KLM Flying Dutchman - Reservation hotline can not calculate fares?

Last Friday, I wanted to reroute a flight reservation calling the KLM hotline in the Netherlands. They could add the new flight to my reservation, but because "the costing department was closed already" (Friday 3 pm), they could not tell me how much the change would cost (50 EUR + fare difference). I will have to go to the airport and ask for the change and pay before to check in.

Today the same happened, this time not a rerouting but a flight earlier on the same connection. I had booked class E, and only class Q was available. They could again not tell me the fare difference, I have to call back on Monday.

How is it possible that they can not tell me how much the fare difference is if we can get it through the internet? You can just calculate it out of the prices on their website or otherwise, without calculation, from sites like expertflyer. Is there really someone at costing manually calculating the new fares???

Furthermore this kind of customer service really sucks. On top of the connection price for the phone call, where they keep you on hold for 15 minutes figuring out how to make the change, I have to call back one more time, or worst case, just go to the airport and find out that maybe the fare difference is too high to make the change...

Most of the time, calculating the fare difference it an easy thing. Both when it comes to rerouting and upgrading. My guess is that the people you have spoken to don't know much more than the essentials about airline pricing. They'll just send the reservation to the ticketing department who does the pricing and send it back. Perhaps you can try calculating yourself? (for example price your new journey in ITAsoftware and compare to how much you paid before less service fee).

Yes I know exactly how high the fare difference will be, but still I have to call back tomorrow in order to get it confirmed, because they could not find out. I think this is a bit strange. So it means you can not change your flight on a Sunday or on a Friday afternoon. Don't know about Saturdays. Is a bit absurd, no?

And it's even getting worse. I called back today and the agent on the phone told me his colleage had forgotten to get the new fare calculated so still he could not say anything and I have to call back tomorrow. Seems like they really do not want me to change my ticket...

Yes, the KLM reservations hotline is filled with incompetent people ! If I started writing now my stories of incompetence, I would be here till morning... The AF call centre for elites is much better.

Also, while KL has a "back office" to do issuing and reissuing, AF issues and reissues tickets on the spot, same person to whom you talk. Furthermore, while AF does not reissue tickets for date changes, KL needs to reissue the ticket every time the date is changed, even for full fares with no penalty. A f... nightmare !