How long is a reasonable time to be on hold for ?

[cliff]

I have been on hold for 29 minutes ( and counting) , and I am still trying to speak to someone at Virgin Blue , all to ask a query that I cant find an answer for online
Surely this is beyond all reasonableness ?
Apart from telling the agent who answers , whose fault is not really , is there any one that I should inform , or will it not make a difference ?

 

[gilby08]

The only different thing you can do, is use a better carrier !

What's the question?

 

[straitman]

I have been on hold for 29 minutes ( and counting) , and I am still trying to speak to someone at Virgin Blue , all to ask a query that I cant find an answer for online
Surely this is beyond all reasonableness ?
Apart from telling the agent who answers , whose fault is not really , is there any one that I should inform , or will it not make a difference ?

cliff,

Welcome to AFF.

IMHO this is too long but what can you do other than wait or try again later and hope they are not so busy later. I certainly would tell them, very politely, that you do not consider this adequate and that you may look elsewhere in future.

 

[djfuzz]

I once called Jetstar at midnight and spent an hour on hold. Disconnected as soon as they picked up. Tried again, and spoke to someone after 45 minutes - but disconnected again after I'd given my CC details, but before I'd been given any confirmation that my booking was successful. Nothing came up on their website, so I assumed it hadn't been - until I found it charged on my CC bill hours before I was supposed to leave on that flight.

Needless to say, I didn't take that flight nor have I flown Jetstar since. I may have to soften for a F Lounge run here or there, but I'll definitely be booking those online.

 

[samh004]

There are a few Velocity/Virgin Blue gurus here who may have been able to help you with your question, had you posted it

When you get back from your phone call, what number did you call them on?

 

[cliff]

My mother in law wants to stay in Australia for an additional week , and I need to change the date of her departure

 

[Moody]

My patience normally lasts about as long as I expect to be on-line for. In other words if I know I will be spending 15 minutes of their time I am willing to wait that long on hold, but if it is simply a Yes/No type of query then I often hang up within a minute after all the usual palaver about "Your call may be recorded..." has finished.

Of course if I really have to know the answer then I will put the call on speaker-phone and work on something else while waiting. I have even been known to take a toilet break whilst on hold!

But my pet hate is when you get through, and then either by accident or design the call-centre rep hangs up. I always suspect that they are just trying to make their call stats look good, as some of them have a quota to meet.

 

[crazydave98]

My mother in law wants to stay in Australia for an additional week , and I need to change the date of her departure

cliff, while not trying to make an excuse for your unacceptably long wait, a change like that can be done online here:
https://book.virginblue.com.au/RetrieveBooking.aspx

For some reason this link disappeared from the home page so it is no longer obvious that changes can be made to bookings online.
cheers
CrazyDave98

 

[cliff]

Thanks , but after phoning and getting through , (this time a lot quicker ) the gentleman who helped me informed me that the ONLY WAY to change a ticket is telephonically - He was very specific about that
To change a ticket was R1 000 (which we knew about before hand) , and another R300 admin fee ( by phoning in and changing)
The whole process took about 10 minutes , and the R300 seems excessive for something like this . At least give the option to do it myself
Sorry if it appears like I am venting , but I don't feel they were being honest , as to change a ticket therefore is a minimum R1300 and not the R1 000 they told us at time of booking
If I could have done it online , do you think i have any recourse ?
(Based on past experience , i doubt it )

 

[crazydave98]

cliff,
if R=Rand it would indicate your booking originates in South Africa and is with V Australia rather than Virgin Blue. Unfortunately V Australia bookings cannot be changed online - only Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue (V Australia uses a different reservations system). I agree that being slugged with R300 if not notified in advance and not having any other way to make the change seems unreasonable at face value and will have it looked at.
regards
CrazyDave98

 

[bcworld]

I have been on hold for 29 minutes ( and counting) , and I am still trying to speak to someone at Virgin Blue , all to ask a query that I cant find an answer for online
Surely this is beyond all reasonableness ?
Apart from telling the agent who answers , whose fault is not really , is there any one that I should inform , or will it not make a difference ?

