Contacting Cathay
Feb 27, 2023, 9:19 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX Diamond (OW Emerald), former SQ Krisflyer Gold
Posts: 2,527
Contacting Cathay
I've been trying to contact Cathay and entering me MPC number and system says it recognises me as DM.
On hold >1 hour and still no luck.
Tried callback option yesterday and 24 hours later still no callback.
How does one get in touch these days?
On hold >1 hour and still no luck.
Tried callback option yesterday and 24 hours later still no callback.
How does one get in touch these days?
Feb 28, 2023, 12:01 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,954
But my colleague, who is MPC Green, also called today about the same time I did. He was still on hold and yet to reach anyone, after I had finished my first two calls to Cathay.
Both of us had selected "Cantonese" as the language.
Feb 28, 2023, 12:30 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX Diamond (OW Emerald), former SQ Krisflyer Gold
Posts: 2,527
So on Cantonese I can get through to the hotline with zero wait, less than 1 minute. But nobody there can speak English, even after HUACA.
English hotline is useless, they don't answer after >1 hour even, nor do they call honour call back requests.
English hotline is useless, they don't answer after >1 hour even, nor do they call honour call back requests.
Feb 28, 2023, 1:19 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
Feb 28, 2023, 7:00 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX Diamond (OW Emerald), former SQ Krisflyer Gold
Posts: 2,527
I wrote about this 3 days ago: Call at the edges of the opening hours
Feb 28, 2023, 8:39 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 148
I tried that trick a few weeks ago. The agent couldn't speak English very well but he was very willing to help and resolved my issue.
Feb 28, 2023, 8:57 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
Last week, I did have 1 DM wait for 40 minutes and 1 DM wait for "just" 8 min (bear me the exact minute count).
Feb 28, 2023, 9:20 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 565
Have you registered your phone number and did you dial from that phone? When I did this recently to the U.K. number (sounds like Philippines call centre) it recognised my (DM) status without me inputting anything and the wait was several minutes at most.
Feb 28, 2023, 8:00 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX Diamond (OW Emerald), former SQ Krisflyer Gold
Posts: 2,527
Mar 1, 2023, 7:13 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,954
I just want to highlight another pleasant (or unpleasant, depends how you see it) experience with the Cathay Call Centre. As noted upthread, I had made a few calls to Cathay recently. During one of those calls, I entered my MPC number, was recognised as Diamond, and got a live agent after a few minutes on hold. The purpose of the call was to verify I could change a flight on one of my bookings, without any change fee. This query was handled quickly by the agent; she was polite and helpful.
I then asked the agent to assist with another booking, which actually was for my boss and his wife's upcoming flight from Perth. I gave the agent the PNR. I said that I was authorised by my boss to handle his travel bookings (which is true). In this instance, it was a redemption booking. The problem was with a cancelled Wed PER-HKG flight, and my boss and his wife were rebooked one day early, to Tues. They are unable to leave Perth earlier, so I called to request protection on a flight after the cancelled Wed one. The agent checked, and advised that PER-HKG is only Tue/Fri/Sat, but the Fri/Sat flights had no award availability until a Fri TWO WEEKS later. Of course, that was unacceptable, so I further pushed for the agent to speak with someone to release two seats into award inventory. She was helpful, and raised a case number under the PNR, and then put my boss and his wife on waitlist for the desired Fri and Sat flights. The agent took down MY contact telephone number, and said that she would respond by Friday, 03 Mar. Honestly, the agent was very helpful, but thoughout this entire conversation, she did not ask me a single security question to verify my credentials to operate this booking. I am also sure that my name (which the agent would have seen when she first helped me with my booking) would not have been attached to my boss' account as an authorised representative. Every time in the past, while calling into to Cathay on my boss' behalf, I have always been asked the four usual security questions of boss' birthdate, mobile, email, redemption list member before the agent would proceed to answer any booking queries or even to touch the booking.
Today is 01 Mar, and the same agent actually called me back. She called my office direct line and asked for me by surname only (this direct line was not the contact number in my boss' account). I answered the call, and the agent then told me that she had been successful to get two award seats on the waitlisted Fri flight. She asked if I wanted to proceed with the change, and of course, I said yes. However, once again, this agent never verified my identity or credentials; she simply made the requested changes to the booking.
