Qantas Call Centre Long Wait Times

My understanding (from unofficial sources) is that there is a pool of priority phone numbers that airport staff give to passengers which rotates every few weeks.

I will attempt to publish the currently active number(s) in this post:

1300 304 318
1300 659 161
1300 025 396
1300 659 116

1300 024 715
1300 025 390
1300 659 115
1300 659 134
1300 659 502

 

[Berlin]

2 hours on hold to Singapore (again) but I am only Silver. Clearly call centres at all airlines are under immense pressure. I wonder what the solution is…

More staff. And pay/train them well. Unfortunately, that's the last thing CEOs want to hear as it costs money. So it probably will be more of the usual- 'Point customers to Digital channels' and that cough.

Chatbots are cheap, don't call in sick and do not complain about 24 shifts. So I've heard...

 

[TomVexille]

2 hours on hold to Singapore (again) but I am only Silver. Clearly call centres at all airlines are under immense pressure. I wonder what the solution is…

At least SQ agents will call you back if the call drops for any reason

 

[RichardMEL]

At least SQ agents will call you back if the call drops for any reason

I know this will not be believed but some years back I had Telstra do exactly this.. and it was the manilla call centre too!

no, I am not on bizarro earth

 

[serfty]

2 hours on hold to Singapore (again) but I am only Silver. Clearly call centres at all airlines are under immense pressure. I wonder what the solution is…

At least SQ agents will call you back if the call drops for any reason

... and is more likely the SQ agents will be able to understand/resolve your query/issue rather than have the call mysteriously drop out.

 

[Berlin]

At least SQ agents will call you back if the call drops for any reason

It's probably because the call REALLY dropped out due to technical reasons. At Qantas, it seems to happen when their agents find the issue 'too hard' and they can't be bothered...

 

[GCflyer]

Been waiting 6 days now for a Twitter/Facebook message reply. Qantas has 100% gone MIA - no excuses for this.

 

[Mattg]

Been waiting 6 days now for a Twitter/Facebook message reply. Qantas has 100% gone MIA - no excuses for this.

Yep - I asked a simple question via Facebook 8 days ago and have heard nothing. This is not OK.

 

[dylarr]

I have been told by inside sources that the Qantas seat availability (at departure time) is close to full (some COVID exceptions) so there is little interest in call center training and more interest in fixing online / app functionality. There is no future for Qantas call centers

If that's what the leadership is thinking, they are delusional.

They promised improvements when airport service and ticketing desks were shuttered. The only thing they delivered was the ability to be able to request an on departure upgrade in the app, but nothing else was fixed or improved.

 

[jakeseven7]

... and is more likely the SQ agents will be able to understand/resolve your query/issue rather than have the call mysteriously drop out.

I’ve never had a QF or SQ agent that couldn’t fix the problem I’ve had so far!

 

[Berlin]

If that's what the leadership is thinking, they are delusional.

They promised improvements when airport service and ticketing desks were shuttered. The only thing they delivered was the ability to be able to request an on departure upgrade in the app, but nothing else was fixed or improved.

This is unfortunately where it's going in most big companies and I don't think things will seriously change.

And from what I can see, "digitally native" newcomer companies are more and more setting the trend and they're often even worse: Ever tried speaking to someone at Doordash? Uber? Or, to stick with the oldies: Ticketmaster, Myer, Woolies...

The list goes on and on, these are just recent examples when I ended in customer service hell over the past few weeks and every single time NOT because of errors of myself or me being to stupid to service myself online or on the app, oh no! It's the same nonsense everywhere- it's all fine as long as the tech works. But beware if there's any issues and tech (reminder: Their own tech!) does fail. Not a chance to get it rectified within a reasonable timeframe, usually not even possible to speak to a human unless once wastes precious time trying to 'game the bot'.

 

[Melburnian1]

This is unfortunately where it's going in most big companies and I don't think things will seriously change.

