Qantas off shoring FF loyalty call centre

[straitman]

What I'd really like is for them to fix the online systems so that ringing up isn't needed as much. That would be far better than sending the call centre offshore.

Correct.

IF the IT worked as it should this would be a minor embuggerence factor but as it stands the IT is woeful also.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

If proven to be correct, I'm not overly excited when having to phone up and having to chase up missing points or SC's that have failed to post from previous bonus promotions .

The team at the MEL QFF service centre have been delightful to deal with over the phone whom IME are generally helpful and familiar with previous promotions.

An overseas contact centre on the other hand

 

[love_the_life]

Having a (slight) hearing impairment (OK - so I'm sort of deaf) I suspect that I will find it very difficult to negotiate the Manila call centre. I have great difficulty as it is understanding phone conversations especially if the person at the other end has an accent. I am not looking forward to this at all. Luckily I very rarely need to call.

 

[Infrequent]

So is the phone service fee for booking FF awards through service centre coming down in accordance with lower offshoring costs? I bet not.
.

Good point! That fee should now be reduced by 75% ... but that money will probably fund more sickening CEO catwalks on runways and fashionista signature style-statements, branding and waste...

 

[Infrequent]

Am not supporting nor attacking this move, but does anyone else see the irony of this?

"We" get offended that Qantas goes overseas for cheaper labour, yet half of the people upset want to use the call centres to book overseas holidays so they can go to cheap-labour countries and spend their money over there

I'm in the "other half" ... the countries involved in my idea of an overseas holiday make Australian labour costs look a bargain! (That said, I don't expect to be treated like royalty, which makes it a little easier, and means no need to visit Bali etc)

 

[cmon0005]

Problem is in my experience, once you close down a centre/office if management realise they made a mistake or customers backlash its often too late to go back, or even if they can go back, the existing staff morale is squashed.
Very bad form, especially being one of their cornerstones the FF program.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

I'm in the "other half" ... the countries involved in my idea of an overseas holiday make Australian labour costs look a bargain! (That said, I don't expect to be treated like royalty, which makes it a little easier, and means no need to visit Bali etc)

You must holiday exclusively in Monaco then

 

[Gold Member]

This will be no different to the JQ confusion centre. Gah....

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

matt - my intel is QFF to be off shoring by June this year with majority of work going to Manila and some to NZ - probably I would say Plat level to NZ and the remainder to Manila...

Oh, boy!
Now we have to learn to speak with an American accent for them to be able to understand us.
Pity it had to happen.
Probably have to find another way to spend my $.

 

[Infrequent]

You must holiday exclusively in Monaco then

Been nowhere near there for decades! (So I wouldn't know if they use cheap foreign labour behind the scenes on obscure and dodgy employment scams with opaque laws,etc)
I was referring to the Swiss & Norwegians in my comment...

Anyway ... I also agree about the morale aspect. But, this is modern Australia, on the way to the US system anyway, so if QF had waited they'd probably be paying the same wages as in the country run by Mini Trump (Duturde).

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

This. It crosses a line. Do organisations not see the total hypocrisy in such actions?

I guess Qantas does not care anymore.
OT: I do wonder who occupies so much of that space on Coward St at Mascot, if Qantas is outsourcing so many functions overseas.

 

[mannej]

I guess Qantas does not care anymore.
OT: I do wonder who occupies so much of that space on Coward St at Mascot, if Qantas is outsourcing so many functions overseas.

So tell me where are the locations of the call Centre's that are being closed Pooch?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

No that I know anything mind you.
Only I know is MNL neaning Manila.
Zed or Zee for the last letter of the alphabet.
Come to think of it, it is a bit racist making my comment in the thread above.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Oh, boy!
Now we have to learn to speak with an American accent for them to be able to understand us.

Probably easier than a dog learning to speak.

 

[drron]

I don't agree with the QF decision.It goes against everything they pretend to be.

However I don't agree with many of the comments on Manilla.A few years back calls to the AA Australian number sometimes would be rerouted to Manilla.Yes on one occasion it was the worst service I have had-

Finally hit the proverbial brick wall today.called the BNE number and obviously answered in Manilla.
So asked to use my last EVIPs on DFW-NRT sector.
A.But they can only be used on domestic flights.
Me.No they are called system wide upgrades for a reason.
A.No only domestic.
Me.Well i have done it a few times in the past.
A.I will speak to my supervisor.
A.We cant upgrade that sector because it can only be done if you have started your trip.
Me.Sorry that is incorrect.
A.Hold the line.
A.We cant up[grade you because it is a QF ticket.
Me.I have done this before and I realise you reticket on AA.
A.Hold the line please.
A.My supervisor says we cant reissue so we can not upgrade you.
Me.Well tell your supervisor that he/she knows very little of system wide upgrades and that I am unhappy and will ring America.

but also the best-

Well the call centre may be in Fiji but some calls are certainly answered in Manilla.September last year the woman who booked my upcoming award certainly sounded Fillipino and confirmed it when I asked her.And she was very good.She certainly looked for alternatives for example I initially wanted to go BKK-HEL-BUD-IST-thank goodness MA couldn't come up with an Aaward seat.She found BKK-HEL-AMS-IST with AMS-IST on KLM-I didn't know that could be done.
However it was also good because it was her first week in the job so she took my advice as to flights without query and we ended up BKK-AMM-IST.i was very happy with the service

All here-
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....e/aa-australian-calls-now-directed-30929.html

So don't have preconceptions and take things as they come and as with all contacts with airlines remember HUACA.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Probably easier than a dog learning to speak.

Mmm, good point.

 

[Pushka]

I've found the AA Fiji call centre to be really good. I'm with love_the_life - I find the americano- Filipino lilt really difficult to understand.

 

[amaroo]

Industry playbook...

British Airways considers plans to outsource 1,400 call centre jobs

 

[docjames]

Some Australian companies have made it a policy to only have Australian-based call centres. eg. NAB is one I am aware of.

 

[dajop]

To be fair to Filipino call centre workers, they are indeed not all bad. It really depends on their KPI's, training, level of empowerment and how the call centre is set up. Some of the more atrocious call centres you can just tell they have tight targets for dealing with calls and want to get you off the phone as quick as possible to get to the next call. Others you can tell quality and customer satisfaction is more important, these are better, and are often accompanied by an ability to rate the agent after the call by dialling in a number from 1 to x.