Although the agent was helpful, I have never experienced such lack of concern for account security before. Anyone else bump into this before with any agent?
I then asked the agent to assist with another booking, which actually was for my boss and his wife's upcoming flight from Perth. I gave the agent the PNR. I said that I was authorised by my boss to handle his travel bookings (which is true). In this instance, it was a redemption booking. The problem was with a cancelled Wed PER-HKG flight, and my boss and his wife were rebooked one day early, to Tues. They are unable to leave Perth earlier, so I called to request protection on a flight after the cancelled Wed one. The agent checked, and advised that PER-HKG is only Tue/Fri/Sat, but the Fri/Sat flights had no award availability until a Fri TWO WEEKS later. Of course, that was unacceptable, so I further pushed for the agent to speak with someone to release two seats into award inventory. She was helpful, and raised a case number under the PNR, and then put my boss and his wife on waitlist for the desired Fri and Sat flights. The agent took down MY contact telephone number, and said that she would respond by Friday, 03 Mar. Honestly, the agent was very helpful, but thoughout this entire conversation, she did not ask me a single security question to verify my credentials to operate this booking. I am also sure that my name (which the agent would have seen when she first helped me with my booking) would not have been attached to my boss' account as an authorised representative. Every time in the past, while calling into to Cathay on my boss' behalf, I have always been asked the four usual security questions of boss' birthdate, mobile, email, redemption list member before the agent would proceed to answer any booking queries or even to touch the booking.
Today is 01 Mar, and the same agent actually called me back. She called my office direct line and asked for me by surname only (this direct line was not the contact number in my boss' account). I answered the call, and the agent then told me that she had been successful to get two award seats on the waitlisted Fri flight. She asked if I wanted to proceed with the change, and of course, I said yes. However, once again, this agent never verified my identity or credentials; she simply made the requested changes to the booking.
Although the agent was helpful, I have never experienced such lack of concern for account security before. Anyone else bump into this before with any agent?
Mar 2, 2023, 12:47 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: HK
Programs: Qantas (Lifetime Gold), PAL (Elite), British Airways (now sadly blue), Cathay MPO DM
Posts: 647
my wait time as a Diamond on the phone was 45 minutes the other day. And then the agent had no clue (I was ringing about Vantage Pass). It was such a waste of time. I get through faster by using Whatsapp, but the agents appear to be 9 years old and have no idea who they work for, so it doesn't help much.
Mar 4, 2023, 2:17 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: HKG, DTW
Programs: CX Diamond, UA Gold, DL Platinum, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 32
I just want to highlight another pleasant (or unpleasant, depends how you see it) experience with the Cathay Call Centre. As noted upthread, I had made a few calls to Cathay recently. During one of those calls, I entered my MPC number, was recognised as Diamond, and got a live agent after a few minutes on hold. The purpose of the call was to verify I could change a flight on one of my bookings, without any change fee. This query was handled quickly by the agent; she was polite and helpful.
I then asked the agent to assist with another booking, which actually was for my boss and his wife's upcoming flight from Perth. I gave the agent the PNR. I said that I was authorised by my boss to handle his travel bookings (which is true). In this instance, it was a redemption booking. The problem was with a cancelled Wed PER-HKG flight, and my boss and his wife were rebooked one day early, to Tues. They are unable to leave Perth earlier, so I called to request protection on a flight after the cancelled Wed one. The agent checked, and advised that PER-HKG is only Tue/Fri/Sat, but the Fri/Sat flights had no award availability until a Fri TWO WEEKS later. Of course, that was unacceptable, so I further pushed for the agent to speak with someone to release two seats into award inventory. She was helpful, and raised a case number under the PNR, and then put my boss and his wife on waitlist for the desired Fri and Sat flights. The agent took down MY contact telephone number, and said that she would respond by Friday, 03 Mar. Honestly, the agent was very helpful, but thoughout this entire conversation, she did not ask me a single security question to verify my credentials to operate this booking. I am also sure that my name (which the agent would have seen when she first helped me with my booking) would not have been attached to my boss' account as an authorised representative. Every time in the past, while calling into to Cathay on my boss' behalf, I have always been asked the four usual security questions of boss' birthdate, mobile, email, redemption list member before the agent would proceed to answer any booking queries or even to touch the booking.
