BA to retain UK call centres in house
Mar 28, 2018, 10:16 am
#16
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I had a feeling this would be the outcome, I am glad this has been settled this way. Perhaps surprisingly the two senior managers involved in this decision are not fans of outsourcing and could be argued they inherited the Capita initiative from predecessors. If they felt uncomfortable about making the decision before Christmas, I suspect they only got more uncomfortable at the perceived risks as time moved on. Look at all the shovel load of weather disruption and assorted IT meltdowns they have had to deal with over the last year or so, and the commitment of staff to come in when the weather in the north of England was considerably worse than the difficulties in London. I don't know what the Contact Centre staff were told, but I imagine there would have been talk about ensuring future efficiencies keep the Centres viable over the medium and longer term, I would guess there were some issues left on the table. Still, I imagine the Contact Centre staff essentially earned their own survival.
There is a role for all of us, as BA passengers: we often read good stories of the UK Contact Centres going above and beyond here: make sure the positive feedback is sent in when it happens, the anecdotes can make a difference individually and collectively.
www.ba.com/thankyou
There is a role for all of us, as BA passengers: we often read good stories of the UK Contact Centres going above and beyond here: make sure the positive feedback is sent in when it happens, the anecdotes can make a difference individually and collectively.
www.ba.com/thankyou
Mar 28, 2018, 10:24 am
#17
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There is a role for all of us, as BA passengers: we often read good stories of the UK Contact Centres going above and beyond here: make sure the positive feedback is sent in when it happens, the anecdotes can make a difference individually and collectively.
www.ba.com/thankyou
www.ba.com/thankyou
Mar 28, 2018, 10:39 am
#18
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I had a feeling this would be the outcome, I am glad this has been settled this way. Perhaps surprisingly the two senior managers involved in this decision are not fans of outsourcing and could be argued they inherited the Capita initiative from predecessors. If they felt uncomfortable about making the decision before Christmas, I suspect they only got more uncomfortable at the perceived risks as time moved on. Look at all the shovel load of weather disruption and assorted IT meltdowns they have had to deal with over the last year or so, and the commitment of staff to come in when the weather in the north of England was considerably worse than the difficulties in London. I don't know what the Contact Centre staff were told, but I imagine there would have been talk about ensuring future efficiencies keep the Centres viable over the medium and longer term, I would guess there were some issues left on the table. Still, I imagine the Contact Centre staff essentially earned their own survival.
There is a role for all of us, as BA passengers: we often read good stories of the UK Contact Centres going above and beyond here: make sure the positive feedback is sent in when it happens, the anecdotes can make a difference individually and collectively.
www.ba.com/thankyou
There is a role for all of us, as BA passengers: we often read good stories of the UK Contact Centres going above and beyond here: make sure the positive feedback is sent in when it happens, the anecdotes can make a difference individually and collectively.
www.ba.com/thankyou
M
Mar 28, 2018, 11:43 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 113
BA to retain UK call centres in house
Staff at the Manchester and Newcastle call centres were today told that they will still continue working under BA rather than have Crapita take over the call centre operations. This is after almost a year and a half from when the review was announced in November 2016. It has come as a big relief for hundreds of staff who have been concerned about their jobs during this period.
Mar 28, 2018, 12:16 pm
#25
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Great news. I was involved in helping Capita set up a call centre for a contract they had won and was shocked at how little knowledge or experience they were bringing to what would have been an important service to those using it.
Mar 28, 2018, 12:19 pm
#26
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I am genuinely pleased with this news on several fronts. Firstly, for the staff who for the first time in 18 months and 2 Christmas periods have more certainty about their futures. As has been stated already, I have never come across a bad egg when I have called and the over whelming majority have been excellent eggs.
More though, I am shocked that BA have chosen this route. Outsourcing stacks up financially, almost exclusively. Not having to worry about all the hassle that goes with actually having to employ someone and the costs associated with that means that it is almost always cheaper. Certainly Alex Cruz has made many decisions that have resulted in a decline in standards, customer experience or brand perception. All for the sake of a financial saving. At times he seemed uncaring of what the customer would think and had a belief that the customer would still need to fly and that loyalty was blind. Or so it seemed.
In this decision, I sense, hope and pray that we have seen a threshold crossed. After all, what would it matter to him if it was more difficult to do anything other than a straight forward return booking on the phone. Customers would either find another way to resolve their problem or just suck it up. Perhaps the best news of all this is that his leadership team have started to consider the customer perception of the change in addition to the financial case of an action.
Perhaps further decisions will be forthcoming that also consider customer perception of the brand in any decision and that in future, decisions will be balanced more favourably towards the customer. In an infinite universe, anything is possible,
More though, I am shocked that BA have chosen this route. Outsourcing stacks up financially, almost exclusively. Not having to worry about all the hassle that goes with actually having to employ someone and the costs associated with that means that it is almost always cheaper. Certainly Alex Cruz has made many decisions that have resulted in a decline in standards, customer experience or brand perception. All for the sake of a financial saving. At times he seemed uncaring of what the customer would think and had a belief that the customer would still need to fly and that loyalty was blind. Or so it seemed.
In this decision, I sense, hope and pray that we have seen a threshold crossed. After all, what would it matter to him if it was more difficult to do anything other than a straight forward return booking on the phone. Customers would either find another way to resolve their problem or just suck it up. Perhaps the best news of all this is that his leadership team have started to consider the customer perception of the change in addition to the financial case of an action.
Perhaps further decisions will be forthcoming that also consider customer perception of the brand in any decision and that in future, decisions will be balanced more favourably towards the customer. In an infinite universe, anything is possible,
Mar 28, 2018, 12:40 pm
#27
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NPS is obviously more important than promises of savings by getting Crapita to do it.
I'm sure Crapita would have exhibited the only talent they have: reducing service quality faster than they reduce costs (if they do that at all).
I'm sure Crapita would have exhibited the only talent they have: reducing service quality faster than they reduce costs (if they do that at all).
Mar 28, 2018, 1:00 pm
#29
Join Date: Nov 2015
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I hear Geordie and I think, good, this won’t be a waste of time.
Sorry, just adding that’s not to say I’ve had bad experiences with others, just I find Newcastle reassuring, and those calls have worked well for me.
Sorry, just adding that’s not to say I’ve had bad experiences with others, just I find Newcastle reassuring, and those calls have worked well for me.
Last edited by dougzz; Mar 28, 2018 at 1:02 pm Reason: Clarification.