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

 

[Sydney88]

I think it's worse. I've been given the wrong information regarding cancelling a return leg of an award booking, and had a ticketing issue. I would have made 20 calls now to resolve, calling the complaint line and the normal line and nobody can help even though its escalated to a supervisor and customer care complaints lodged etc. It's just an eternal loop of hopelessness with no way out or to escalate. Whoever is responsible for this should just hang their head in absolute shame, it's without a doubt the worst customer experience I have ever had in my life.

 

[CMA222]

I think it's worse. I've been given the wrong information regarding cancelling a return leg of an award booking, and had a ticketing issue. I would have made 20 calls now to resolve, calling the complaint line and the normal line and nobody can help even though its escalated to a supervisor and customer care complaints lodged etc. It's just an eternal loop of hopelessness with no way out or to escalate. Whoever is responsible for this should just hang their head in absolute shame, it's without a doubt the worst customer experience I have ever had in my life.

I have solved my QF call centre issues - Last week I booked 4 (J) flights with CX !!

 

[TMBHL]

@AFF Editor I’m trying to book similar flights Matt, Rio-Santiago-Akl-Syd. The LA SCL-Syd flights were regularly releasing each day for December 2024 flights, but January 2025 has stopped completely in the last week. So frustrating when we have a points flight booked over there and currently looks like they’re not releasing flights home. Any suggestions?

 

[downundermm]

“We’re also reviewing our call centres more broadly, with extra training for agents and considering whether we bring more of this important task back onshore,” Qantas’ new CEO Vanessa Hudson said last November.

Australian Frequent Flyer understands that this review remains ongoing. The possibility of bringing a lot more of this work back onshore is still on the table.

Act now Ms Hudson and start returning call centres on shore. There is nothing more comforting when speaking to a call centre in Australia most customers anxiety levels drop immediately, forgo a little profit and restore some confidence in Qantas.

As for putting your agents on the clock to complete calls in 10mins with competent agents this may be possible. This raises questions like does the current booking systems utilised by Qantas have the ability to complete such tasks quickly with minimal keystrokes and screen changes? is this impeding customer service coupled with incompetent staff.

For any business to provide Excellence in customer service you need well trained and competent agents together with the best IT systems available.

 

[levelnine]

Now that the media and political heat has been taken off Qantas, you have to wonder how many promises made during the days they were under siege will be quietly forgotten or rolled back.

 

[Rhode]

FYI, Qantas tells us it is no longer triaging people who call multiple times within a short amount of time to more experienced agents, following the end of last year's trial.

Details here: https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/qantas-not-triaging-repeat-callers/

3 phone calls, 2 emails to Customer Care & 1 to FF, I finally obtained a response via Messenger. Messenger Team escalated to Customer Care & I received a customer care response within a day advising my refund for involuntary downgrade had been processed. (2 months since the 1st call.) 3 weeks since, I still haven’t received the refund although advised me in the confirmation email, usual is 7 business days .. and I’m a high status flyer.

 

[KSC]

I have solved my QF call centre issues - Last week I booked 4 (J) flights with CX !!

Maybe you should request this solution added to the QF Frequently Asked Questions section.

 

[kgreenuq]

I have a relative who used to work for a bank's call centre. They were told to take no longer than 7 minutes to resolve problems -- but at the same time were told callers' problems should be resolved in a single call (that is, without clients having to call back). Needless to say, very few calls fitted the bank's requirements and the work environment was very stressful.

 

[bussyboy]

I thought most call centres use an Average Handling Time metric - that's not "no longer than x minutes..."

Is the QF issue a lack of training/ development/ support for staff, or an inability to retain employees long enough to get them up to speed with everything?

 

[MelbFlyer]

Qantas tells us it is no longer triaging people who call multiple times within a short amount of time to more experienced agents, following the end of last year's trial.

Certainly wasn't my experience last year when attempting to make simple changes to my business OWA - I called over 100 times without success most of the time.

I was definitely a repeat caller - looking through my old phone logs the most times I called Qantas in one day was 18 times because I HUACA due to BS responses / lies, not because I had nothing better to do!

In the end, I finally got there though, on the very few occasions I got to Hobart as a Bronze member.

Act now Ms Hudson and start returning call centres on shore

I personally don't care where agents are located, so long as they have the right tools to do the job properly (ie. why do non Hobart and Auckland centres have limited awards seat visibility?).

For any business to provide Excellence in customer service you need well trained and competent agents together with the best IT systems available.

This - doesn't matter where they're located tbh, as long as they're able to solve problems.

 

[Murmal]

I personally don't care where agents are located, so long as they have the right tools to do the job properly (ie. why do non Hobart and Auckland centres have limited awards seat visibility?).

For any business to provide Excellence in customer service you need well trained and competent agents together with the best IT systems available.

This - doesn't matter where they're located tbh, as long as they're able to solve problems.

Totally agreed.
I might also add that, especially when trying to explain a more complex issue, having some confidence that you're being understood, that you can in turn understand clearly the agent, without having to repeatedly ask them to repeat what they are saying, is a huge necessity. I've lost count of the number of times I can't even understand their name when trying to engage.
Thank goodness for the lovely and experienced Hobart agents (when you luck out!)

 

[Ado]

It is good to hear that more training is happening , I appreciate off shore call centres are a way of life , but I also hope they invest in more onshore centres

 

[dylarr]

FYI, Qantas tells us it is no longer triaging people who call multiple times within a short amount of time to more experienced agents, following the end of last year's trial.

I wouldn't be surprised if this never actually got off the ground in the first place. Even as a Platinum, my recalls were mostly futile during 2022 & 2023 when this was supposedly being "trialled", with my calls being repeatedly triaged to hopeless Fiji and South Africa agents after HUACA multiple times.

