I find JAL's call centers to be the weak link in an otherwise great airline. Wait times are horrible, even at the elite lines. And if there is any issue where there is a "gray area," i.e. it's not clear how the rules should apply in a given situation, the agents always interpret the rules in JAL's favor, to the detriment of the customer (even for long time elite members). And if you do dare to ask for a waiver of any fee or rule, you can forget it. Waivers are never, ever granted, even for long time Sapphire members.
The agents are very polite and say all the right things, but if you ask for anything out of the ordinary, the response is always "I'm very sorry, but we can't do that."
To be fair, it's not just a JAL thing. My experience with ANA is the same.