This shows that AC is not serious about addressing the problems. I would be curious if anyone else in Canada has as long a wait-time with their call-center as AC does with Aeroplan. I doubt it!

In my experience, the Aeroplan wait times for Elite members have improved significantly over the past year, however, my concern continues to be with the phone features that haven't worked properly for over a year in some cases.

What if adding agents meant you needed twice the points to get anywhere. Where would you draw the line? The fix is not to add agents but increase efficiency and redemption diversity.

Count on serious improvements...

Remi: I see from your profile that you are a project engineer in IT. Are you working on a project to improve AC's IT?

remi, I am curious. r u in a position to influence whether or not these problems get addressed?

When you have people saying that they are waiting 2 hours the system is broke, I am sorry to report. I have worked in call centers and we got worried when our wait times exceeded 2 minutes. 2 hours...I don't care what your business is, but people will not wait that long. And when you are in a business like AC, it means you are driving customers to the competition.

No one, not one of AC's competitors even comes close to the wait times that AC is offering clients.

I don't think it is a matter of paying more. There has to be some reasonable standard for answering calls. Most people in the industry would operate that way. AC, with its wait times, very obviously does not care. Competitors aren't charging double to answer your call within 5-10 minutes. In fact, most answer in far less time.

P.S. And as far as efficiency goes...do you really think that is going to happen? They are just stretched to the limit...which leads to a bad working environment...which leads to bad customer service...and so on, and so on....

Don't refer to them as problems, but instead as improvements. Let's just say I can help make it better, and so can you with your constructive feedback.

First, 2 hours is the exception so let's not use this as the reference.
Second, I believe you need to think about the type of business this is here. You are not calling to buy, you are calling to sell. The dynamics of revenues vs sales are quite different under this model. If Aeroplan was to staff to give max. 2 min. wait times for Basic members, there would be no program. The challenge is to give the best service possible by tier, while keeping your staff count at a reasonable number.
Last, I am convinced that with the use of advanced technologies (intelligent call routing, customer data collection for agent screen-pop, dynamic IVR services also using Speech capabilities, and web based self-serve services) and continuous management efforts, things will get better.
What are your ideas in making it better without increasing costs?

Remi ..why is it possible for other carriers ie Delta and American both of which belong to as basic members, and many others (according to what I've read) to have much shorter wait times when you say "2 minute waits with A/C would mean no program"...I've never waited more than that with Delta, and I've spoken with them quite a bit and never more than a few minutes with AA(never had the same trouble getting reward bookings either )...I dont mean to be difficult but the level of response time is generally appalling when calling Aeroplan and to say that a decent response time would equate to no program imho is simply unbelievable !

Give us a web page that lets us do everything on line. Why can't we book award travel on partners? Why can't we choose our seats? Why can't we book stopovers and complicated award itineraries? (I had two awards last year with 8 segments ... all AC metal.) Why can't we change or cancel awards ourselves? Why can't we book the award sales offered to Prestiges, Elites, and Super-Elites? There might even be some misguided souls who actually want to use 200% of their points to get the instant KK ... why can't they do that online? I would be quite happy to do the work myself, but the current system is practically useless to me.

Sadly, I doubt this will ever happen. AC does not seem at all interested in developing functional online software.

Do you want to place bets on that?

This also troubles me. I will investigate and advise.

We've been promised better software for years, and all we get is rehashed versions of the same stuff with a few pretty pictures thrown in. Please forgive my cynisism, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Remi, in reference to your quote,

AC already has one or more ACD, IVR and even CTI screen-pop systems in place. If you are looking to move towards a converged solution using pre and post routings, and some sort of intelligent routing engine, you are now talking about a major business re-org and infrastructure re-org. Your last point about not increasing costs makes me wonder how on earth you think this can be done.

I'm involved in a project in the US for a major wireless carrier and the project costs are an estimated $10M USD to get started. You want to get involved in a converged technology infrastructure and it will take big money and a management structure that values service to their customer base that is willing to make substantial changes.

I can't see how AC fits into either category (money or smart management!).

But hey, good luck! There are very few integrated platforms out there and even fewer companies able to implement them. So far AC hasn't managed to figure out how to post mileage from its own flights in under 45 days to its web site, never mind roll out something like what you are referring to.

There are some things technology alone cannot fix, and I fear that this may be one of them. There are solutions that will help AC but first AC has to decide that service is #1 at AC and we all know that won't happen at the WalMart of the air as they so proudly exclaim at every opportunity.

You want to spend money routing calls around the country looking for a home, go for it. But the simple answer to this one is that you have several million members calling in for services that require a person on the other end of the phone. AC won't hire those people, ergo the services don't exist. Thus the 2 hour or 45 minute waits on the phone will not go away.

*edited for spelling*

[This message has been edited by NeverAtHome (edited 03-28-2002).]