Maybe the best way to begin this article is to describe what excellent customer service is not. It is not in any way near Royal Air Maroc’s distasteful, unpleasant, unsavory, unpalatable, yucky services, that comes with some side-recipe of disgust.
Excellent customer service is seriously lacking in the above-mentioned airline, a service we (customers) spend our hard earned money on, but then what do we get, but a frustrating flight hour. Think about it, can you recall a recent experience where the customer service was really bad in any of our indigenous flights?
To this end, one must say, controversy doesn’t seem to be far away from Royal Air Maroc, an airline owned by the Moroccan government. Findings say, as of 2018, the airline is owned by the Moroccan government; 53.94% of shares are owned directly by the state, an additional 44.10% are held via the Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development. The remaining 2% are owned by private investors including Air France and Iberia.
Royal Air Maroc already codeshares with five oneworld members – American Airlines, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines – with more partnerships expected in the coming months. American Airlines has also announced service to Casablanca from 4 June, marking the airline’s entrance into Africa.
The Abdelhamid Addou-led airline has been involved in various controversies and scandals since it came on board.
A review of the airline says Royal Air Maroc is Certified as a 4-Star Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service. Product rating includes seats, amenities, food & beverages, IFE, cleanliness etc, and service rating is for both cabin staff and ground staff.
But as they say, experience is the best teacher. Customers, who fell prey to its deceitful ratings online, have at different occasions complained about the airline’s extreme shabby treatment meted out to them.
In a saner clime, its services seem to be the worst in the airline business in Nigeria today. Compared to its other competitors, who offer business class services.
Established in 1957, Royal Air Maroc is the national airline of Morocco and is majority government owned. Royal Air Maroc business class offerings are extremely poor.
While the airline is becoming infamous for notoriously delaying flight, there are also complaints over its seats that never recline, the very dirty interiors, smaller aircrafts and poor customer services are overbearing.
Keeping up appointments, whether business or pleasure, has become quite difficult for Royal Air Morocco customers due to the constant delayed or cancelled flights.
Passengers are left with no choice but to reschedule or lose such appointments, with the Airline’s management only apologising and refusing to find a lasting solution.
A customer’s review recently, says “Poor communication skills, the information is not clear, their customer service gives me wrong info multiple times, the system is never updated, the staff are left to guess what’s really happening”.
He went further in his bashing, “The flights are always cancelled and if you are black or using an African passport, then, I’m sorry man, that would be your worst nightmare”.
Speaking on the callus racial treatment Royal Air Maroc meter out to its black customers, the aggrieved customer wrote, “When our flight was cancelled, they promised to give us hotel room, on the queue, the black people are put at the side and they instructed the white people to follow the red line. And when I asked them why we were here, the ticket man or the security guy turned around and saw my passport, (which happens to be a British passport) and said “oh you can follow the red line too”.
“The rest of African and black people that were there, were asking, what’s happening, why are we here, but nobody listens, and to be honest I don’t know how that ended”. Sad!
“And for us that followed the red line, we ended up in farah hotel, that’s another story for different platforms.
In conclusion, I was well informed about the bad experience received from Royal air maroc (RAM) but I wasn’t convinced because I believe things do happen its not all the time, but after this!!! No no no RAM no more”.
He concluded by writing, “Royal air maroc is no go for me”.
The Royal Air Maroc aircrafts have always developed mechanical failures. A witness shared the horrible experience in the hands of Royal Air Maroc, twice on the first leg of a trip, the aircraft developed faults.
“We had to make an emergency landing in the Niger Republic. Everyone missed their connecting flights and there was no empathy or any effort on the part of the staff to help”, the customer complained.
They gave us vouchers for hotels without vacancy in order to wait for the next connecting flight which was in 17hrs time. The hotel turned us away and Royal air Maroc staff just shrugged and walked off.3 days of traveling and no sleep.I cannot stress this enough DO NOT be this airline even as a last resort.
Each of Royal Air Maroc’s flights ought to represent a substantial improvement over their old services. Therefore, the airline should improve its services and offer excellent seats, good meals and reclining seats in its business class cabin.
Olamide Adeniji is a member of the editorial team of TheScript Newspaper
