Pretty disgusted with Qantas customer service...

[N860CR]

I've just had an unfortunate 4 hour ordeal with the Qantas Call Centre.

I'm travelling tomorrow night ROK-BNE-SYD then SYD-LAX Sunday morning. Received a text message at about two stating that my BNE-SYD flight had been cancelled (1915 service). I had a check, there's a 2015 which is my only option (will mean I miss dinner... but I guess it can't be helped).

So I call to have it looked at. After about 15 minutes on hold (shortest wait in a long time) I get onto someone who, to cut a long story short, tells me both 1915 and 2015 flights aren't running... Now its getting complicated. The only ROK-BNE services tomorrow are at 1005 and 1635. 1005 doesn't work as I have appointments all day, but 1635 gets me into BNE too late for the last flight to Sydney. Asked to see if they'll put me on the arvo Virgin, turned down pretty quickly and put through to a supervisor.

Now it gets difficult... this lady I spoke to is right up there with the rudest people I've ever met. Not even a hello, all I get it "ok you can either take the 1005 or I'll cancel the entire booking". Suddenly I realise I'm in for a difficult time... for 10 minutes this woman proceeds to literally abuse me telling me "it's not my problem you have things to do" and "I'll cancel the whole thing and you can rebook it yourself how about that?". I don't think I've ever been spoken to by somebody in a call centre in such a foul way... I was a little confused as to why both the last BNE-SYD flights had been cancelled. I can understand the 1915 (often is), but why the 2015 as well. I ask and am quickly told "look thats nothing to do with you, you weren't booked on that one so I'm not even going to discuss it with you, I'm telling you its 1005 or nothing". I'm then told the 2015 flight hasn't been cancelled and was never scheduled to run. Also told "I don't care if you're looking at the schedule, its generic, it covers everyday". Along with "go on try and book on the 2015, get on the internet and do it". Fair enough... I can't book it.

Eventually get onto a higher supervisor who at least tries to be helpful. I asked about the 1430 Virgin flight and he said he's not authorised but he'll make some calls and get back to me. At least he was pleasant.

Anyway when I get back onto him, turns out the 2015 flight hasn't been cancelled, they've just taken it offline so as to accommodate passengers from the earlier service (this didn't come through until 1745). So 2015 I'm on and the whole ordeal is over.

I'm at a bit of a loss still to understand not only why reservations for some reason weren't aware seats were being helf on this last flight, and more importantly how this woman behaved on the phone. I guess my little story doesn't achieve much! But I felt like getting it off my chest. It's left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth anyway, lets hope the rest of the trip goes ok!

 

[bambbbam2]

Perhaps the JohnK bad luck is spreading?

That does sound pretty awful.. I would submit a complaint in writing with the whole story.

 

[tuapekastar]

Do they record these calls? Worth a follow-up.

 

[garyjohn951]

Sounds like someone having a "bad hair day"........

 

[serfty]

E/F shows the 1915 as C(losed) on all classes.

the 2015 is simply zeroed out.

I can tell you the QF553 has definitely been cancelled and the 557 is to be operated by a 73H.

The cancellation happened around midday after earlier downgrading from a 763 to a 73H around 7am this morning.

 

[serfty]

Do they record these calls? Worth a follow-up.

All calls are recorded unless you ask them not to.

Whether they get replayed or not is another matter. If Qantas are complained to, they will certainly replay it - maybe not to the customer.

 

[N860CR]

My first question to the supervisors supervisor was "are the calls recorded?" and, so I was told, they're not. They are monitored at random however the claim was they don't have the "legal grounds" to record them. I hope he was mistaken though, I'd be very supprised if they were to listen to this womans behaviour and feel it was acceptable.

Put a bit of a downer on the trip before I've even left though!

 

[munitalP]

Yeah, I asked one time about the call being recorded - I think it was with Telstra or Bigpond, anyway, they said yes it was in part (at this stage I'm thinking recording - eg, an mp3 of me or something), but recording can also be a note taken on your customer log as it is with the previous mentioned companies- at least that is what I was told.

I wouldn't expect anyone from a call centre to talk to me in the way the OP has said. I would have put up with that for a nano-second before asking for their supervisor. With no luck there, the supervisors supervisor and so on so forth..

As with everything though there's always two sides to every story, perhaps the stress and lack of logic shown by the QF call centre caused the OP to be a little more aggressive towards the call centre and this intolerable woman retaliated? I know if I was in the OP's situation I would be getting a little darn frustrated with the situation and it would show in my voice and the way I spoke - frustration and anger even.

I'm not saying this was the case, just pointing out that call centre people are not immune to having a bad day or aggressive calls the same as we (the people calling the call centres) are.

Mr!

:-|

 

[serfty]

My first question to the supervisors supervisor was "are the calls recorded?" and, so I was told, they're not. They are monitored at random however the claim was they don't have the "legal grounds" to record them. I hope he was mistaken though, I'd be very supprised if they were to listen to this womans behaviour and feel it was acceptable.
...