And from what I can see, "digitally native" newcomer companies are more and more setting the trend and they're often even worse: Ever tried speaking to someone at Doordash? Uber? Or, to stick with the oldies: Ticketmaster, Myer, Woolies...

The list goes on and on, these are just recent examples when I ended in customer service hell over the past few weeks and every single time NOT because of errors of myself or me being to stupid to service myself online or on the app, oh no! It's the same nonsense everywhere- it's all fine as long as the tech works. But beware if there's any issues and tech (reminder: Their own tech!) does fail. Not a chance to get it rectified within a reasonable timeframe, usually not even possible to speak to a human unless once wastes precious time trying to 'game the bot'.

I don't want to go OT but have recently spoken with Woolworths and the lady was extremely helpful, and solved my miniscule porblem.

nabtrade has hugely improved and is now excellent, but up until a few months ago this NAB subsidiary was woeful. I understand it received numerous complaints so extra staff may have been engaged. NAB call centre staff are also fairly good but on occasion I've been switched to a third person who finally takes command of the issue.

Others tell me Myer call centre staff are also quite good. But agree with your comments re Uber/DoorDash etc.

NSW TrainLink is not an airline but its staff will ring you back, and do as an alternative to waiting. But under 40 per cent of its bookings are online so its call centre continues to have a vital role.

I have always found SQ call centre staff polite. Perhaps my booking problems have not been complex, but they've always sorted them out.

What percentage of QFi and QFd bookings would be made online via the QF website or other online means? Fairly high domestically but well under 50 per cent internationally?

 

[Berlin]

I don't want to go OT but have recently spoken with Woolworths and the lady was extremely helpful, and solved my miniscule porblem.

nabtrade has hugely improved and is now excellent, but up until a few months ago this NAB subsidiary was woeful. I understand it received numerous complaints so extra staff may have been engaged. NAB call centre staff are also fairly good but on occasion I've been switched to a third person who finally takes command of the issue.

Others tell me Myer call centre staff are also quite good. But agree with your comments re Uber/DoorDash etc.

NSW TrainLink is not an airline but its staff will ring you back, and do as an alternative to waiting. But under 40 per cent of its bookings are online so its call centre continues to have a vital role.

I have always found SQ call centre staff polite. Perhaps my booking problems have not been complex, but they've always sorted them out.

What percentage of QFi and QFd bookings would be made online via the QF website or other online means? Fairly high domestically but well under 50 per cent internationally?

Oh- I'm not at all taking Qantas' side but bad customer service seems to be on the rise unfortunately. Just had a horrid experience with Myer last week, still unresolved and almost on the same level bad as what I've experienced with Qantas- almost, as Qantas is hard to top

 

[TheInsider]

What percentage of QFi and QFd bookings would be made online via the QF website or other online means? Fairly high domestically but well under 50 per cent internationally?

You're dreaming if you think a lot of people call up to make a booking through QF direct - they simply can't get through!
Maybe 60% will make it direct with the airline internationally and probably domestically and the rest are travel agents. Out of that 60% it would only be a very small handful creating their bookings through the call centre.

 

[SOPOOR]

This is unfortunately where it's going in most big companies and I don't think things will seriously change.

And from what I can see, "digitally native" newcomer companies are more and more setting the trend and they're often even worse: Ever tried speaking to someone at Doordash? Uber? Or, to stick with the oldies: Ticketmaster, Myer, Woolies...

The list goes on and on, these are just recent examples when I ended in customer service hell over the past few weeks and every single time NOT because of errors of myself or me being to stupid to service myself online or on the app, oh no! It's the same nonsense everywhere- it's all fine as long as the tech works. But beware if there's any issues and tech (reminder: Their own tech!) does fail. Not a chance to get it rectified within a reasonable timeframe, usually not even possible to speak to a human unless once wastes precious time trying to 'game the bot'.

i have just come to accept that for big companies, this low standard of service is the norm

if a small business such as a restaurant or a independant corner store did it, they would get crucified

so when you get great service, you almost fall off your chair

my last great experience was with jetstar, international flight was delayed by 5 hours from 7pm to 1am,
with zero expectation i asked if there was any chance of compensation eg hotels, they said please send the reciept by email and we will consider,

I sent them an email with my receipet showing $80 x 3 nights for the hotel, for the previous nights,

they must have mis read and proceeded to give me a travel credit of $240.
even one day I would have been happy.

this from a LCC!!! with qantas you cant even get a partial refund for being downgraded from J to Y in 12 weeks and without multiple follow ups!

