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

 

[RichardMEL]

QF puts the L in Legacy in many respects though and this seems a great example of it.

the talk for years has been about applying Lean Principles, being agile and all the rest of the buzzword bingo (been around so long sure to soon be replaced I am sure with the next iteration) but QF is anything but. No doubt limited by the platforms they have long used, and probably do not have the money to properly manage or update, but there's also a mindset involved too.

Anyway agree that email is very insulting. The numbers also contradict a comment Joyce made the other day claiming they'd tripled their call centre staff.....

not that the numbers, real or otherwise, matter so much.. you can have lots of staff but if poorly trained or resourced(with tools they need) then it kind of doesn't matter. You could have a million and answer a call in 10 seconds but if you can't resolve the problem then what is the point?

 

[encryptededdy]

More than half of calls we are currently receiving can be resolved online

I wonder where this statistic is coming from (assuming, of course, they didn't just make it up). Are they just looking at the types of requests and inferring this? Obviously that wouldn't catch the many cases where online self-service is theoretically possible (changing and cancelling flights), but for one reason or another the option is greyed out.

 

[AisleSeat]

it seems like the management can't quite understand why the customer is having problems - and thus it must be the customer's fault.

 

[kingzac]

The time our agents are talking to each customer has increased by an average of 50 per cent as people rearrange travel plans that are up to two years old.

And of course this is definitely the fault of the customer and the old bookings, not at all the lack of training of the overseas call centre staff who don't know how to resolve some issues and take hours, when the Hobart centre handles the same issue in a matter of minutes.

 

[encryptededdy]

I have a flight next week that hasn't ticketed yet... I'm dreading calling the call center. Trying to decide between the two numbers...

1300 025 396
Pros: Competent Agent, probably
Cons: Way longer hold time, might get grilled by the agent for calling naughty number

1300 659 116
Pros: Lower hold time
Cons: SA/FJ agent might not know how to ticket the booking, or mess it up

 

[ANstar]

I have a flight next week that hasn't ticketed yet... I'm dreading calling the call center. Trying to decide between the two numbers...

1300 025 396
Pros: Competent Agent, probably
Cons: Way longer hold time, might get grilled by the agent for calling naughty number

1300 659 116
Pros: Lower hold time
Cons: SA/FJ agent might not know how to ticket the booking, or mess it up

It's a false economy.. calling the SA/FJ call centre may be quicker to get through but you'll spend an hour on hold with them as they can't do the most simple task and will have to call the ticketing desk.. plus you risk being hung up on as they do so well.

 

[redwoodw]

I have a flight next week that hasn't ticketed yet... I'm dreading calling the call center. Trying to decide between the two numbers...

1300 025 396
Pros: Competent Agent, probably
Cons: Way longer hold time, might get grilled by the agent for calling naughty number

1300 659 116
Pros: Lower hold time
Cons: SA/FJ agent might not know how to ticket the booking, or mess it up

Might be worth trying 1300 026 698?

 

[encryptededdy]

Might be worth trying 1300 026 698?

Good call, although the hold times on that will probably be nearly an hour too.

 

[Guvner]

I'm seriously contemplating a YouTube channel showcasing exposing QF website issues. There'll be plenty of content.

 

[ChrisMars]

The how to videos are live

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/support/how-to-videos.html

Its using youtube, but the video are "unlisted" meaning not visible by going directly to Qantas youtube channel.

Comments are currently turned on. How long before its swithed off? Bets are open

 

[Mattg]

Comments are currently turned on. How long before its swithed off? Bets are open

I give it until next Monday.

 

[ANstar]

I notice they only use the HBA call centre for the how to videos

 

[SydneySwan]

I notice they only use the HBA call centre for the how to videos

They are making vidoes at the other call centres but as we all know they take longer and are consulting with a supervisor as to how to do it.

 

[TheInsider]

Surely they could've made cheaper videos through MindPearl

 

[Spacetravel]

Wow that email was so insulting and did nothing to help how I feel as a customer and Qantas' image through this.

Echoing others here, that email shows how out of touch QF management are. I get it, I work in a similar industry and there are things you wouldn't publicise even if you know them internally but there is still a better way to handle it then blame the customer email. I'm not expecting a statement like, "yes we know the problem is because our offshore partner mind pearl is absolute garbage and we will be terminating the contract as of 1st July 2022". But they could have left out the part about customers are just calling us because they don't know how to use the website, here are some useless videos that don't help.

A statement I think would hit much better should be:
"Yes we know we are having these problems, some driven by the pandemic and others due to our internal system and processes. Effective immediately we have reinstated web chat and also have made internal changes to empower our staff to make more decisions without referring to another team. We have engaged a third party firm to analyse our IT infrastructure and call centre practices to understand the problems we are having and how to invest in making our call centre world class. Finally, we have launched a hiring campaign to hire an extra 100 onshore staff, if you would like to join our team you can apply here: link to job".

This shows ownership, accountability and a clear plan to fix it.

 

[Spacetravel]

Looks like Qantas "enhanced" their contact centre to save money. If you look at the videos the staff don't have a mouse , maybe they would be more efficient if QF invested in providing a mouse for their staff.

 

[CMA222]

I notice they only use the HBA call centre for the how to videos

Maybe they could not find anyone in Fiji or SA who could do the task without having to refer to a Supervisor for assistance.

 

[dylarr]

Surely they could've made cheaper videos through MindPearl

If MindPearl were in charge of making the videos it would be 60 minutes of an agent continuously walking off screen to find a supervisor before the video abruptly ends without providing a solution.

 

[TheInsider]

If MindPearl were in charge of making the videos it would be 60 minutes of an agent continuously walking off screen to find a supervisor before the video abruptly ends without providing a solution.

But that's okay. Qantas Mindpearl are employing another 50,000 agents to do the same thing!

Next update from management will be "we are now taking over 25,000 calls a day" where 95% of them are repeat callers for the 20th time.

 

[Peasant]

I was impressed to receive the email from Stephanie in my inbox this morning, but like most was increasingly appalled by the content the further I read. Not sure the corporate comms folks have managed to nuance (veil) management's core message (feelings)...

Perhaps some of the blame rests with Rob Marcolina, who leads QF's Strategy, People and Technology. Ultimately I'm guessing he's driven much of the transformation which has "enhanced" the basic competence at various touch points in the customer journey without the necessary improvements to technology to facilitate these thought bubbles.

Closing the (competent) Australian call centres, selection of offshore vendors, contractual management of those vendors and training should be under his purview. And let's not forget the cracker decision to remove anyone at the airport who could possibly help you, as it makes so much sense to direct people in absolute desperation, minutes before their flight, to call the overwhelmed call centre, doesn't it?

Just remember, it's our fault.