The MP hotline is impossible to get through
 

It has been for some months that the HK hotline for MP is impossible to get through especially during office hours. It used to be that one has to wait a long time. Then, some weeks ago, one is directed to a recording asking you to leave a telephone number and that someone would call you back. I have done that and no one has returned my calls. Now, the line simply returns a busy tone.

Much as most of us on this board like CX, prefer CX and are prepared to turn a blind eye to many of its glitches, the non-availability of its hotline strikes at the very core. It seems even less available than the UA or AA hotlines in the US!

It seems that you have no status with MPO. When I key in my membership no., the system automatically detects my status and I press 0 to talk to a CSO. I have never experienced you situation before, regardless of the time of day I call.

Your status with MPO can make no difference to getting busy tone. I got it once today, but got ring tone on the second attempt. Some months ago I was getting busy 30 or 40 times before I could get through.

Unfortunately today I got an unusually clueless agent by the name of Raymond (who didn't seem to understand the concept of reservations and ticketing being separate things and seemed completely clueless about making revenue reservations) so I'm going to have to try to call back later and hope to get one of the excellent Japanese ladies they have on there.

At this point, I'm happy to get through on the 2nd call. Took me four calls just now.

Are you calling the USA toll-free number? I had the same problem trying to call their US toll-free number during HK business hours - always a busy tone. Finally got through during HK evening hours. The HK-agent said it's easy to get through after 7pm HK time, as they're busy during the day with travel agent calls.

I know this is a bit off topic, but a couple of times when I have called in the last 2 months, my call seems to be answered, but it is answered by 2 people. That is, 2 people say hello to me, but when they realise that someone else took the call, the other drops off. Has anyone else noticed this?

Ha... Tell you what... NOT only the MPC hotline is hard to get thru.

I had wrote an email regarding to a reservation 2 weeks ago and I have not receive ANY reply yet, except an auto-reply email confirming the receipt of my email. (And yes, I check my inbox and also spam/ junk folder everyday)

Well, I am thinking of switching airline since CX overall services seem to decline...

A week ago, weekday afternoon,
I call MPO desk from Pier Lounge PC phone with pressing MEM-1
I got only busy tone.
So, I asked Pier Lounge receptionist to make my seat allocation.
She called up MPO center from their internal phone at the reception desk.
She get only busy tone also.
They could not reach MPO line even internally.
Receptionists knew this difficulty to reach MPO.

I have not been calling for more than a month. Is the busy tone problem very recent?

As a silver member, I have not been experiencing call hold times of more than 2 minutes actually. It may take a while, at some times, just to get through to the hotline, but once you successfully dialed in, it won't take long before your call is answer.

There are many airlines that have far worst hold times for premier member, or outsourced their call centers to India, or have an unnecessarily long "talk" behind you can actually get through to the agent.

My memory and experience, it started to get worst since KA merges CX. Then it got better a little later, and now bad again...

yes, but i think our point is, we cant get through to the system in the first place. it kept being busy when i had to call MPC!

Recently the only time I can get through is by calling in a Saturday afternoon.

I'm a Green Member.

I'm always calling the MP hotline (at least once a week or once every 2 weeks, and more frequently in the past few months). For the last few years I have flown 2-3 long haul business + 2-3 short-haul economy on CX every year - and I have to make all these bookings via the MP hotline as they are all redemption tickets (I've got plenty of credit card points :D)

It's definitely more difficult to get through now than, say, 1 or 2 years ago.

I've found the best time to be after 11.30pm HK time. Usually no more than 3 minutes waiting time.

I don't know whether the Silver/Gold/Diamond members are asked this question, right after you dial 0 (I'm translating this from the Cantonese version):

"We would like your feedback on how this call was handled ... If you want to take part in this survey, which will take X minutes, please press 1. If you do not want to participate, press 2."

However, one time I asked the MP staff about this customer satisfaction survey thing... and she said she didn't know anything about it! She said I could hang up as there wasn't any survey going on.

I've found that I get through faster after pressing 1. Is CX using a method to "screen" out those members who aren't willing to take part in the survey, putting them in a slower queue?

I second this. Called yesterday at 5.30pm HK time and got the engaged tone. Called back at 10.30pm HK time and got straight through to a very efficient member of staff who had my redemption booking done within a matter of minutes.

Strange because I'm only ordinary Green. Maybe the much talked about priority for higher tier members isn't always so strictly followed in practice?

Always press 1 to agree to take part in the survey, I would imagine MPC prioritises calls from those who agree to take the survey.