 

[Berlin]

if a small business such as a restaurant or a independant corner store did it, they would get crucified

Plenty of those around post Covid sadly, at least in Sydney. Try Darling Harbour or any of those tourist trap areas and you will be surprised. Strangely- there are only Domestic tourists and locals but old habits don't die it seems. Would not surprise me if some of those got 'crucified' as you call it!

so when you get great service, you almost fall off your chair

Sadly, that's exactly how I feel these days. Someone promised you to call back and the phone really rings? Usually only happens when they wanna sell you something...

 

[PineappleSkip]

And from what I can see, "digitally native" newcomer companies are more and more setting the trend and they're often even worse: Ever tried speaking to someone at Doordash? Uber? Or, to stick with the oldies: Ticketmaster, Myer, Woolies...

Ticketmaster: chased them twice in the past three months, first a refund then next an exchange due sudden covid restrictions. Longest wait time 19 minutes. Got a refund same day first time, refund of difference next day second time. Woolies: refund of a HQ delivery order they stuffed up last week, told the bot and refund next day. That perennial horror story, Telstra: had to deal online with them but cancelled a service and refund within a week or so.

Qantas: multiple mostly IT driven horror stories with up to 9 months and multiple emails and calls to the complaint number to get a refund; that one was for a voucher which fell down an oubliette. I have one outstanding travel credit that they created without my asking and never sent the login details for, and I am dreading calling yet again. IME Qantas are setting the benchmark for bad.

Oh, and if all else fails, remember there’s the airline industry customer advocate, to which Choice awarded a shonky award to this year.

cheers skip

 

[Jeff.francis]

Has anybody lost flight credit or refunds?
I booked from Townsville to Singapore and used a mixture of cash and flight credit!
When Qantas cancelled the flight, the flight credit was only partially returned and no refund credit card payment!!
I spent more than 8 hours on the phone (South Africa) after 3 hours I was told it was fixed!
I rang back 3 weeks later (2hours) they said they were investigating, and would ring back after a week! 3 weeks later nothing!

I rang the priority phone line today and the phone was answered in 30 seconds.
Anja the operator was brilliant and fixed everything!

Qantas, get rid of the South African call centre and keep Hobart as the no1 point of call

 

[Mattg]

One of the US blogs has now picked this up.

71 Hours On Hold With An Airline - View from the Wing

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

viewfromthewing.com

 

[Berlin]

Ticketmaster: chased them twice in the past three months, first a refund then next an exchange due sudden covid restrictions. Longest wait time 19 minutes. Got a refund same day first time, refund of difference next day second time. Woolies: refund of a HQ delivery order they stuffed up last week, told the bot and refund next day. That perennial horror story, Telstra: had to deal online with them but cancelled a service and refund within a week or so.

Yea, my Ticketmaster experience was way worse than that but that's getting off topic. Looks like with Telstra and the likes, you can get good or bad (or horrid) experiences, depending on your issue, who you speak with and what channel you use.

But that's not much different with Qantas either- as long as you have status and therefore don't wait on hold for too long, usually you get quite good service if you end up in the Hobart or NZ call centers. Granted, if you end up at the South African Qantas call center however, then your experience will be almost certainly bad.

 

[Scr77]

Our flight BNE - SFO was cancelled today. Automatic Email notification included the phone number 1300 659 115. This gets through in a few minutes, but out of my 13 calls today, none were local or competent.

I had one call to VA today. Call was answered in 5 minutes and overseas agent was very well training and helpful.