What's happening with the Platinum Call Centre?

[ferntree]

In the last two days I've twice had to call the Qantas platinum call centre: both times the line was extremely bad, the persons (male) that I spoke to just didn't sound like or come across like the consultants there usually do - not just the accents (Asian of some sort) but also the very clinical (though not rude) attitude. Much more formal. Worst of all, though, they didn't seem to have a clue what they were doing. I spent 25 minutes on a call today trying to simply get the date of a flight (single flight, no connections) changed. In the end I terminated the call, went on line, cancelled and rebooked.

I'm wondering if as some cost-cutting measure this hasn't been outsourced overseas? Amybody had a similar experience?

 

[Captain Halliday]

I called yesterday to add sectors to an existing classic flight award.

I have a strong suspicion the agent was both HBA based and new. She was having a shocker.

First she accidentally hung up on me.

When she called back she was very flustered. She admitted having to ask a colleague what to do. “Just call him back”.. was his wise advice.

As I was (optimistically) booking TYO - BNE I gave her the specific flight numbers because I wanted a NRT departure.

She read back the flight details correctly.

But then she quoted the incorrect number of points, which I queried and she corrected.

Her quote for taxes was also extremely low, but I was happy with that. But it should have rung the alarm bells for me.

A few mins after completing the call I checked the App and she had deleted an earlier sector in my itinerary, hence the lower than expected taxes.

And just to cap things off she booked me on a flight ex. NHD much later than I wanted and not the flight ex. NRT that I requested and she read back.

People have bad days. I get it. And if she was new that’s added pressure.

But the thing that annoyed me most was that even though I called back within 15 mins, the flights I wanted were gone.

The agent trying to fix it was also in HBA and very apologetic. But there seemed no willingness to send it to the OW helpdesk to be corrected as it was a QF error.

I contemplated asking them to pull the tape and accommodate me on the service I requested at their expense.

But I took a breath...

I reflected on just how many cranky people the QF call centre staff must be dealing with lately...

And decided to cut them some slack.

So, in the unlikely event we’re back travelling by Jan 2022, I’ll be in the HND lounge, not NRT.

<first world problem emoji goes here>

 

[N860CR]

<first world problem emoji goes here>

I hate this expression. You're paying a huge amount of money for a service (no doubt over a years income in the third world) and expect a very basic level of support will be provided (ie: provide what you're paying for). It's fast becoming an excuse for large corporations to fail to do what we're paying them for (and irionically supporting outsourcing to the third world). Like the awful phrase "Fiji Time" (while you're at an American chain hotel, paying American prices)

 

[sudoer]

So, in the unlikely event we’re back travelling by Jan 2022, I’ll be in the HND lounge, not NRT.

Nothing wrong with that - you could be one of the first through the fully reopened HND F lounge post renovation! I went through in late 2019 after they'd reopened half the lounge, and the Sushi Tsurutei / JAL's table concept was outstanding in my opinion. Think of all the travel time you'll save getting to the airport too

 

[NSun]

I can have similar experiences with the call centre but it is generally when I call later in the day. I've never had it happen to me when I call first thing in the morning (i.e. from 7am Sydney time) and I get the NZ call centre which is always good.