What is up with training at Air Canada's call centers
Jan 27, 2006, 9:46 am
#31
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 142
When canadian call center agents try to pass along customer frustrations about india call center/tech support/ baggage office agents to management, we are told that we are just whiners. AC does not acknowledge problems with India call center agents lack of understanding/language barriers.
I wonder if OP called tech support instead of res. office as well. Although if that was the case, he should have been told he wasn't speaking to the proper dept. Nobody should ever be given the answer that no rules apply to a fare....we all know better than that. Even full fare tickets have routing applications.
I wonder if OP called tech support instead of res. office as well. Although if that was the case, he should have been told he wasn't speaking to the proper dept. Nobody should ever be given the answer that no rules apply to a fare....we all know better than that. Even full fare tickets have routing applications.
Jan 29, 2006, 8:38 pm
#32
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: YOW
Programs: AC down to Orange lol, Marriott Silver?
Posts: 3,217
The Indian call centers only applies to baggage handling and tech support I think but these flight passes are having some pesky IT issues which relagate us to the Indian call centers . 
Reservation is usually local rather than India and I have found some reservation call center have a lot of new staff recently and they are not well trained yet. It is sad when you know more than the person at the call center. What is amazing is the St. John call center where most of them are seasoned AC veterns and really top notch ^ My last two excellent experiences that partially restore my faith in AC were both agents in St. John with 7-8 years of experience. :-: Seriously, AC should route SE and Es to St. John, NB first.
Al B, having spent 2 hr of my 4hr sega on booking something on my Sun pass just before New Year with the India call center, I observed 2 things:
1. The first line of support are not very proactive and they don't seem to know that much - the woman basically said try again later and no reaction when I said the only reason I purchased that flight pass that day is to use it for a flight the next morning. If I cannot use it for the flight, I would be refunding the flight pass.
2. I had to INSIST to speak with a supervisor ! The first line of support did not show any initiative in noting I was getting upset to escalate it to a supervisor. The supervisor is a little better but he was only filing an escalation report to AC Tech support in YUL.
3. Got a call back from AC tech support in Montreal from the shift supervisor and she was a pleasure to deal with. Intelligent, competent and professional and together we figured out the bug in aircanada.com and the flight pass due to the GMT vs local time that was causing the problem. Uhmm, I am engaged for my specialized IT skill at decent rates so AC got a free tester but I don't want to talk to Indian call center.
4. the supervisor stayed after her shift finished at 12am to check the issue and to make sure I am booked. That was very much appreciated but I doubt the Indian call center would do that.
Having spent 4 hrs on this issue, the Indian call center and Montreal is night and day. I would avoid the Indian call center like the plague. If I have to deal with nothing but the Indian Call center, I would reconsider doing business with AC.
Sorry AC, in using IBM for outsourcing and allowing IBM to use their Indian call center, you are upsetting some of us when they turned out to be useless and/or uncaring. After several bad experiences with AC tech support in India, it is hard to distinguish that tech support is outsourced services since it is AC sanctioned so the unhappiness would be directed at AC. Hearing some of the other flight pass problems, AC is losing business due to the problems with IT and the less than expected competency of the Indian call center. Time to reevaluate your decisions.
BTW, I got a little tip from someone that is very helpful. The tech support line has an English option and the French option. The English option goes to Indian call center and the French option to Montreal
Fortunately I speak French too but even if you don't, the agents in Montreal are bilingual. ^
I think all FTers should use the French option as a protest to the Indian call center and when the usage drops at the Indian call center and increases at Montreal Call center, maybe AC would reconsider the Indian call center...
Reservation is usually local rather than India and I have found some reservation call center have a lot of new staff recently and they are not well trained yet. It is sad when you know more than the person at the call center. What is amazing is the St. John call center where most of them are seasoned AC veterns and really top notch ^ My last two excellent experiences that partially restore my faith in AC were both agents in St. John with 7-8 years of experience. :-: Seriously, AC should route SE and Es to St. John, NB first.
Al B, having spent 2 hr of my 4hr sega on booking something on my Sun pass just before New Year with the India call center, I observed 2 things:
1. The first line of support are not very proactive and they don't seem to know that much - the woman basically said try again later and no reaction when I said the only reason I purchased that flight pass that day is to use it for a flight the next morning. If I cannot use it for the flight, I would be refunding the flight pass.
2. I had to INSIST to speak with a supervisor
! The first line of support did not show any initiative in noting I was getting upset to escalate it to a supervisor. The supervisor is a little better but he was only filing an escalation report to AC Tech support in YUL.3. Got a call back from AC tech support in Montreal from the shift supervisor and she was a pleasure to deal with. Intelligent, competent and professional and together we figured out the bug in aircanada.com and the flight pass due to the GMT vs local time that was causing the problem. Uhmm, I am engaged for my specialized IT skill at decent rates so AC got a free tester but I don't want to talk to Indian call center.
