Garuda's PR nightmare: bans passengers from taking pictures, reporting critics to police

dafluff

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If there is a book on how NOT to respond to negative criticism from consumers, then Garuda's latest actions should definitely be on the first page.

It all started when an Indonesian influencer, Rius Vernandes uploaded what he says is the business class menu handed to him by Garuda Indonesia. What was unusual is that it was handwritten on a paper torn from a note book. It was claimed that the crew told him that the actual menu is still at the printing press.


Now a decent business would probably at least apologize, perhaps even taking steps to win back the customer.
But not Garuda. No, Garuda responded with a ban on passengers from taking pictures in the cabin. In an internal note leaked to the media, Garuda bans the documentation of any activities in the airplane, both via photography or video. It also instructs cabin crew to be assertive when informing passengers of the ban.

Naturally, this drew ridicule from all around, and the ban lasted only for a couple days, before being downgraded to merely a "suggestion" to not take pictures. Still a bizarre suggestion from an airline, a business that caters to travelers and tourists.

However, this didn't end there for Rius Vernandes. Garuda has reported him to the police for defamation. It has claimed that Rius set-up the whole menu story, saying that the handwritten note was only for reference of the cabin crew. Garuda also went into conspiracy theory mode, bringing up Rius' work for Singapore Airlines, and the fact that his girlfriend works for SQ.

Garuda's action have shown an incredible disregard for customers, and an authoritarian mentality that has no place in the customer service industry.

More links:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...and-don-t-take-photographs-garuda-asks-flyers
 
How many ridiculous cases need to come through the courts before Indonesia changes its absurd "Defamation" laws??? I cannot think of any justification for having defamation laws in which truth is not a sufficient defense.
 
Pretty sad way for an airline to behave.
 
I think a better response would have been to humorously point out that the blogger had uploaded the crew's notes on the menu not the actual menu.
 
Garuda should fire their PR crew...

I mean a GREAT response would have been "Yes we stopped printing menus because they are a wasteful, and we care about preserving the earth". And printing out single use menu's is a stupid waste of resources, business class or not.

But yeah, their response is really amazing...
 
Absolutely disgusting. I've read some of their internal memo's re this incident, it would make you cry even harder. Sorry not able to share but let's just say it's really being run by idiots it seems.
 
And just to see PR at its finest, now look at how other companies are jumping on that Garuda memo and spoofing it for their own campaigns. Gojek and a cocktail bar today have done spoofs about it
 
Absolutely disgusting. I've read some of their internal memo's re this incident, it would make you cry even harder. Sorry not able to share but let's just say it's really being run by idiots it seems.

Well, at least now all the Trump Administration former cabinet members and White House staff know where to send their resumes.
 
(Part of) the video was already here:

 
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The bigger issue was the (lack of) wine btw. Some bottles of champagne and one glass of wine ? per business class traveller...

....at first it was not clear if it was the leg Sydney to Bali or Bali to Jakarta (which would have been much worse) that has the issues. But the Ozzies in biard had to depart in Bali so that makes it clear.

IT ALSO MUST BE SAID THE VLOGGER’S GIRLFRIEND WORKS FOR SINGAPORE AIRLINES. So that does ring a little bell...
.
 
Well, at least now all the Trump Administration former cabinet members and White House staff know where to send their resumes.

Can we have an auto mod rule to delete any american political bs in threads that have nothing to do with it. I am pretty anti Trump but I'm also very very bored with it creeping into every online discussion. Leave that sh*t for threads discussing it l.
 
Strange I would have simply ordered and handed it back.

This is simply a case of someone with an overwhelming sense of entitlement and looking for any reason to ingratiate themselves on the interweb. Yes it really is the new opium of the people.

Who says or where does it say they need a printed menu. In some really high end restaurants it is simply written on a chalk board that day and changed the next.
 
Strange I would have simply ordered and handed it back.

This is simply a case of someone with an overwhelming sense of entitlement and looking for any reason to ingratiate themselves on the interweb. Yes it really is the new opium of the people.

Who says or where does it say they need a printed menu. In some really high end restaurants it is simply written on a chalk board that day and changed the next.

Agreed, but their reaction is nothing short of amazingly stupid.
 
Strange I would have simply ordered and handed it back....

Its not the hand written menu, but the reaction to criticism by the airline that has drawn public ridicule, and deservedly so.
 
Can we have an auto mod rule to delete any american political bs in threads that have nothing to do with it. I am pretty anti Trump but I'm also very very bored with it creeping into every online discussion. Leave that sh*t for threads discussing it l.

Yes, Let's follow Garuda's lead and ban that which we do not like.

Hitting the "ignore" button is the preferred method of auto self-modding; suggest you give it a shot.
 
Its not the hand written menu, but the reaction to criticism by the airline that has drawn public ridicule, and deservedly so.

Yes but were it not for Mr. I Want To Be Famous there would have been no response necessary.
 
Yes but were it not for Mr. I Want To Be Famous there would have been no response necessary.
Well, if I pay Business class triple the price of Eco, I expect a certain level of service and will be way less forgiving than if on a low cost carrier.

And the point here is the ridiculous reaction of Garuda management, because they feel somebody made them lose face.....
 

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