Today is 01 Mar, and the same agent actually called me back. She called my office direct line and asked for me by surname only (this direct line was not the contact number in my boss' account). I answered the call, and the agent then told me that she had been successful to get two award seats on the waitlisted Fri flight. She asked if I wanted to proceed with the change, and of course, I said yes. However, once again, this agent never verified my identity or credentials; she simply made the requested changes to the booking.
Although the agent was helpful, I have never experienced such lack of concern for account security before. Anyone else bump into this before with any agent?
I then asked the agent to assist with another booking, which actually was for my boss and his wife's upcoming flight from Perth. I gave the agent the PNR. I said that I was authorised by my boss to handle his travel bookings (which is true). In this instance, it was a redemption booking. The problem was with a cancelled Wed PER-HKG flight, and my boss and his wife were rebooked one day early, to Tues. They are unable to leave Perth earlier, so I called to request protection on a flight after the cancelled Wed one. The agent checked, and advised that PER-HKG is only Tue/Fri/Sat, but the Fri/Sat flights had no award availability until a Fri TWO WEEKS later. Of course, that was unacceptable, so I further pushed for the agent to speak with someone to release two seats into award inventory. She was helpful, and raised a case number under the PNR, and then put my boss and his wife on waitlist for the desired Fri and Sat flights. The agent took down MY contact telephone number, and said that she would respond by Friday, 03 Mar. Honestly, the agent was very helpful, but thoughout this entire conversation, she did not ask me a single security question to verify my credentials to operate this booking. I am also sure that my name (which the agent would have seen when she first helped me with my booking) would not have been attached to my boss' account as an authorised representative. Every time in the past, while calling into to Cathay on my boss' behalf, I have always been asked the four usual security questions of boss' birthdate, mobile, email, redemption list member before the agent would proceed to answer any booking queries or even to touch the booking.
Today is 01 Mar, and the same agent actually called me back. She called my office direct line and asked for me by surname only (this direct line was not the contact number in my boss' account). I answered the call, and the agent then told me that she had been successful to get two award seats on the waitlisted Fri flight. She asked if I wanted to proceed with the change, and of course, I said yes. However, once again, this agent never verified my identity or credentials; she simply made the requested changes to the booking.
Although the agent was helpful, I have never experienced such lack of concern for account security before. Anyone else bump into this before with any agent?
I can tell based on my recent experience phoning the call center that the agent quality has gone downhill, probably because most of the experienced ones have left during covid. Many inexperienced agents are handling DMs' phone calls these days, and sometimes I just have to instruct them step-by-step on what to do as they cannot handle some complicated situations. And even if they try, they make mistakes... Painful experience
On a side note, I can hardly remember, but do you guys know if CX used to have a call center in China for Cantonese-speaking customers? Recently when I called 27473333 and picked Cantonese, around a 50%-60% chance I could tell that the agent is not a local HK-er based on the vocabulary they use and the way they speak. And they admitted that they are not from the HK Call Centre. I guess they are either from Guangzhou or Macau, and this might explain why they cannot help you with your English requests... If that's a new call center, good job, CX, on cost-cutting;( Sorry to say, agents from this center always make mistakes (e.g. removing some of the wanted flights when changing my itinerary, quoting the wrong fare price, not conducting thorough security checks, etc.)...
There was an agent (named May) in a recent Cantonese call I made and I found her tone sounded more professional, experienced, and familiar. Only by asking her did I know that she was one of the ex-Marco Polo hotline agents... Things got solved more smoothly and quickly with her... Therefore, it's all about luck when it comes to what agent you get...
And from what I remember, the MPO hotline 2747-5500 / 3838 used to be 1- English, 2 - Cantonese, 3 - Mandarin; but now the combined hotline is 1 - Cantonese, 2 - Mandarin, 3 - English... Seems that the English-speaking market is less important to CX these days...