If they actually did implement it, why discontinue it? I can only see upsides for the customer experience having this capability.

 

[Sydney88]

I presume the issue is primarily lack of IT investment, disparate systems where it's extremely expensive to get them working together in real-time followed by internal bickering over funding to create work arounds or no funding to actually solve the problem at the highest level which would cost hundreds of millions and probably end up going above 1bn by the time everything's up and running across the group. Hobart might have something bespoke that's very old but works, or as badged Qantas employees are able to access systems where Its not appropriate for offshore subcontractors to access due to data security policies. Not that this is the case at Qantas but it still amazes me when you go to some of these global giants and somewhere away in a back office someone is still using a system where the interface is green text on a black background controlled by typed prompts.

 

[Anjan]

Last October I was to fly to Rome via LHR. I got an SMS to say QF 1 was having an extended transit stop 5 hours in Singapore so I would miss connecting flight. Hearing of the horror stories I contact the service centre. Asked if BA leaving Syd at same time had seats advised yes but no seats on LHR to FCO as she was not looking to just LHR. For the next 20 mins had to explain I had seats on LHR to FCO so her job was to get me there to meet flight. I gave up trying to explain this concept! Next does EK have flights to Rome that night yes last 2. I will take them. This worked out better for us in the end though a very frustrating experience.

On Dec 31 tried to pay for a ticket DPS to Syd using flight credit online did not work. Called the call centre gave booking ref and flight credit ref. Advised ticket issued in 24 hours. Unfortunately did not occur. A week later new booking and paid for and then having to request flight credit refund! Initially told unfortunately no DS.

Just the care factor is zero with some of the off shore centres and reflects immensely on QF. Quite the polar opposite on VA.

 

[bcworld]

Just the care factor is zero with some of the off shore centres and reflects immensely on QF. Quite the polar opposite on VA.

Not sure about the polar opposite. I'm plat with VA so get 'Velocity Premium' when calling. Most issues I have dealt with over the past year have been very long and drawn out affairs where the vast majority of the staff just can't understand the issue or what is needed to resolve it. I've had some of the most incredibly frustrating conversations before finally getting through to one person that does 'get it'.

Still think QF is worse...but polar opposite...not IMO.

 

[Youfah Mizzum]

I have had reason to call Qantas on the 131313 number a few times over the past few weeks. Just checking on things - a few specific questions regarding bookings I have. Some changes etc.

Not only did I get straight through to a CS rep each time (no waiting, like what??) but they handled each call with aplomb and courtesy. Once I had someone with an incredibly strong accent - I could tell they were in Sth Africa which mad it hard to communicate.
My most recent was yesterday where I needed to make more significant changes to a booking. Once again, no waiting. I was put through to Suva and spoke to someone with impeccable English, I think must've spent time in Oz as her accent was barely non-existent so our conversation was not fraught with "can you repeat that..." . She was able to help and within 15 mins I had hung up, my issue dealt with.

IME, things are looking up.

 

[elanshin]

I have solved my QF call centre issues - Last week I booked 4 (J) flights with CX !!

I hope nothing goes wrong with your flights or bookings. CX support isn't great either from my interactions with limited interactions with them when i needed stuff done.

 

[elanshin]

Now that the media and political heat has been taken off Qantas, you have to wonder how many promises made during the days they were under siege will be quietly forgotten or rolled back.

Depends. I don't think they're out if the media heat yet. It just takes one or two incidents and they'll be back. Mainstream media is aware that anti Qantas news still sells.

I wouldn't be surprised if this never actually got off the ground in the first place. Even as a Platinum, my recalls were mostly futile during 2022 & 2023 when this was supposedly being "trialled", with my calls being repeatedly triaged to hopeless Fiji and South Africa agents after HUACA multiple times.

If they actually did implement it, why discontinue it? I can only see upsides for the customer experience having this capability.

I suspect they trialled it and realised they don't have enough staff to handle everything and thus they have to work out the comprise. Likely that would mean a choice between more access for everyone or more access for higher status holders.

I presume the issue is primarily lack of IT investment, disparate systems where it's extremely expensive to get them working together in real-time followed by internal bickering over funding to create work arounds or no funding to actually solve the problem at the highest level which would cost hundreds of millions and probably end up going above 1bn by the time everything's up and running across the group. Hobart might have something bespoke that's very old but works, or as badged Qantas employees are able to access systems where Its not appropriate for offshore subcontractors to access due to data security policies. Not that this is the case at Qantas but it still amazes me when you go to some of these global giants and somewhere away in a back office someone is still using a system where the interface is green text on a black background controlled by typed prompts.

The problem in general is IT. A LOT of their call centre pressures would be resolved if we could actually fix our problems ourselves. It's not like the majority of people want to spend time calling Qantas support centres and chatting with them. We just have no choice whether that's booking something that's slightly off normal, some minor changes or even disruption options. I'd happily press some buttons or go through a flowchart chatbot if it gets my problems solved.

 

[p--and--t]

I presume the issue is primarily lack of IT investment, disparate systems where it's extremely expensive to get them working together in real-time followed by internal bickering over funding to create work arounds or no funding to actually solve the problem at the highest level which would cost hundreds of millions and probably end up going above 1bn by the time everything's up and running across the group. Hobart might have something bespoke that's very old but works, or as badged Qantas employees are able to access systems where Its not appropriate for offshore subcontractors to access due to data security policies. Not that this is the case at Qantas but it still amazes me when you go to some of these global giants and somewhere away in a back office someone is still using a system where the interface is green text on a black background controlled by typed prompts.

Total speculation. Hardly helpful