A complaint letter sent to Sir Richard Branson regarding the quality of the food served to a disgruntled passenger on a Virgin flight from Mumbai to Heathrow on the 7th of December 2008 has gone viral.
The letter, which is currently being spread globally via email, is widely considered to be the world’s funniest ever airline passenger complaint letter.
In some of the most choice statements, the passenger describes the mashed potatoes as looking like they had been passed through the digestive tract of a bird, and my personal favorite, his description of the custard as "a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter."
He goes on to ask Richard Branson, "What sort of animal would serve a dessert with peas in?"
If you are in the mood for a giggle, the entire letter has been reproduced here.
Viral Complaint Letters
Disgruntled Virgin Passenger Disses Branson's Inflight Food
Trend Themes
1. Customer Complaint Viralization - Companies should monitor and respond to viral customer complaints to mitigate reputational risks and provide satisfactory customer service.
2. Humor in Customer Service - Companies can incorporate humor and personality into their customer service approach to build brand loyalty and create positive customer experiences.
3. Food Quality in Air Travel - Companies in the airline industry should prioritize quality of food offerings to improve customer satisfaction and stand out in a competitive market.
Industry Implications
1. Hospitality - Hotels and resorts should take inspiration from the entertaining and relatable customer complaint letters to enhance guest experiences and improve customer satisfaction.
2. Food Service - Restaurants and food service companies should prioritize offering high-quality food to their customers to build loyalty and stand out in the competitive industry.
3. Airline - Airlines need to prioritize and improve the quality of their inflight meals to create a better customer experience and stand out in the competitive market.