V Australia were probably VERY busy this morning. My partner was due to fly MEL - BNE - HKT. Upon arriving at MEL was told that BNE - HKT is cancelled. It appears that the inbound flight from LAX was also cancelled...and tomorrows BNE - LAX is also showing cancelled. Lots of very angry and upset passengers at MEL apparently...of course cancellations happen but as my understanding is that the operating aircraft never left LAX...passengers could have conceivably been notified last night and elected not to get up at 4am to travel to the airport for the 6am connecting flight to BNE.

V actually called my partner while he was on the MEL - BNE flight to advise of the cancellation...surely they can see there is a domestic connection on the same ticket!?

BNE - HKT passengers are travelling to HKT at 4am tomorrow morning on Strategic Airlines ...after having been (eventually) accomodated in hotels in Brisbane all day...with quite limited provision for food expenses I will add.

So yup, their call centre staff were probably very busy dealing with unhappy travellers! :evil:

 

[MrJetset]

I experienced this call centre inefficiency last week. Was trying to purchase a one way ticket HKT-SYD on VA, and couldn't work out how on the website. I gave up after 30 mins and just booked it via expedia. Even after selecting the Business Class option, the call didn't appear to be routed any quicker, unlike QF's Premium lines. That said, I believe Jet* is just as woeful.

 

[pauly7]

I experienced this call centre inefficiency last week. Was trying to purchase a one way ticket HKT-SYD on VA, and couldn't work out how on the website. I gave up after 30 mins and just booked it via expedia. Even after selecting the Business Class option, the call didn't appear to be routed any quicker, unlike QF's Premium lines. That said, I believe Jet* is just as woeful.

I imagine with Virgin canceling all flights and pulling out of New Zealand plus reversing one of their 777s into a fence in LAX resulting in the plane going unserviceable and domino cancellations from that - their call centre must be swamped in crisis mode!

 

[jsoprano]

Was trying to purchase a one way ticket HKT-SYD on VA, and couldn't work out how on the website.

For whatever reason you cannot book one-ways originating outside AU/NZ on the VA homepage, but there is an easy trick: you can do via the DJ or PB homepages.

Simply use the booking engine on the left-hand side of the homepage, select one-way, and under THAILAND you find HKT listed.

 

[bcworld]

For whatever reason you cannot book one-ways originating outside AU/NZ on the VA homepage, but there is an easy trick: you can do via the DJ or PB homepages.

Simply use the booking engine on the left-hand side of the homepage, select one-way, and under THAILAND you find HKT listed.

You might get a bit of a shock if you do though because the prices show up in '$'s whereas the the numbers seem to indicate THB! Like, $13,000! :shock:

 

[simongr]

It all depends on what I am doing on the call. If I am phoning QF then I expect to be on hold for 30s at most. However for other things then I just plug in a headset and get on with other jobs.

If I am buying goods/services though and I have a long wait time then I just hang up and buy from someone else...

 

[MrJetset]

For whatever reason you cannot book one-ways originating outside AU/NZ on the VA homepage, but there is an easy trick: you can do via the DJ or PB homepages.

Simply use the booking engine on the left-hand side of the homepage, select one-way, and under THAILAND you find HKT listed.

This doesn't give you the option of buying a Business Class Fare. My mate is the regional sales manager for VA and says that they do not have the right/licence to sell fares out of Thailand.

 

[UP4014]

cliff, while not trying to make an excuse for your unacceptably long wait, a change like that can be done online here:
https://book.virginblue.com.au/RetrieveBooking.aspx

There is no excuse for being kept waiting that long. That's a fail.

Matt

 

[MrJetset]

I imagine with Virgin canceling all flights and pulling out of New Zealand plus reversing one of their 777s into a fence in LAX resulting in the plane going unserviceable and domino cancellations from that - their call centre must be swamped in crisis mode!

Any news stories or images of the 777 in LAX?

 

[jsd]

You might get a bit of a shock if you do though because the prices show up in '$'s whereas the the numbers seem to indicate THB! Like, $13,000! :shock:

Good golly gosh, you would want to hope its in THB

Check this one out, random dates in June 2011:





:shock:

Josh