Merry

I called UK sales today to book a ticket and change from the 286 to 284 tomorrow.

They took my money off me and then said "from today we have to put you through to Customer Services for any non-sales transactions". It was then explained to me that this was to "enhance" service as they expect long telephone delays due to their current sale.

So basically, I pay for a fully-flex First Class ticket at a mere $13k, but when I call to make a change, I go to the back of the queue in favour of someone buying a $100 flight to Paris.

I hope BA realise that the chances of me phoning them when I am not going to make a flight are now severly reduced - why should I have to have an additional wait? I am sure all that lost revenue as a result of non-shows and customer frustration is worth the cost saving BA are getting.


Doooh!

zoosh

Nick:

Don't you still get a personal phone call from one of the BA 'latte drinkers' at Waterside, about once a month, asking for your comments, concerns and suggestions.

Or did they cancel this arrangement as further implimentation of their new 'enhancements and refinements'?

Maws22

Does this ever get old? Ever? I feel like pulling my hair out every time I see it. Please find another phrase or something!

Grog

And I love it every time I see it. BA chose to use it when it was inappropriate and now they're reaping what they sowed.

--Grog--

virtualtroy

Agreed this 'enhancement' stinks, but I have found the second-line team slightly less stroppy than the former arrangement when it comes to changing multi-leg itins and seating requests.

It seems sales (frontline) are in Glasgow and the second line team in Manchester.

bealine

Get Real!.........

Are there any businesses out there who don't use creative marketing speak! UK businesses now have a new toy to play with - active telephone answering that gives priority answering according to geographic location - ie If you live in Mayfair or Belgravia, you get answered in three rings, if you live in Brixton or Bermondsey, you may get a response in six weeks!

.....And all the time you're hanging on to an 0870 number, your telephone's clocking up National Rate charges!!! Why do you think telecoms companies are giving away office pc systems for businesses like BA and BAA to convert to 0870's - it's a real moneyspinner!!!

British Business ethics? There are none!

skippythelizard

I tire of the refinements and enhancements themselves, but I think the terminology in this case is properly applied with the deserved sarcasm.

Roger

bealine:

My solution, perhaps not ideal but I feel better if and when I apply it:

1. Use a mobile, which as you know is non-geographic in the UK - and my US mobile is a Santa Monica number .

2. I don't ring BA, BD, Avis or just about anybody else on the 0870 number. I can call the US and most countries in Europe for 1p per minute (and do) so why should I pay 8p per minute to listen to the BA menu.

Of course, the web is virtually free, and if I need to speak to a real live person in the EC, there are ways of doing so on a geographic landline number.

norodnik

dont bother with the 0870 number, just use the old free phone number it still works just fine. There wsa a message saying that it would be withdrawn, but the message has gone and the number still remains!

Fraser

I dont know if the NAEC number is money generating (or if there is such a thing in the US) but when I was on hold when calling them recently it was almost as if the phone was lying on the desk. You could hear all the other CS agents speaking, then the Flower Duet would cut back in and I'd wait another 10seconds or so before speaking to someone

Merry

Maws22: It was actually a quote.

whmere

The NAEC number is toll-free, so its costing them not you. You just couldn't get away with National Rate or equivalent in the US (though I said that about the NAEC changes didn't I ... :sigh: ) - even my dentist has a toll free!

On topic again: is Merry referring to the regular sales number? Isn't there a dedicated Gold Reservations Desk in the UK any more? There is one here, though I suspect its merely a way of queue-barging into the same call center, rather than a separate person/people.

[This message has been edited by whmere (edited Jan 07, 2004).]

Frequentflyer99

Yes there is a dedicated Gold freephone 0800 UK reservations number. It comes up on the website as the contact number if you are logged in as a Gold.

Fraser

There is a different number for each tier over here.

And yes as you suspect whmere they do just funnel all the calls to the same people. Recently I had a problem and called the Blue line (my line ) and was unsatisfied with the response and so I called the Gold line about 20mins later and spoke to the same guy! My situation was unusal so he recognised my voice and story within a few seconds. Luckily I had a response other than to just put the phone down

The person answering the phone at BA knows whether the person dialling has dialled Premier / Gold / Silver / Blue judged by the response I got a few times

ScottC

LOL... YOU folks are the ones using it all the time, not us... If you are fed up with it then try emailing someone at BA marketing who obviously loves using them...