Today I got customer service like never before. It was a little weird.
When two friends, Krishna and Sumeet, left the office to go the the airport, it was a very normal ride. India was all around and traffic was hectic. Standard stuff.
We got to the airport and needed to walk around for a long while to find the right building. Some confusion. Again - standard stuff.
When we checked in for the tickets, there was some small commotion. I was on some special list - which is ok, but I initially worried it was some "no fly" list. And I have a slight beard right now - so I thought maybe I looked like a Kashmiri out for blood or something.
Instead, I got a pass to the lounge (as did my friends) and was escorted over to it. Then, after we sat there and talked for a while, a woman from the airline came in and told me that it was now time to board the plane. She ignored my friends/colleagues, which was a little awkward. I have always said we get treated well here, even too well, but this was a whole new level.
Then the young woman walked me not only to the gate, but to the bus, up the stairs and to my seat.
So, to make it a little weirder - I was reading the paper in the dim light of my friend's overhead light. It didn't occur to me that the light was dim - bad habit of mine. So, a stewardess came over and turned my light on for me. I didn't even notice it until Krishna started laughing about it.
Then, there is a young lady waiting for me at the exit from the plane. She walks along and asks how my flight was. At this point we were all laughing pretty hard, so I told her it was just fine and kept laughing. She was young and didn't know how to interpret the laughter, so she asked me with a serious tone - "Sir, was that sarcasm?"
All the time, Sumeet and Krishna were ignored. Except it was hard to ignore them because they were cracking up.
Somehow this flight was really supposed to impress me. Instead, it left me puzzled. Sure, we have had people go out of their way to treat us very well - but this seemed calculated. Thanks Kingfisher Airlines! I have always enjoyed you the best - now it is solidified!
Now, the difficult thing is that this airline is known to hire young, beautiful girls who couldn't quite make it in the modeling industry. The age range, color tone and level of beauty is standard with all of these young women. While a company would get sued in the US for having policies that favor the young and pretty - this is not frowned on in India. And the young women escorting me (us) to and fro were very pretty. And about half my age. And I love my wife. SO.... no harm or foul.
As I said to Krishna - "And to think I am returning to a place where the cashiers in the stores won't even look up to scan my items."
Anyway - bottom line, I think they had the wrong guy.
