Farewell TLV Call Centre
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Jerusalem
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,281
Farewell TLV Call Centre
I heard rumours but now it's official. As of next week the call centre in Israel will cease to exist and all calls will be transferred elsewhere. It's not quite clear from the announcement (in Hebrew only) whether it only refers to the reservations line or also to the BAEC team.
Not a grand surprise but a pity It is also not quite clear to me what will be the status of IB call centre, which operated jointly.
Not a grand surprise but a pity It is also not quite clear to me what will be the status of IB call centre, which operated jointly.
#2
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,105
Where have BA found a stash of Hebrew speakers outside Israel?
It's one of the hardest call center languages to hire in the rest of the world (in my company's experience).
Good luck to BA on this one...
It's one of the hardest call center languages to hire in the rest of the world (in my company's experience).
Good luck to BA on this one...
#3
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BRS
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,983
I'm sure there'll be some major back patting and performance bonuses in Waterside this morning now BA know they can afford to offer more Ł19 fares to Europe at the expense of it's employees careers and livelihoods.
#4
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Brexile in ADB
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Posts: 7,067
Perhaps they are using the Brexit method of just talking slowly and loudly in English with one or two Spanish or French words randomly dropped in, till the understand.
You ....... want ...... el ..... Ticketo........ pour....... le....... air....... Plane?
#5
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Jerusalem
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,281
#7
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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According to a new report in the Israeli media the new centre is located indeed in the UK.
In the case of Newcastle there is a longstanding community in Gateshead and there is a prestigious yeshiva for Orthodox Judaism. I guess some students - and spouses of the students - may well be interested in part or fulltime employment with BA just a few miles away, though the language skills will be fairly varied I suspect given its international student body.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
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It's not quite clear from the announcement (in Hebrew only) whether it only refers to the reservations line or also to the BAEC team.
.
.
It's a sad day, and the fantastic team will really be missed.
#9
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,844
In the case of Newcastle there is a longstanding community in Gateshead and there is a prestigious yeshiva for Orthodox Judaism. I guess some students - and spouses of the students - may well be interested in part or fulltime employment with BA just a few miles away, though the language skills will be fairly varied I suspect given its international student body.
One thing that I am not certain of, however, is whether the graduates of the colleges there (even those who are not international students and who wish to remain local) would aspire to a customer service role with BA. The community is fairly insular, and my (limited) understanding of the Yeshiva curriculum is that it is mainly orientated around the Talmud and related studies.
#10
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South East, UK
Programs: BA Gold / GfL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,431
I'm just amazed to learn that BA has retained a country-specific call centre for so long! Especially one with just 2 flights a day. It must have stayed under the bean counter radar somehow!
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Jerusalem
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,281
In summer schedule there are 3 flights a day (sometimes 3 LH aircrafts) plus it also handled IB's operations so not really surprising; on top of that Hebrew is not such a wide-spread language. That said, nowhere did it say that the new call-centre will provide service in Hebrew...
#12
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: York, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, Hilton Diamond, Marriott GOLD, Accor Club Gold
Posts: 709
As one who flies this route with regularity, I've always been struck by the fact that BA only have an interest in offering on-board announcements and airport staff who speak only one of the two official languages of Israel. Given that Israeli Arabs loath flying on El Al, I've never understood why BA does not make them more appropriately welcome.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Jerusalem
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,281
As one who flies this route with regularity, I've always been struck by the fact that BA only have an interest in offering on-board announcements and airport staff who speak only one of the two official languages of Israel. Given that Israeli Arabs loath flying on El Al, I've never understood why BA does not make them more appropriately welcome.
#14
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: *A
Posts: 1,390
I know this area rather well. As @corporate-wage-slave says, it is a highly prestigious centre of Haredim learning - I believe it is the most significant outside Israel and the United States - and there is a growing settled community with a fascinating history, alongside a diverse international student body. It is a depressing sign of the times that the community has in recent years had to become much more aware of their own security.
One thing that I am not certain of, however, is whether the graduates of the colleges there (even those who are not international students and who wish to remain local) would aspire to a customer service role with BA. The community is fairly insular, and my (limited) understanding of the Yeshiva curriculum is that it is mainly orientated around the Talmud and related studies.
One thing that I am not certain of, however, is whether the graduates of the colleges there (even those who are not international students and who wish to remain local) would aspire to a customer service role with BA. The community is fairly insular, and my (limited) understanding of the Yeshiva curriculum is that it is mainly orientated around the Talmud and related studies.
In summer schedule there are 3 flights a day (sometimes 3 LH aircrafts) plus it also handled IB's operations so not really surprising; on top of that Hebrew is not such a wide-spread language. That said, nowhere did it say that the new call-centre will provide service in Hebrew...
As one who flies this route with regularity, I've always been struck by the fact that BA only have an interest in offering on-board announcements and airport staff who speak only one of the two official languages of Israel. Given that Israeli Arabs loath flying on El Al, I've never understood why BA does not make them more appropriately welcome.
#15
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,666
You forgot that with each repetition of the same sentence not being understood is to raise the voice until it is.