I've only had 2 flights since this debacle went online, but I found that the upgrade request prompt was hard to reach. How long in advance of the time you want to request the upgrade are people starting to dial in?
My next flight that will need a domestic upgrade likely won't be until January. I'm calling now.
Maybe the differing experience are based upon what characters you have in your AA #?
I haven't called the line in over a month as my upgrades all cleared ahead of time.
So today I'm struggling to get the last seat in F, expertflyer shows X1 at the 4 hour mark. Then I get this new IVR.
I say my Advantage # Cxx###, it comes back 'Pxx###', I say it again, it says 'Pxx###', I try it a 3rd time 'Pxx###'. Go the agent route, get a normal agent, ask them to transfer me to the EXP desk. Fortunately the seat is still there and I get it.
4 hours later now in ORD, working on my EVIP upgrade, call in again. I say 'Cxx###', it says 'Exx###'. I ask for agent, get the normal AA line, ask for the EXP desk. Get to the EXP desk, I ask 'you changed the IVR didn't you', Agent 'yes we did and we've been having problem'.
The first try at this, I was at home with no background noise.
Over the last 2 years I have never had the IVR, come back with 'P' or 'E'.
So the system is not fine, it is quite defective.
And for the AA people reading this board, since when should I need some sort of special tricks to do what I was able to do previously. I find it quite irritating that I've had to research this 'topic' to figure out how to use the phone number AA sent me back in Feburary and worked fine until this week (for me anyway).
I've only had 2 flights since this debacle went online, but I found that the upgrade request prompt was hard to reach. How long in advance of the time you want to request the upgrade are people starting to dial in?
I say my Advantage # Cxx###, it comes back 'Pxx###', I say it again, it says 'Pxx###', I try it a 3rd time 'Pxx###'. Go the agent route, get a normal agent, ask them to transfer me to the EXP desk. Fortunately the seat is still there and I get it.
4 hours later now in ORD, working on my EVIP upgrade, call in again. I say 'Cxx###', it says 'Exx###'. I ask for agent, get the normal AA line, ask for the EXP desk. Get to the EXP desk, I ask 'you changed the IVR didn't you', Agent 'yes we did and we've been having problem'.
JDiver's very first post in this thread gives you the solution to this problem - say 'Charlie' instead of 'C'.
It took 6 calls today to get a VP upgrade, 3 times I hung up because I got too far into a menu I didn't want, and 3 times the Gods were kind enough to let me speak to someone. First person had no clue about VP upgrades, second said it's OK and seats are assigned, but 2 hours later aa.com said I was still in 21a, so I called again.
Punching numbers won't work with new system, it's 10 times worse that anything I've been forced to use.
Saying "agent" still takes you to at least 2 menu choices, unless someone else can figure out the fastest way to talk with a human being.
Programs: AA (EXP, 2MM), Starwood (Gold), Hilton (Diamond)
Posts: 1,729
Quote:
Originally Posted by YourAAdvantageVoice
Thanks for the feedback on the roll-out of our latest IVR on the elite service lines. We understand you may be experiencing some difficulty in your first few attempts through our new system, so here are some tips to help you navigate:
First, realize that getting to an agent is still easy for AAdvantage elite members. Simply speak your AAdvantage number when prompted and then say “Agent.”
Frustratingly, getting to an agent is simply not as easy as it used to be. You now have to speak you advantage number, listen to the lady confirm it, say "yes" when asked if she got it right, repeat until she understand that she did get it right, then wait for the prompt, and only then can you say "agent." This is not a nice thing to force one's best customers to go through.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YourAAdvantageVoice
In fact, the best way to get the most from the new system is to enroll in “Remember Me.” Once enrolled, you will never have to speak your AAdvantage number again! We will immediately know who you are, what elite status you hold and where to route your call.
I believe you, but as far as I know, "remember me" can only be used from a cell phone. I rarely call from my cell. In fact, the only time I do is if I'm en route and something awful has happened. In that case, I need to speak to an agent, not have my balance recited to me. Otherwise, I call from my home or office, and so can't use "remember me."
Quote:
Originally Posted by YourAAdvantageVoice
the system is designed to address your flight information immediately – since that’s what the majority of members are calling about
Is this what the majority of EXP callers want to do? It seems odd to me that the prompts all seem to be for things that are much better done on line. Personally, I have never called to check my mileage balance, nor to review an itinerary that I could more easily see on the web.
BTW, I do appreciate it when YourAAdvantageVoice posts here.
Programs: AA (EXP, 2MM), Starwood (Gold), Hilton (Diamond)
Posts: 1,729
It seems to me that there are two components to the new system: Remember Me, and the VR menu. People not using Remember Me (myself included) find the new VR system very frustrating. I'm willing to believe (not having used it myself) that those who use RM like it. Since AA knows the calling number before they answer (it's passed in the ANI of the inbound call since it is to an 800 number), they can simply answer a non-RM number with the old system, and use RM with designated numbers only. Even better, they could drop the VR component and just use RM to bypass AA number entry on remembered numbers.
As an alternative, the AA profile page could have a "Remember Me" checkbox by each of your numbers. If you check it for a non cell-phone number, it could warn you that this would allow someone else using that phone to access your account. If you're OK with that risk, you can have RM on a home or office phone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotelexec
The questions they ask - and there are a lot of them - seem to cover very specific situations - most of them ones that are easily handled online and therefore rarely a cause for me to call.
Exactly. Why would I call in to check my mileage balance?
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotelexec
Only good feature I found (if it works) is that it will ask you if you want to register the phone number you're calling from so you don't have to give it your AAdvantage number when you call back.
I believe this only works if you call from your cell phone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JDiver
try saying "AGENT" when the system answers and you will have no trouble getting through to an agent immediately.
But that's a regular agent, right? Not an EXP one?
Last edited by anabolism; Dec 13, 07 at 6:59 pm.
Reason: typo in [quote] syntax
Me: "I was calling about a specific PNR, but the system told me there was a schedule change on one of my itineraries."
Agent: "There's no schedule change. I think the system is seeing that you are waitlisted for an upgrade on your Rome trip and for some reason is telling you there's a schedule change."
Me: "ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH."
Agent: "What can I help you with?"
Me: "F*** if I can remember. I forgot with all this BS going on. I'll have to figure it out and call you back."
Lather, rinse, repeat. Progress is definitely wonderful.
Me: "I was calling about a specific PNR, but the system told me there was a schedule change on one of my itineraries."
Agent: "There's no schedule change. I think the system is seeing that you are waitlisted for an upgrade on your Rome trip and for some reason is telling you there's a schedule change."
Me: "ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH."
Agent: "What can I help you with?"
Me: "F*** if I can remember. I forgot with all this BS going on. I'll have to figure it out and call you back."
Lather, rinse, repeat. Progress is definitely wonderful.
This mirrors my own experience. If the dad-blamed thing would just send me to an AAgent when I ask ... instead of making me repeat the word AAgent SIX BLEEPING TIMES ... then maybe it would be tolerable.
I refuse to believe that I have a diction problem, as my chosen profession requires me to speak clearly and understandably.
If they'd just fix the voice recognition algorithm, they might not have a winner, but they'd sure reduce the overall frustration level a lot.
are people starting to dial in?
