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

 

[Daver6]

Anyone having any luck getting through to Hobart? I've tried 10AM, 11AM and 2PM, my calls are getting picked up promptly by Fiji as a Platinum but I have no faith in them. I am educating them about fare classes. Trying to change a paid F flight.

There is the rub. Someone has paid for a F flight and calling about that flight. It doesn't occur to QF that this person should get their most highly trained agents?!

 

[larrymull]

There is the rub. Someone has paid for a F flight and calling about that flight. It doesn't occur to QF that this person should get their most highly trained agents?!

Yep, I know I find Cape Town much better than Fiji. If you get Hobart you know that you are going to get an educated response.

 

[Lynda2475]

I suspect that Hobart are dealing with all the CNS cancellations, but wish QF would provide a HBA/NZ call back service for WP and above.

 

[Economy_Gold]

I suspect that Hobart are dealing with all the CNS cancellations, but wish QF would provide a HBA/NZ call back service for WP and above.

Absolutely, this would be a real improvement. As WP and above then you get a choice of either waiting for this or taking the callentre lottery - I am pretty sure I would always go for the callback from Hobart wait

Post automatically merged: Dec 19, 2023

There is the rub. Someone has paid for a F flight and calling about that flight. It doesn't occur to QF that this person should get their most highly trained agents?!

I find it remarable that QF thinks that it does not need to look after its most-premium customers in any special way. Even with Lufthansa and BA you get a dedicated team (and phone number!) when you fly First.

 

[1022]

I find it remarable that QF thinks that it does not need to look after its most-premium customers in any special way. Even with Lufthansa and BA you get a dedicated team (and phone number!) when you fly First.

I find it remarkable that QF thinks that it does not need to look after any of its most-premium customers. Full stop. [edited it for you!! ]

But seriously, not even a lowly not-even-bronze should be playing phone agent lottery. If you call a company, the person you speak to should either be able to answer your questions without lying to you or making stuff up to cover their poor training. If they can't do that for more complex issues, they should have a hotline to transfer you someone who can help.

Having said that, I totally get that a paid F, a WP, etc rightfully should expect seamless service.

 

[elanshin]

A 10 minute wait today on the call, but as they picked up and I said "I have a flight voucher that I can't use online" the response was a sharp "why not?" before I even finished explaining. So I tried to explain that it's multicity and it can't be done online. After a bit of back and forth, I got a little impatient and basically told her (perhaps with a bit of assertion) that this is a multicity book, that can't be done online, but via phone only and that I've done this before. Immediately she went defensive stating I didn't need to speak this way.

In my head, I'm thinking yes I didn't need to do this, but you put in me in this state with your aggressive snappy retorts earlier. Id rather not waste a bunch of time going back and forth so I just cut to the chase.

Couldn't find the flights prices I was looking at so HUACA I guess. From the accent, it sounded like the South Africa call center.

 

[dylarr]

Called up at about 3pm today to request a reward seat release for a simple domestic trip. Call answered after 15 minutes by Hobart, interaction was very pleasant and efficient. Request approved and payment of points + taxes/fees completed within about 5 minutes all up.

 

[DejaBrew]

A 10 minute wait today on the call, but as they picked up and I said "I have a flight voucher that I can't use online" the response was a sharp "why not?" before I even finished explaining. So I tried to explain that it's multicity and it can't be done online. After a bit of back and forth, I got a little impatient and basically told her (perhaps with a bit of assertion) that this is a multicity book, that can't be done online, but via phone only and that I've done this before. Immediately she went defensive stating I didn't need to speak this way.

In my head, I'm thinking yes I didn't need to do this, but you put in me in this state with your aggressive snappy retorts earlier. Id rather not waste a bunch of time going back and forth so I just cut to the chase.

Couldn't find the flights prices I was looking at so HUACA I guess. From the accent, it sounded like the South Africa call center.

I expect the desire to be "efficient" in dealing with enquiries sometimes leads the agents to jump to conclusions which create frustration that could be easily avoided with a little more patience and active listening. Then again, sometimes you just luck into speaking with a complete #$&!@.

 

[RichardMEL]

Called up at about 3pm today to request a reward seat release for a simple domestic trip. Call answered after 15 minutes by Hobart, interaction was very pleasant and efficient. Request approved and payment of points + taxes/fees completed within about 5 minutes all up.

Great result, but disappointing to have to wait 15 mins as a WP (well as anyone, but we know how things are these days).

 

[DC3]

I expect the desire to be "efficient" in dealing with enquiries sometimes leads the agents to jump to conclusions which create frustration that could be easily avoided with a little more patience and active listening

A little bit of lecturing here?

 

[clifford]

I expect the desire to be "efficient" in dealing with enquiries sometimes leads the agents to jump to conclusions which create frustration that could be easily avoided with a little more patience and active listening. Then again, sometimes you just luck into speaking with a complete #$&!@.

I think you're being very generous here.

 

[DejaBrew]

I think you're being very generous here.

Quite possible in this particular instance, but I'm also not wanting to tar all agents in a similar scenario with the same brush.