Think about contemporary technology and how difficult it is not these days to record and store millions of calls.

I will repeat - the Audio of ALL calls to Qantas will be recorded unless you tell them not to. This has been the case ever since the disclaimer at the start of every telephone call was introduced. What the supervisor told you was the "Party Line".

See my post from 2004 re this and an issue the OP had back then:

All QANTAS calls are recorded, unless you request otherwise. I would guess Jestar (sic) do to.

The calls are stored and catalogued. They can be retrieved by one or more parameters such as:

• Date/Time
• Customer Service Operator
• Calling Number (if available)
• Specific phrases or words (voice recognition)
• Length of call
• Emotional calls ('tone of' voice recognition)
• Uncouth Language, swear words
• Operator Flag

There are other parameters as well.

I have since found other parameters include one's name, QFF number etc so they can review any calls made under your auspices.

 

[SnowYeti]

I would certainly document it and mail or fax it into customer care. Sometimes emails get "lost". This is pretty unfortunate, and I feel sorry for you to have to get put through all that cough! What a bad start to a trip

I am sure you will get compensated in some form of voucher

 

[anat0l]

This kind of behaviour surprises me. The worst I had on QF on the phone was a woman who sounded like she was tired and wanted to go home. Not rude, but you could tell that she was tired and lacked character.

In any case, this is unacceptable, from Qantas or anyone for that matter. I would submit a complaint. Whilst I wouldn't hold your breath for any or adequate compensation, I think it is morally and practically in your best interests to report this incident.

QF WPs excepted, the phone queues are getting longer and longer. We certainly don't need to put up with these kind of shenanigans.

 

[N860CR]

As with everything though there's always two sides to every story, perhaps the stress and lack of logic shown by the QF call centre caused the OP to be a little more aggressive towards the call centre and this intolerable woman retaliated? I know if I was in the OP's situation I would be getting a little darn frustrated with the situation and it would show in my voice and the way I spoke - frustration and anger even.

I'm not saying this was the case, just pointing out that call centre people are not immune to having a bad day or aggressive calls the same as we (the people calling the call centres) are.

Yeah I know where you're coming from there, however the minute this woman got on the phone the attitude was there so I went to a great deal of effort to make sure I kept my cool (fully expecting I would need to have the recording played back later).

I'm not only so supprised at the behaviour, but now that I've had a chance to think about it, there were a whole heap of lies thrown at me as well. Initially I was told that as I was travelling on one ticket which was a "whole Intl ticket" there was no way they could simply remove the ROK-BNE so I could pick it up in Brisbane, the I was told "no you're not on an International flight you're on a domestic flight and we're giving you 24 hours notice", then apparently I could cancel the ROK-BNE flight and I could organise a DJ flight at my expense (although a minute ago there was no way to change it...).... Just went on and on and as it turned out if she'd just listened to me about the 2015 flight (which she refused to discuss) then all would have been well. Instead she straight out lied and said it was never even scheduled to operate.... Frustrating!

I guess Qantas should also be concerned that all she wanted to do was cancel my entire ~$2000 ticket and refund it, hence losing Qantas ~$2k revenue, instead of doing her job and fixing the problem. If I lost my company that much money I dare say theres no chance I'd be sitting here at my desk writing this!

 

[munitalP]

Yeah I know where you're coming from there, however the minute this woman got on the phone the attitude was there so I went to a great deal of effort to make sure I kept my cool (fully expecting I would need to have the recording played back later).

Yep, and theres no excuse for their (call centre) behavior

Mr!

 

[Leumas]

OP,

Did you complain to the supervisor while you'd him on the line?

I'd a rude phone operator on the line a few weeks ago, and I subsequently wrote via the web site to complain (I posted the experience on FT). I haven't received a proper response yet despite the incident happening in mid-March.

The only responses I'd was the automated response via the web system and a second response that came a few weeks afterwards that said the complain has been forwarded to the Telephone Sales Manager. However, it did say one useful thing would be to complain to the supervisor straight away.

 

[straitman]

However, it did say one useful thing would be to complain to the supervisor straight away.

Don't lose that response as a few people might be after it at a later date.

 

[browski]

I doubt the OP's claims very much.

We all know that whilst the Qantas "in-air" product is average at best, it is their outstanding "on-the-ground" service that keeps us all loyal to the Flying Kangaroo......

 

[N860CR]

I doubt the OP's claims very much.

I certainly hope that's meant in jest.

I expressed my concerns to the supervisor I spoke to at the time and he advised he would investigate and call me when I arrive back in Australia. We'll see how that goes.

 

[oz_mark]

I certainly hope that's meant in jest.

My 'sarcasm detector' went off the scale when I read that post!

 

[tuapekastar]

I certainly hope that's meant in jest.

I took it to be in jest, given the para below it!

 

[mysavings789]

That's truly awful. Why don't you write to the general manager of Qantas and tell him the whole story!