyer that represents them reads this, it means Clark Howard or another consumer advocacy group got a hold of them. 

And if my ex-wife reads this, she will comment below.