Dear AirAsia,
 
 
Let me tell you what made me tear today, at Changi airport Terminal 1, besides your counter, in front of hundreds of passengers.
 
"You are in MY COUNTRY you know!?"
"…..I am not giving you my name, but I can get your name easily if I want, Madam…."
"Even if I tell you my name, can you spell it? CAN YOU EVEN SPELL?"
 
 
 
I reached Changi airport, the AirAsia check-in counter by 7:05am. My flight was scheduled at 7:40am.
I waited in a lane for 10 mins while a couple in front of me were having problems with their check in procedures, so I switched to the Express bag drop lane.
 
 
 
A young man was behind the counter. He took over my passport and spoke something to his colleagues. i believe he was communicating with his colleagues if the bag drop has been closed. I had a bad feeling, could I have been too late?
 
"You are late," He THREW my passport on the counter. "You can't check in." Without any further elaboration from him, I was confused.
 
"What do you mean? So I can't check in?" I asked carefully without changing the volume of my voice although i was anxious, because I knew If I couldn't get on this flight, partially it was my own fault.
 
"No" another cold answered by the staff. "you are late. The gate is closed." I could never forget the look on that face while he said those words - he leaned back, crossed his two hands, looked at me with an absurd smirk, and slowly popped those words.
 
 
God knows why i would even continue talking to him! "But what time does the gate close?"
 
 
"40 (pause) mins (pause) before (pause) departure (pause). Your bag won't go through." once again in that i-don't-give-a-damn tone. I know he was already impatient even though he had barely said more than ten sentences.
 
"But you know why I was late? i waited in that lane for very long." I pointed to the lane in which i was waiting.
 
 
He interrupted immediately:"just now we were asking for passengers who are going to kL to drop their bags, you didn't approach any of us, it's your fault."
 
It's my fault.
 
 
 
"OK. Thanks, for your attitude." I left, feeling really unhappy about the way he talked to me.
 
That was how the first part of the conversation went.
 
 
-------------------------
 
 
 
Let's pause for a second, you might think this is just an ordinary complain letter that's coming from an unreasonable whiny little customer, but wait till the latter part of this story, that's where the anger started raging in my heart and the tears started purring out from my eyes.
 
 
 
I left the check in counter and went to the sales counter to purchase a new tickets. I consulted the sales lady behind the counter, asking how I could make a complain about one of the counter staff. She told me to ask for the staff's name and he/she was obligated to give me that information. I thought so too, isn't this a common sense in a service industry? Apparently I thought wrong. I went back to the Express lane, deciding to ask for this staff's name and make a complain.
 
"May I have your name please?" I added a please, intentionally.
 
"Whyyyyyy?" Finally the smirk was gone, instead, he looked at me with his eyes wide opened, like i just asked the most absurd question in the world.
 
"Just for future reference." I answered.
 
 
Here comes the voice raise of him: "IT WAS NOT MY FAULT THAT YOU COULDN'T CATCH YOUR FLIGHT!"
 
 
"I m not saying that it was your fault that I couldn't catch my flight, I am asking for your name to make a complain about your attitude when you were serving me just now. "
 
"WHAT? No, I AM NOT giving you my name." He shook his head and looked away.
 
After I insisted getting his name, he threatened me that "You know what, If I want your name I can get your name easily. "
 
"You want my name? Come on Let me write it down for you. But NOW I am asking for your name as an really unsatisfied customer." I was really angry by then.
 
 
He still refused and told me to look for his supervisor if I want to make a complain. I told him I have the right to get his name from him in person.
 
 
 
 
Now AirAsia, open your eyes wide open for the following words which came out from his mouth, especially if you are against racism:
 
 
 
 
 
"Madam, I don't think You are being very professional right now. You are not being professional and you are IN MY COUNTRY YOU KNOW?"
 
 
"Say that again?" I could not believe what I just heard.
 
 
"YOU ARE IN MY COUNTRY YOU KNOW?"
 
 
 
I was shocked by his words and apparently, so were the couple who were checking in besides me. But hey, the insult didn't stop here:
 
 
"I DIDN'T DO anything! You scolded me and I was explaining to you!" Now he raised his voice some more and even stood up from his seat.
 
 
"I did not scold you. " throughout the first and the second conversation i did not scold him. But if he took asking questions as scolding, then I scolded him a big time.
 
 
 
You, Mohd Hafiz, Employee Number SAA0177 first threatened me that you could get my name easily (what are you gonna do after that? Find me and give me some hard time?), then insulted me for being a foreigner, ended your master piece by telling me and yourself a big lie that "I scolded you" RIGHT IN MY FACE.
 
 
 
After your finally wrote down your name in a small piece of paper, here are some more mean words from your pathetically mean mouth:
 
 
 
"Can you spell my name? Now here is my name, can you spell can you spell? CAN YOU EVEN SPELL? Do you know how to spell?"
 
 
 
 
At this point of time, I couldn't believe my ears. Yes, Mr. Mohd Hafiz, I know how to spell, and I speak perfect English. The number of flights i have taken in my life is probably way more than the days you have worked in AirAisa.
 
 
That is why I Know, that it was not your fault that I couldn't check in. And I also know, your attitude is the worst I have ever seen as an employee in the service industry. Additionally, no matter who you are, insulting me on my nationality or language ability is the stupidest thing you could have done. ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS THE CUSTOMER and you were the one who was behind the counter.
 
 
 
 
So dear AirAisa, I broke down when i was talking to Mohd Hafiz's Supervisor. I shamelessly cried in public because I had never been insulted in such a way. The lady comforted me and wrote down my email address, said she will get back to me. While I told the supervisor everything right after i left the check in counter, I hope Mr. Mohd Hafiz could have come up with a really good lie to cover himself up.
 
 
 
 
Hence, this is not just an ordinary complain letter. I don't want any compensation from AirAisa, and I am not even blaming you for having such an employee.
 
But dear AirAsia, I want justice.
 
I would like your current employee, Mr. Mohd Hafiz, to apologize to me in person, as well as an official apology in written form, for the following things which he has done:
 
 
He was not serving me with an right attitude that he should have had.
The words he said - "YOU ARE IN MY COUNTRY YOU KNOW" is an obvious evidence of racism, and he shall be really sorry about that.
He should have not threatened me that he could get my name easily while I was asking for his name.
The words he said ""Can you spell my name? Now here is my name, can you spell can you spell? CAN YOU EVEN SPELL?" was a serious way of insulting.
 
 
 
 
If the above requests cannot be fulfilled before 23 Dec, please noted that I will give my 2 cents to Singapore Press Holding, Yahoo News Singapore, STOMP and all the other local media.
 
 
 
 
 
Your customer,
 
Lingyi Xiong (Ms.)
+65********
*******@hotmail.com