 

[repete]

I find it remarkable that QF thinks that it does not need to look after any of its most-premium customers. Full stop. [edited it for you!! ]

But seriously, not even a lowly not-even-bronze should be playing phone agent lottery. If you call a company, the person you speak to should either be able to answer your questions without lying to you or making stuff up to cover their poor training. If they can't do that for more complex issues, they should have a hotline to transfer you someone who can help.

Having said that, I totally get that a paid F, a WP, etc rightfully should expect seamless service.

My 'generous' wish would be that it's not lying, but certainly poor training. Qantas randomly sent me a ticket change recently, moving my domestic flight forward by 2 days! I rang up (guessing SA) and was told my flight couldn't be changed, there was no availability, but I would be given food and accommodation money (although that couldn't be confirmed with an email). So I rang up the next day (I think Fiji) and the first agent I spoke to looked up and asked me what flight I wanted to change to and promptly changed me back to the original day I had booked for! HUACA is perhaps the most helpful phrase I've learnt on this site!!

 

[shuuy]

P1 wait time at the moment 30 mins and growing?! (Is it because I used the US +1800?)

 

[jrfsp]

Long wait times today (even as Plat), gave up.

 

[larrymull]

Me too, 35minutes and counting. Feels great to have the platinum service.

 

[Ade]

Writing about a call that is currently in progress. Caller is NOT me, but someone I work with. So the below is written/summarised based on what was mentioned to me

Caller is QF-SG, so call went to NAN. Answered by <name withheld> who was very friendly. Caller wanted to date change on a J booking. Agent checks what's available and come backs with a $99 change fee and $80 service fee for making the change, no mention of a fare difference. Caller doesn't confirm explicitly, verbally, if there is no fare difference, but pings me to check on the change fee component. I had earlier advised that there is no change fee if the booking is a J/F (according to this). I send the link and say there shouldn't be a change fee as the booking is all J, but there might be a service fee (as the date change could be done via the website and not required for CC staff to do it for the pax).

So Caller enquires why there is a Change fee when QF website (Schedule of Fees) say that there is no change for J and F bookings. Agent then mentions to the pax something along the lines of "You are worth the change fee sir, you are already flying business, you can afford the change fee".. yeaaaaa, not sure why this was mentioned .... anyways, caller emphasises that the QF website itself says no change fee for J/F, so he won't pay the change fee.. Caller clearly not impressed with the way the call is going on

Agent isn't sure, keeps saying the same story etc and then goes away, checks something and then says "ok, no change fee only $80 service fee, but there is now a fare difference of $99"

To us, externals/untrained/unsuspecting customers - this looks like the agent just quoted the change fee and renamed it as fare difference, when there was no mention of any fare difference so far in this conversation. Caller pinged me again and said what was going on. I suggested HUCA, and the call was dropped. Caller stepped out for some fresh air.

#TrainingNotEnough, #TooBad ...

Am I right in being under the impression that CC staff are not paid commissions for the sales/revenue they bring in?

 

[encryptededdy]

You are worth the change fee sir, you are already flying business, you can afford the change fee

honestly wtf

 

[Capricornus]

Writing about a call that is currently in progress. Caller is NOT me, but someone I work with. So the below is written/summarised based on what was mentioned to me

Caller is QF-SG, so call went to NAN. Answered by <name withheld> who was very friendly. Caller wanted to date change on a J booking. Agent checks what's available and come backs with a $99 change fee and $80 service fee for making the change, no mention of a fare difference. Caller doesn't confirm explicitly, verbally, if there is no fare difference, but pings me to check on the change fee component. I had earlier advised that there is no change fee if the booking is a J/F (according to this). I send the link and say there shouldn't be a change fee as the booking is all J, but there might be a service fee (as the date change could be done via the website and not required for CC staff to do it for the pax).

So Caller enquires why there is a Change fee when QF website (Schedule of Fees) say that there is no change for J and F bookings. Agent then mentions to the pax something along the lines of "You are worth the change fee sir, you are already flying business, you can afford the change fee".. yeaaaaa, not sure why this was mentioned .... anyways, caller emphasises that the QF website itself says no change fee for J/F, so he won't pay the change fee.. Caller clearly not impressed with the way the call is going on

Agent isn't sure, keeps saying the same story etc and then goes away, checks something and then says "ok, no change fee only $80 service fee, but there is now a fare difference of $99"

To us, externals/untrained/unsuspecting customers - this looks like the agent just quoted the change fee and renamed it as fare difference, when there was no mention of any fare difference so far in this conversation. Caller pinged me again and said what was going on. I suggested HUCA, and the call was dropped. Caller stepped out for some fresh air.

#TrainingNotEnough, #TooBad ...

Am I right in being under the impression that CC staff are not paid commissions for the sales/revenue they bring in?

I suggest strongly they lodge a complaint and request listing of the call recording…

 

[DejaBrew]

Jan 18th @ 7pm. Called to request CR seat releases. Answered immediately by "Rahul (Raoul?)" in the Hobart call centre - very pleasant and efficient. Call completed within about 20 minutes with multiple itineraries requested for review/approval and suitable itineraries with seat releases ultimately approved and processed. Flights ticketed within 15 minutes of ending the call.