Unacceptable Customer Service

Old Jan 30, 2018, 11:41 am
  #1  
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Unacceptable Customer Service

Over the last two days I have attempted to make an award booking using the EC Bronze telephone number. In each instance I hung up after being on hold 30+ minutes. I finally called the EC Blue line and made the booking after a hold of approximately 15 minutes. Today, I needed to make a change to the booking and, given my recent experience, called the EC Blue line and was again connected in approximately 15 minutes. However, I was told that the change could only be made by talking to the EC Bronze line and was transferred. I again found myself on hold for just under 30 minutes before an agent came on the line. This is completely unacceptable. Is there something going on with BA call centers that they can't answer a customer call in a reasonable time?
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 11:48 am
  #2  
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Yes there is something going on - simply not enough staff.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 11:53 am
  #3  
 
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In my experience, calling any line <= Silver doesn't actually yield any benefit over calling the normal non-status line.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 12:01 pm
  #4  
 
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Originally Posted by mhbaker
Is there something going on with BA call centers that they can't answer a customer call in a reasonable time?
Cost cutting = less staff = longer waits. Cause and effect.

Some one will be along to say you would be better setting your alarm for 4am and calling China on Skype
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 12:05 pm
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Try them on soshal meedja.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 12:08 pm
  #6  
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My first venture on Twitter, with the BA Team, led to a result.

You just need to get their attention, and get them to ‘follow you’. From there on, Direct Messaging seems to work well.

I know it’s not the way it SHOULD work, but even as a Goldie it worked better than the telephone!!
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 12:43 pm
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You call and cash is so important to us we don't employ sufficient staff to answer it!

Seriously, things have improved since a couple of years ago, it seems. Then I usually had to wait for more than an hour!
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 12:55 pm
  #8  
 
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Just hung up after 45/50 mins on hold to the Silver line for the 3rd evening in a row.

Frustrating, as I may well have been near the front each time but theres only so many times I can hear that hold music and my patience eventually runs out.

Never usually have this problem.

Will try again tomorrow
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 1:33 pm
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by simons1
Cost cutting = less staff = longer waits. Cause and effect.

Some one will be along to say you would be better setting your alarm for 4am and calling China on Skype
technically there are more staff available as there is the warrington call centre which handle blue exec new bookings and changes in addition to exec club in manchester and change booking and sales in newcastle.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 1:47 pm
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Originally Posted by Anonba


technically there are more staff available as there is the warrington call centre which handle blue exec new bookings and changes in addition to exec club in manchester and change booking and sales in newcastle.
Where these or some centres not outsourced with Capita? Or am I making that up?
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 2:08 pm
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Originally Posted by UKtravelbear
Yes there is something going on - simply not enough staff.
That isn't the point - the Blue agent was fully capable of handling OP's request and was just trying to boost call numbers by passing the buck.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 2:11 pm
  #12  
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The pickup on the non-status US line is instant after all the silliness about the COC and privacy. So, this appears to be market dependent.

It is a major failing of BA that in this day and age, one is not directed worldwide to the next availability based on status. The specific call center or status ought not to matter as the system ought to recognize status based on the caller's number if it has been stored with BA. The only place that this will not work is in situations where the caller is not English-speaking and thus requires a specific language which may require manual forwarding and only be available at specific times of day.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 2:33 pm
  #13  
 
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Just hung up after 45/50 mins on hold to the Silver line for the 3rd evening in a row.

Frustrating, as I may well have been near the front each time but theres only so many times I can hear that hold music and my patience eventually runs out.

Never usually have this problem.

Will try again tomorrow
After some problems trying to book online early this evening I phoned the silver line with some trepidation, fearing a hold of 30 min+ (particularly as there is a sale ending today) which would have greatly exceeded my available reserves of patience. Answered by a very helpful chap in Newcastle in about 3-4 min.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 2:44 pm
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by fruitcage
Answered by a very helpful chap in Newcastle in about 3-4 min.
That's been my experience recently including last week. Even when they add the "lots of callers...excess of 15 mins" bit I've been taking to an agent within a few mins.

Luck of the draw rather than systematic I'd suggest. Or maybe because I tend to call 10am - 2pm rather than evening.
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Old Jan 30, 2018, 2:50 pm
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Originally Posted by EsherFlyer
That's been my experience recently including last week. Even when they add the "lots of callers...excess of 15 mins" bit I've been taking to an agent within a few mins.

Luck of the draw rather than systematic I'd suggest. Or maybe because I tend to call 10am - 2pm rather than evening.
I've had hold times of about 20-30 minutes when calling the Blue line recently, however that isn't any worse than it has been previously. What was a pleasant surprise was to have the call answered by an agent in a UK call centre, who understood what I was trying to do (add a return leg to a reward booking, Chase voucher). Previously these types of calls took 30-40 minutes for the India call centre to figure out, with the UK call centre was able to deal with it in less than five mins.

BTW, I love India, I'm actually going to be in BLR next week. But BA's call centres there are just so poorly trained, I'm glad it seems there's more volume being answered in the UK.
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