What to do if SQ don't call back?

[cgichard]

Rang the Sydney SQ number wanting to 1) change date of outward booking for September, and 2) change to Lufthansa for part of the booking
[originally MEL-SIN-CDG dep. 11/9, return LHR-SIN-MEL dep.1/10, all on SQ;
requesting MEL-SIN-FRA-TLS, dep. 3/9, return TLS-FRA-SIN-MEL, dep. 1/10, with FRA-TLS return segment on Lufthansa and MEL-SIN return segment unchanged on SQ].

SQ rep said she would phone back within an hour, but 3 hours have now passed. Should I phone again and ask to speak to the same rep, or simply start from scratch again with a different rep?

I realise it's a complicated change, but the rep i spoke to was easy to communicate with and I'm confident she understood what I was requesting.

 

[geoffb78]

Your issue might have been resolved by now but I have found SQ very reliable in calling back, even if delayed. Of around 5 callbacks promised, only 1 failed to deliver. Give them until tomorrow morning, I'd say.

 

[jbman]

agreed, anytime I have needed a change the callback has happened once everything was processed

 

[cgichard]

Unfortunately not the case this time. So I phoned again this morning, asked for that rep by name, only to learn that she's not on duty again until Friday. So I started again from scratch with another rep who did phone back, but only to pass me on to yet a third person, who had the request totally garbled and was trying to route me via Munich and Sydney, even though I had given the precise LH flight numbers that I wanted. Now waiting for her to phone me back. With my slightly defective hearing I find the accents a big problem and keep having to ask them to repeat what they have said. Is there any way to cut through to a supervisor?

 

[dajop]

Is there any way to cut through to a supervisor?

That is something they seem very reluctant to do. The call centre experience if you want to do anything that might hint at problem solving, is by far the worst aspect of SQ.

Which number are you calling? Sometimes it seems calling Singapore number (using Skype or the like) can lead to better outcome, but I'm not convinced about that either, and then there are those who swear by calling Singapore number and pressing (2?) for speaking Mandarin, which will definitely take you to the SG call centre, whose agents can also speak English.

 

[cgichard]

Thanks for the suggestions, dajop. It's the Sydney number that I'm ringing 02 8228 1188, so when I gave my number I included my Melbourne prefix of 03, as I thought I was speaking to someone in Sydney. This time when it was quoted back to me, the rep began with +61 2 so I had to correct her. That's perhaps a clue to why I didn't hear back the first time. I don't do Skype or have a mobile phone, so if no-one phones back before 2pm when I have to go out, I'll jut have to try yet again tomorrow.

If all else fails, I might have to book SIN-FRA-TLS return directly with Lufthansa.

 

[cgichard]

The saga continues. No-one from SQ phoned back, so I rang (02) 8228 1188 again. A man whose accent I had no problem with took all the details, but says it has to be handled by the Melbourne Ticketing and Reservations Office (13 10 11): he has passed on the full detailed request and says they will phone me in the next 24 hours. We shall see!

 

[cgichard]

Melbourne didn't ring back, of course. Got it sorted eventually through another call to the Sydney number (rep's name this time seemed to be Wayne-dy). Resolution was simple: can book only codeshares via SQ, so detach the FRA-TLS return and book that directly with Lufthansa. Re-book the main ticket as MEL-SIN-FRA return on SQ. Now why on earth didn't they tell me that in the first place?