If you've tried to phone Qantas recently, you probably already know how difficult it is to get through to the call centre. Unless you have Platinum or
www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au
Never have I read an article that is so accurate and reflective of my own experience.
My primary reason for ever calling the QF Service Centre is usually adding legs to my Oneworld Business Classic Reward (while you can create a new booking online, you can't add to it unless you give these guys a call). Despite call centres being located in Auckland, Manila, Cape Town and at least one Australian location, my many calls (probably around 25 over the last 6-7 weeks, including redials) have
all ended up in Cape Town. For reference, I'm a QFF Gold Lifetime Member.
My average call wait time has been ~90 mins. This would be bearable if the calls didn't have the propensity to dropout. It might also help if the callback feature still existed, but this seems to have disappeared under COVID to reduce system strain.
Almost all calls have dropped out at some point, mostly
after the agent has answered the call. It appears that calls often dropout while you're on hold, or being transferred to someone else. This says one of a number of things to me:
- there are inherent problems in the ability of the system to cope with either the volume of calls, or the process of transferring a call is complex (or both)
- staff haven't been properly trained in how to use the system
- staff find some of the queries simply too hard to deal with, and deliberately leave people on hold for an eternity or simply drop the call (I find this a little hard to swallow, but who knows?)
When these call dropouts occur, staff never call you back of their own volition - you simply have to start again. Everytime I get through to an agent now, the first thing I ask of them if that the call disconnects, that they promise to call me back on my listed number. Two or three have actually done this, so this is a credit to them.
Staff knowledge would appear to be a massive concern. When you describe your problem they all take a long while to grasp it, and in some cases I'm convinced that they actually don't fully do so. Most understand what a Oneworld BCR is, but few understand the rules that govern it - so much so that I have to tell them. And when it comes to network knowledge, many sadly are geographically challenged.
On my first
successful call (one that actually held up long enough to make a booking), I'd been trying to book 5 different trans-Pacific QF services, none of which I could make work. After connecting, the agent informed me that they couldn't see any of them as having available QFF Business availability - despite the fact that I could see them all (and still can today). I ended up booking a JL flight via NRT to SEA instead. And to rub salt into the wound, they hit me with a 2 x International Assistance Fee (which was refunded as part of a later call). So there's either lots of phantom availability out there, or some of the CPT crew don't have the access that others do.
Even if you secure a booking, the process of paying the taxes/charges never seems to occur at the same time. And until the taxes are paid, the fare isn't ticketed and you run the risk of losing flights as there is no way in hell that the QF Service Centre are going to be able to call you back to collect. Todays agent couldn't even get a full understanding of what I was trying to pay for today. I ended up paying taxes today on new legs booked for QF across the Pacific (which I finally secured), but was told that the refund of the taxes for the JL flights would have to be refunded later - I couldn't do a net payment taking the refund into account (which I have done in previous years).
Overall, this process is the most stressful I've had in dealing with any service provider - ever, and while COVID has taken a massive toll on the industry, QF need their QFF members to come back, and not walk to Virgin or elsewhere. We all want QF to succeed and have a long, successful life. This service is no way to retain them.
If Qantas ever want to talk to me about this complaint, PM me - I'll be happy to provide my details for a phone call.
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