4. the supervisor stayed after her shift finished at 12am to check the issue and to make sure I am booked. That was very much appreciated but I doubt the Indian call center would do that.
Having spent 4 hrs on this issue, the Indian call center and Montreal is night and day. I would avoid the Indian call center like the plague. If I have to deal with nothing but the Indian Call center, I would reconsider doing business with AC.
Sorry AC, in using IBM for outsourcing and allowing IBM to use their Indian call center, you are upsetting some of us when they turned out to be useless and/or uncaring. After several bad experiences with AC tech support in India, it is hard to distinguish that tech support is outsourced services since it is AC sanctioned so the unhappiness would be directed at AC. Hearing some of the other flight pass problems, AC is losing business due to the problems with IT and the less than expected competency of the Indian call center. Time to reevaluate your decisions.
BTW, I got a little tip from someone that is very helpful. The tech support line has an English option and the French option. The English option goes to Indian call center and the French option to Montreal
Fortunately I speak French too but even if you don't, the agents in Montreal are bilingual. ^ I think all FTers should use the French option as a protest to the Indian call center and when the usage drops at the Indian call center and increases at Montreal Call center, maybe AC would reconsider the Indian call center...
Last edited by Snoopyo; Jan 29, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Jan 29, 2006, 8:47 pm
#33
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: YYZ
Programs: Presto
Posts: 638
Originally Posted by Snoopyo
Seriously, AC should route SE and Es to St. John, NFLD first.
Also, call centres are not the only business that IBM outsources to India. I wonder how much Tata and IBM have in cahoots? (That's a question, not a fact).
Last edited by NoahVail; Jan 29, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Jan 29, 2006, 9:01 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: YOW
Programs: AC down to Orange lol, Marriott Silver?
Posts: 3,217
Originally Posted by NoahVail
Actually, it's St. John NB, but regardless, they are a top notch group!
Also, call centres are not the only business that IBM outsources to India. I wonder how much Tata and IBM have in cahoots? (That's a question, not a fact).
Also, call centres are not the only business that IBM outsources to India. I wonder how much Tata and IBM have in cahoots? (That's a question, not a fact).
Thank for the correction.
I guess if I was taking geography, I would have flunked it...You know things are drastic when I am seriously considering staying up past midnight on complicated issues just to make sure I am talking to St. John, NB since it is a pleasure to deal with top notch professionals. Now they know more than I do about AC ;D
IBM outsource call centers, tech support, development, etc. I hope the IT issues on AC.com recently are not due to outsource IT development to IBM India.
Jan 29, 2006, 9:25 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 142
Originally Posted by Snoopyo
The Indian call centers only applies to baggage handling and tech support I think but these flight passes are having some pesky IT issues which relagate us to the Indian call centers .
Reservation is usually local rather than India and I have found some reservation call center have a lot of new staff recently and they are not well trained yet. It is sad when you know more than the person at the call center. What is amazing is the St. John call center where most of them are seasoned AC veterns and really top notch ^ My last two excellent experiences that partially restore my faith in AC were both agents in St. John with 7-8 years of experience. :-: Seriously, AC should route SE and Es to St. John, NB first.
...
Reservation is usually local rather than India and I have found some reservation call center have a lot of new staff recently and they are not well trained yet. It is sad when you know more than the person at the call center. What is amazing is the St. John call center where most of them are seasoned AC veterns and really top notch ^ My last two excellent experiences that partially restore my faith in AC were both agents in St. John with 7-8 years of experience. :-: Seriously, AC should route SE and Es to St. John, NB first.
...
Jan 29, 2006, 9:33 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: YOW
Programs: AC down to Orange lol, Marriott Silver?
Posts: 3,217
hey, what about us Es, are we chopped liver 
?
If St. John, NB also handle general reservations too, how about sending us Es there too with slight priority over the general members (but after the SEs) ? @:-)
I try not to talk to Aeroplan that much. Only for missing credits, award reservations (but my last 3 attempts, 2 online and 1 by phone, were unsuccessful) and today about the E and SE transition question.
For Indian tech support and call center, with the flight pass only bookable online and only supported via Indian call centers, it is a mess.
? If St. John, NB also handle general reservations too, how about sending us Es there too with slight priority over the general members (but after the SEs) ? @:-)
I try not to talk to Aeroplan that much. Only for missing credits, award reservations (but my last 3 attempts, 2 online and 1 by phone, were unsuccessful) and today about the E and SE transition question.
For Indian tech support and call center, with the flight pass only bookable online and only supported via Indian call centers, it is a mess.